*Sample context. Ask Nessie "Compile what I know about [candidate name]" to generate one of your own.*

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## Who He Is

James Park. Senior engineer at Stripe for four years, before that at a fintech that got acquired. Referred in by Priya on April 2. We've done the screen, the systems design, and a paired coding session. Offer decision due end of next week.

## What the Interviews Surfaced

- **Screen (April 5):** Clear thinker, strong fundamentals. Flag: talked more about what his team shipped than what he shipped. Priya said this was an artifact of Stripe culture, not a tell.
- **Systems design (April 9):** Strong. Designed a rate-limiting system well above the level I expected. Pushed back thoughtfully on my constraints. This is the signal I care most about.
- **Paired coding (April 12):** Mixed. Solved the problem but kept narrating instead of coding. Took about 20% longer than the median candidate. Tiger thought it was fine; I found it grating.

## The References I've Actually Had Conversations With

- **His manager at Stripe (Priya, warm reference).** Would rehire immediately. Said he "raises the quality bar without being the person who complains." Matches what I saw.
- **A skip-level from the acquired fintech.** Harder read. "Strong individual contributor, but I'd want him to stretch on product instinct." Not damning, but worth noting.
- **Back-channel through a mutual connection.** Nothing surprising. One phrase stuck: "he'll be quieter than you want for the first month, then suddenly everywhere."

## Where I'm Landing

Yes on the hire. Three things I want to be honest about:

1. The coding narration thing will bug me. I need to decide whether that's a real issue or a personal taste call. (I think personal taste.)
2. He's the 4th engineer, not the 2nd. The "stretch on product instinct" note matters less at our stage than it would if I were hiring a founding engineer.
3. Offer should land Friday. Comp in the email is fine; Priya said he's not a negotiator.

## What to Say When I Call Him

Lead with what was strongest (the systems design session), be explicit that we want him shipping in week one not week four, close with the team context. He'll want to hear about who he'd work with more than about the mission — Priya flagged this too.
