The article discusses the distinctive hiring practices at Palantir as shared by former engineer Nabeel Qureshi. He described interviews as unconventional, often involving deep philosophical discussions led by cofounder Stephen Cohen. Palantir seeks candidates who are independent thinkers, possess a wide range of intellectual interests, and have a strong competitive drive. This approach helps attract diverse talent, including those from non-tech backgrounds, such as military veterans. While it's unclear if these practices continue, they have shaped Palantir's work culture significantly since its founding in 2003.
"The interviews were pretty strange," Qureshi said on the podcast. "You'd be chatting about philosophy for an hour and a half and it would very much just be like he would pick a topic out of thin air."
Qureshi said that Palantir screened for three particular types of people: people who were independent-minded and weren't afraid to push back, people with broader intellectual interests, and those who were 'intensely competitive.'
Collection
[
|
...
]