The core problem in interviews is the tension between measuring quick problem-solving skills and the ability to handle larger projects over time. Many of the best programmers have numerous job options, making it challenging for companies that require a trial employment period to attract them.

When interviewing candidates, we assess their problem-solving skills and how they think about trade-offs, rather than just their ability to write code.

When hiring, the most important question is not just whether a candidate can do the job, but how they will improve the performance of other team members through their questioning and thinking.

A candidate's motivation and depth of thinking can be assessed during interviews, which is crucial for hiring decisions.

Larger companies tend to rely more on brain teasers in interviews, which can introduce noise, but they often use them as a standard part of their hiring process. Bigger companies focus more on measuring innate ability rather than specific coding skills for their codebase, while smaller companies prioritize immediate productivity in specific technologies like Ruby on Rails.

Asking easier interview questions can be more predictive of a candidate's success than harder questions, as it reveals both the correctness of the answer and the candidate's problem-solving process.

The traditional use of brain teasers in interviews is becoming less relevant; companies should focus on practical problem-solving skills instead.

Interviewing is a skill that requires training; it's important to develop a structured approach to evaluate candidates effectively.

The quality of a candidate's thinking should be evaluated through the questions they ask during the interview process.