In the vibrant and fast-evolving ecosystem of modern startups, there are few leaders who embody the principle of hands-on leadership quite as vividly as the CEO of Legora. Despite the company’s impressive $2 billion valuation—a milestone that often leads founders to delegate significant aspects of operations to others—this visionary executive continues to personally interview every single new hire who walks through the company’s doors. Rather than relying solely on résumés, credentials, or polished talking points, he searches for something deeper, more instinctual, and infinitely more important: the spark of *raw grit*.
This approach reflects a powerful belief that true talent is not simply measured by what appears on paper, but by an individual’s internal drive—the unwavering resilience that surfaces in moments of pressure, fatigue, and creative challenge. When the lights burn late in the office and the world outside is quiet, it’s that very quality of tenacity that distinguishes transformative contributors from those who merely perform their roles. The CEO’s key question during each interview isn’t designed to test technical proficiency; it’s meant to reveal how a person reacts when confronted with difficulty, ambiguity, or failure. In essence, he is less interested in the perfection of past achievements than in the authenticity of future determination.
By maintaining this ritual of direct engagement, the CEO cultivates a company culture that thrives on shared ambition, unity of spirit, and uncompromising standards. Every employee who joins Legora knows that they are personally trusted—and tested—by the individual who shaped the company’s vision from the ground up. That knowledge fosters a sense of accountability that far exceeds what typical onboarding processes can achieve. In an era when leadership is often defined by distance, automation, or impersonal systems, this practice serves as a reminder that human connection remains the most potent tool a leader possesses.
At its core, Legora’s hiring philosophy articulates a timeless truth: innovation flourishes not merely through intellect or expertise, but through perseverance and conviction. Raw grit—the capacity to persist through fatigue, to keep refining ideas, to welcome obstacles as catalysts rather than deterrents—becomes the engine of both individual and organizational growth. For a company scaling rapidly in a competitive market, sustaining that spirit is essential. The CEO’s ongoing involvement ensures that this energy doesn’t dissipate as the company expands, but instead deepens, anchoring every new phase of expansion in shared human ethos.
Ultimately, this story isn’t just about an unconventional founder’s interviewing habit; it’s a reflection on what leadership can mean in its most committed form. True leadership is not a matter of delegation alone—it is the practice of remaining intimately connected to the values, emotions, and potential of one’s people. By sitting across the table from each candidate, listening intently for authenticity and resolve, Legora’s CEO exemplifies a principle many leaders overlook: that culture is not dictated from the top but built conversation by conversation, one determined individual at a time.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/legora-ceo-interviews-max-junestrand-question-legal-ai-hiring-strategy-2026-1
