In Defense of Rock Stars
So tired of job listings looking for “rock stars.” Rock stars show up six hours late, start drinking at 11, punch lawyers, and sleep with the account managers. Why would you want to hire one?
Cowboy Coders are usually not worth the price.
While rock stars often have bad habits like throwing TVs out the window, and demanding absolutely no brown m&m’s in the candy dish, there is a reason they’ve gotten to where they are. Talent, both natural and learned, self-confidence, stage-presence, and the ability to deliver performances day after day (minus the occasional freak-out).
A rock star is not a cowboy. A rock star plays in a band, and that band is as tight-knit as any startup team. While each member has their own idiosyncrasies, they have figured out how to work together, and the good bands stay together for a long time. Or the band explodes, and some of the members go off and form a new band together. Sound familiar?
I agree that the lone-wolf cowboy is not a good hire. You need someone you can work with, and someone self-realized enough to balance their ego with what is best for the team. Maybe you don’t need a rock star, there’s a lot of bad ones out there, but if you get the right one, I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.
