What makes someone “good”? If you ask Dan McCarthy, Talent Partner at Paradigm (the world’s largest crypto VC), it’s not what’s on their resume. After two decades in tech, he’s got sharp takes on evaluating talent, building elite networks, and why AI will disrupt recruiting less than most people think.

In this episode, Nolan and Dan cover the mindset shift recruiters need to thrive in the AI era—and why being interesting, emotionally intelligent, and hyper-reliable will separate the 10x from the rest.

Key takeaways:
- A recruiter has two real jobs: don’t drop the ball, and have polish & charisma
- Long-term relationships are your biggest moat in an AI-saturated world
- How your content diet (classics over the infinite scroll) can give you an unfair edge

To learn more about Metaview, the AI platform for 10x recruiting teams, head to www.metaview.ai/10x

Key moments:
[00:00] Intro

[03:43] Most Candidates Are Not Good

[04:55] Relationships and Judgment Don't Scale

[07:00] Building Executive Relationships Before Roles Open

[08:33] AI Creates Winner Take All Markets

[11:01] Tell Me Your Life Story Interview Question

[14:25] The Mid Wit Meme in Hiring Processes

[16:17] Google's Hiring Process Institutional Failure

[19:45] Recruiters Have Two Jobs Don't Mess Up

[21:16] Building Charisma and Communication Skills

[22:51] Content Diet for Sharp Thinking

[24:59] Twitter as the Center of Learning

[26:29] How AI Will Change Recruiting

[30:05] Human Connection Becomes More Valuable

[32:38] Defending Against the AI Tsunami

[33:53] Preparing Kids for an Unknown Future

The real job of a recruiter? Just two things.