Win Top Talent

What You Can Predict

How to Predict

1. Create Candidate Mind

Upload interview transcript:

$
> "Create a mind for Alex Chen, Engineering Manager candidate,
>
using /interviews/alex-chen-final-round.vtt"

Training: 5-15 minutes

2. Test Your Offer

Ask the candidate mind:

$
> "SCENARIO: A fast-growing startup is recruiting you for an Engineering Manager role. They're offering $180K base + $40K equity (4-year vest, 0.2%), remote-first with quarterly team offsites. They have 2-year runway and just raised Series B. You currently earn $165K at a stable company.
>
>
QUESTION: Will you accept this offer? What concerns will you raise? What factors would make you accept vs. decline?"

You’ll know:

• If they’ll accept or negotiate
• What they’ll push back on
• What actually motivates them
• How to revise to win them

3. Make Winning Offers

Tailor offer to their priorities:

• Candidate A cares about: Growth + autonomy
• Candidate B cares about: Comp + work-life balance
• Candidate C cares about: Impact + team quality

Win significantly more top talent

Real Examples

$
> "SCENARIO: A startup is offering you a Senior Engineer position: $150K base + $50K equity (4-year vest, 0.3%). Role requires 3 days/week in office, startup has 18-month runway, Series A stage. You currently have competing offers at $165K-$175K base from larger companies with better work-life balance.
>
>
QUESTION: Will you accept this startup offer? What concerns will you raise? What factors would make you accept vs. decline?"

OFFER ACCEPTANCE: NO (will decline or heavily negotiate)
Why I'll decline this offer:
1. Below Market Compensation
   Issue: I have offers at $165K-$175K base
   Your offer: $150K is significantly below
   Impact: Signals you don't value me at market rate
   What changes my mind: $170K+ base to be competitive
2. Equity Overweighted
   Issue: I'm skeptical of startup equity value
   Your offer: $50K equity assumes high valuation
   Impact: I discount this to near-zero in my thinking
   What I actually want: More cash, less equity
3. Hidden Motivation (not stated in interviews)
   What I said: "Excited about the mission"
   What I actually care about: Work-life balance
   Your offer: Doesn't address this
   What wins me: Explicit 40-hour week commitment + flex
If you make this offer as-is:
- I will negotiate hard on base
- Likely will decline even after negotiation
- Will accept competing offer at $165K with better balance
Revised offer that wins me:
- $170K base (competitive + shows you value me)
- $30K equity (less equity I discount anyway)
- Explicit work-life balance commitment
- Frame as "sustainable high performance"

$
> "What if we offer $170K base, $30K equity, and explicit
>
commitment to 40-hour weeks with flexibility? Will you accept?"

YES. This offer wins me.
Why I'll accept:
- $170K is competitive with other offers
- Work-life balance commitment is THE differentiator
- Flexibility addresses my real concern (young kids)
- You've matched my actual priorities
My response:
"This looks great. I'm ready to accept pending background check."
You've won me by understanding what I actually care about.

Common Scenarios

Offer Negotiation Preparation: Predict if they’ll negotiate and on what terms, their actual salary expectation, which benefits they care about, and how much flexibility you have. Know before the offer call exactly what they’ll push back on and how to respond.

Competitive Hiring Situations: Predict how they’re comparing you to competitors, what other companies offer that you don’t, which factors actually tip their decision, and how to position your advantages. Win recruiting battles with strategic positioning.

Cultural Fit Assessment: Predict work style and collaboration preferences, manager relationship needs, team dynamics fit, and long-term retention likelihood. Make better hiring decisions beyond technical skills.

Executive Hiring: Predict what attracts them to this role vs. others, compensation expectations at this level, decision timeline and competing processes, and what closes them. Win executive talent with tailored approaches.

Implementation

$
> Create a mind for Jessica Park, Product Manager candidate,
>
using /Documents/interviews/jessica-park-final-round.vtt

✓ Training candidate mind... (~10 min)

$
> "SCENARIO: Your company is offering Jessica a Product Manager position: $160K base + $40K equity (4-year vest, 0.15%), hybrid work requiring 3 days/week in office, ownership of key product area. She currently works remote and has 2 young children. Competing offers are fully remote.
>
>
QUESTION: Will Jessica accept this offer? What concerns will she raise? What motivates her most?"

OFFER ACCEPTANCE: UNLIKELY (will negotiate or decline)
Priorities:
1. Flexibility: Hybrid 3 days is too much (has 2 young kids)
2. Product Scope: Ownership + impact is #1 motivator
3. Compensation: $160K acceptable if other factors align
Revised offer that wins her:
- Remote-first with optional 1 day/week office
- Clear ownership of specific product area
- Frame as "High-impact role with flexibility"

$
> "SCENARIO: What if we offer remote-first with 1 day/week office?
>
>
QUESTION: Does this address her concerns?"

YES. Acceptance probability: 85%+
Flexibility addresses real concern, product ownership is motivator.

Next Steps