Names
Who co-founded Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, Inc.?
Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook in 2004, which has since evolved into Meta Platforms, Inc., focusing on social media and technology innovations.
"The budget has been cut by 30%. Which three expense items would you leave untouched, and what would you cut first?"
What I would cut first:
Marketing experiments and brand advertising: In a crisis, budgets shift from awareness campaigns ("letting people know about us") to direct-response tools with a clear ROI. Anything that doesn't generate revenue "here and now" is put on pause.
Rent and office perks: If a portion of the team can be moved to remote work or a coworking space, it should be done immediately. This also includes entertainment expenses, corporate events, and "office snacks."
New hires: A hiring freeze is the least painful way to reduce payroll costs without resorting to laying off current employees.
These points are the "foundation"; destroying them would lead to the company's collapse in the long run:
Core Team:
People build businesses. Firing top specialists with unique expertise might save money today, but it makes growth impossible tomorrow. It is better to negotiate a temporary reduction in bonuses than to lose your "brain trust."
Product/Customer Support (Service & Operations):
You cannot skimp on the quality of what is already making money. If service levels drop due to cost-cutting, customers will leave for competitors. Retaining an existing customer is always cheaper than acquiring a new one.
Security and Critical Infrastructure:
Saving on servers, software licenses, or information security is like playing "Russian roulette." A single critical error or data breach during a crisis could finish the company off for good.
What is Visionary Leadership?
The ability to articulate long-term goals (Example: Steve Jobs).
You have been given the opportunity to mentor a young startup founder. What advice would you give, drawing on the experience of famous business leaders?
1. Failure is inevitable. Don't avoid it, embrace it! Analyze what went wrong, learn from it, and adapt.
2. Define your target market, your unique value proposition, and your competitive advantage. Conduct thorough market research and understand your competitors.
3. Your team is your greatest asset. Hire people who are smarter than you, passionate about your vision, and culturally aligned with your values.
4. Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Understand their needs, exceed their expectations, and build long-lasting relationships.
Who is the chairman and CEO of Amazon?
Andy Jassy is the current CEO of Amazon, having taken over from Jeff Bezos, the company's founder, in July 2021.
"Are you prepared to fire a 'star' employee who generates 50% of the profit if they systematically violate the team's ethical standards?"
"Yes, I am ready"
1. Why do they need to be fired?
Team Demoralization: When a leader allows a "star" to break the rules, other employees sense the injustice. This kills motivation and loyalty.
The "Domino Effect": Seeing such impunity, others either start behaving the same way, or the best talent (who won't tolerate toxicity) quits. You end up losing five other talents for the sake of one.
The "Hostage" Risk: If one person generates 50% of the profit, the company is held hostage by them. This is a critical business vulnerability. Firing them is a painful but necessary "surgery" to diversify risks.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
The ability to understand and manage your own emotions as well as those of others.
Create a new product launch strategy, using principles employed by a famous businessperson. What steps would you take?
Inspired by Steve Jobs (Apple's Focus on Design and User Experience)
Which business leader is known for her role in building the world's largest cosmetics company, L'Oréal?
Liliane Bettencourt, the heiress of L'Oréal's founder, was a notable figure in the company and one of the wealthiest women in the world.
What is more important to you: to be respected or to be liked by your employees?
The best answer is a balance, but with a clear priority.
"If I have to choose, respect always comes first.
Respect is built on a leader's competence, integrity, and consistency. Without respect, it is impossible to maintain discipline or accomplish complex tasks. Employees might disagree with my decision, but if they respect me, they will carry it out because they trust my expertise and my values.
However, 'love' in a professional sense means trust and psychological safety. I strive to make the team feel comfortable working with me. I want them to value my support and my humanity. Respect is the foundation, while good personal relationships are the 'lubricant' that allows the team's machinery to run faster and without unnecessary friction."
What is Risk-taking?
Decisiveness in the face of uncertainty (Example: Elon Musk).
You are in the office of one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world (Elon Musk). What are his most notable achievements?
Most Notable Achievements:
Who was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
Margaret Thatcher was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, serving from 1979 to 1990.
"Your top performer made a mistake that cost the company a major contract. What are your first words to them at the meeting?"
"I want to understand the process, not just the result. Let’s walk through what happened together so we can make sure this never happens to anyone again."
What is Resilience?
The ability to recover quickly from setbacks and failures.
You are considering investing in a startup. What criteria will you use, based on the experience of famous businesspeople?
Here are concise startup-evaluation criteria used by famous investors:
- Team and execution: strength and fit of the founders, coachability, alignment.
- Problem and market: clear problem, large TAM, signs of product-market fit.
- Product and differentiation: unique value, defensible advantage, scalable model.
- Traction and metrics: early users/revenue, unit economics, clear milestones.
- Business model and economics: margins, CAC/LTV, path to scale/exit.
- Competition and risk: understanding of competitors, risk mitigation.
- Use of funds and runway: realistic burn, specific fund uses.
- Exit potential and upside: plausible exit scenarios, ROI alignment.
- Governance and integrity: transparency, compliance, integrity.
- Fit with investor: portfolio fit, involvement potential and value add.
Which entrepreneur is known for founding Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX?
Elon Musk is known for founding Tesla, Inc., an electric vehicle company, and SpaceX, a private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company.
"If your company were an animal, what kind would it be and why?"
"If we were an animal, we’d be a cheetah. In our industry, speed is everything. We aren't the biggest predator in the jungle, but we are the fastest to react, the most agile in our pivots, and we can go from zero to sixty before the competition even realizes the environment has changed."
What is Adaptability?
The skill to change strategies depending on market conditions (Example: Jeff Bezos).
Imagine you are conducting an interview with the founder of a major technology company. What three questions would you ask them, and why?
"If you had to start a brand-new company today with only $10,000, what problem would you try to solve?"
"What is the most difficult piece of feedback you’ve ever received that actually turned out to be right?"
"What is one thing you’ve had to sacrifice personally to get this company to where it is today?"