Real examples of strong interviewing technique in action
Unique Impact vs Riding the Wave
3.5 minutes · Interview #2
Challenging Reframe + Follow-up for Specifics
"Who's riding the wave vs creating unique impact?"
What Tanner Does Well
Challenging reframe: "Who's riding the wave vs creating unique impact?" - forces differentiation beyond just "I hit my numbers"
Doesn't accept surface answers: After Jake gives a conceptual response, immediately asks "Can you give me an example?"
Gets to specifics: Pushes for a concrete story with names, numbers, and outcomes
Empathetic validation: "The harder deals are the sweetest ones" - builds rapport after the story
AI Agents in Daily Use
3 minutes · Interview #3
Follow-up Questions to Broaden Scope
"What about outside of ElevenLabs?"
What Tanner Does Well
Open-ended practical question: "Where are you bringing agentic functions into your day-to-day?" - invites real examples
Active listening: Hears about the stroller app, validates it ("I love it, that is really cool")
Immediate follow-up: "What about outside of ElevenLabs?" - doesn't stop at the first answer, broadens the scope
Gets comprehensive picture: The follow-up reveals extensive AI tool usage (Notion agents, Claude, account research workflow)
Why ElevenLabs? (Constraining Answers)
3 minutes · Interview #1
Constraining Answers to Get Past Surface Level
"There's one answer you can't give me, which is that we're growing very fast..."
What Tanner Does Well
Pre-empts the obvious answer: "There's one answer you can't give me, which is we're growing fast" - blocks the generic response
Forces deeper thinking: By constraining the answer, requires the candidate to go beyond surface-level motivation
Gets authentic passion: The constraint reveals a thoughtful, personal answer about technology making human connection, accessibility, and leveling the playing field
Creates space for storytelling: Candidate feels permission to go long and share personal examples (grandparents in India, preference for FaceTime)