Rishabh Kumar

Keith Rabois has a line that is timely and important and still lives rent-free in my head: “Most companies hire bullets when they really need cannons.” The first time I heard that, it stung a little. Because I could immediately see exactly where I’d done it. A “bullet” is someone who moves only when you aim them. You point, load, and give detailed instructions. Then they fly in a straight line and stop. A “cannon” is different. You point them at a problem and step back. They create impact on their own. They see around corners. They make other people’s jobs easier just by doing theirs. Once you see that distinction, you start looking at everyone differently: Who actually creates momentum? Who owns outcomes, not just tasks? Who sends you solutions instead of waiting for direction? When I look back on the best “teams” I’ve ever been a part of, they rarely had huge headcounts. They had: • A handful of cannons who really cared • Clear lanes and ownership • The freedom to actually do the work These days, when I think about hiring, I’m asking myself way simpler questions: • Would I trust them with something I really care about? • Do they like owning things end to end? • Would they still create value if I disappeared for a month? If the answer is yes, that’s a cannon. You figure out how to make space for them. You can add all the tools, playbooks, and dashboards you want. But if you don’t have a few real cannons on the team, you’re just rearranging bullets.