Ramp Co-founder: I Value Engineers Who Built Minecraft Servers in Their Youth More Than Ivy League Degrees
In the eyes of Eric Glyman, co-founder and co-CEO of Ramp, the most sought-after talent doesn't necessarily boast the most impressive resumes, nor are they always actively looking for jobs.
Compared to the prestigious degrees, professional networks, and polished backgrounds common in corporate recruiting, Glyman cares more about whether a candidate demonstrates a "spike"—an exceptionally intense drive, focus, and potential for growth.
"I don't care that much about what's on the resume," he said in a podcast interview. "I care about what you've actually built."
Ramp is a fintech company providing expense management, payments, and financial automation services to businesses. It currently serves over 70,000 customers, has surpassed $1 billion in annualized revenue, and is valued at approximately $44 billion.
Why Ramp Values "Proof of Work" Over Resumes
Glyman believes that the most significant signals of capability often emerge early in a person's life and in unexpected ways.
He cites the example of several engineers at Ramp who were discovered precisely because they were obsessed with Minecraft in their youth. They would spend 80 to 100 hours a week studying the game, creating content, and even setting up their own private servers. Some of these servers were compelling enough to attract large numbers of other players.
One developer even turned this hobby into a small business while still a minor, earning enough to cover his college tuition. Glyman argues that such experiences are more telling than a standardized resume: these individuals are not only deeply committed but also know how to push software capabilities beyond their original design boundaries.
Under traditional recruitment screening, these individuals might be overlooked for lacking a college degree or a "comprehensive" resume. But in Glyman's view, the extreme focus, technical sensitivity, and problem-solving skills they demonstrated are precisely the qualities that hold scarce value.
Consequently, Ramp's hiring process actively seeks out these signals. The company monitors consistent contributors on GitHub and engages with active members of niche communities. At the same time, the team places great importance on referrals, as those who truly understand a candidate's abilities often possess insights that a resume cannot convey.
Glyman also believes that no amount of intensive multi-round interviews can compare to actually working with someone for two days to gauge their level.
He also sees a clear market opportunity in identifying young talent early. By the time students reach their junior year summer internship or have five years of work experience, their value is usually fully priced by the market, forcing companies to compete with high-paying employers like quantitative trading firms and AI labs.
However, if you can discover candidates during their freshman year—or even before they have a formal resume—the competitive landscape is entirely different. Giving them opportunities and responsibilities earlier also helps build long-term trust.
"Many people show incredible capability, drive, and potential for future performance very early on," Glyman said. "We try to find those people and give them more responsibility."
When Hiring, Look at What Candidates Truly Want
Beyond capability and drive, Glyman carefully assesses a candidate's long-term motivations.
He spends time understanding what they truly want to achieve in the next five, ten, or even fifteen years, rather than just asking why they want to join Ramp. He then determines whether the candidate's personal goals can form a genuine intersection with the company's direction.
If the goals of both parties are not aligned, even a highly capable candidate may not be a good fit for a long-term partnership.
Glyman's perspective is: if you cannot see why the other party would want the same outcome, or how the two sides can connect, there is no need to force the process, and certainly no reason to waste each other's time.
This Approach Mirrors That of Executives Like Elon Musk
Glyman's hiring philosophy is quite similar to the views held by tech leaders like Elon Musk.
He notes that he agrees with Musk's approach of prioritizing the search for smart talent, as it provides an opportunity to discover excellent candidates who have not yet been fully priced by the market.
Musk previously stated in a conversation with Stripe co-founder John Collison and podcast host Dwarkesh Patel that hiring should not just focus on resumes, but rather on finding "evidence of exceptional ability."
In his view, a candidate's ability, drive, and trustworthiness are all important; among these, the presence of good intentions and integrity cannot be overlooked.
Kurt Alexander, president of the hotel group Omni Hotels & Resorts, holds a similar view. He once shared that he asks candidates: "What are the less-than-perfect parts of your personality?" This seemingly direct question often reveals a person's true state more easily than a highly polished resume.
As he put it: effort can outperform talent that doesn't work hard; but when talent is also willing to put in the effort, it is usually that talent that truly leads the way.
