The Secret Power of Outsider Hires: Driving Innovation in Today's Business World
It's increasingly apparent in today's rapidly changing business world that talent coming from outside of your industry is a game-changer. Recently, we hired some new folks at Atom.com and took a new approach: hire people with specific domain expertise from other industries. This has led to remarkable growth, including the rebranding of our new products and major expansion of business. The success secret? Brining in new blood from the outside domain-sales industry, that creates a culture of fearless curiosity about challenging traditional ways of doing things.
Hiring people with various backgrounds has allowed us to break the norms of our industry and introduce novel solutions. In industries where people are entrenched in familiar ways of doing things, outsiders bring the kind of thinking that challenges the status quo. Instead of merely accepting "this is how we've always done it," new hires ask, "why do we do it this way?"
This way of thinking has helped to solve long-standing issues, such as valuing domain names, and enabled the development of some of the most advanced AI-powered tools. The culture within teams has also been part of innovation, and the outside hires have been helpful in creating a culture of learning constantly. Because they aren’t weighed down by industry biases or assumptions, these individuals bring a unique level of curiosity and adaptability. They don’t carry the baggage of traditional thinking, which encourages everyone on the team to reassess long-held beliefs.
This openness to questioning the status quo leads to an environment where collaboration thrives and new ideas can flourish. Putting all sorts of people from different professional fields together will result in a sort of natural tie that encourages more collaboration. It is not about "dumb questions" anymore because everybody does things differently. This openness fosters an environment of creativity and innovation. Those who have transitioned into new industries also tend to have some level of adaptability in them, so individuals will take on challenges with enthusiasm.
This is very valuable for startups as it has a culture that is flexible, and everyone is expected to chip in across all kinds of roles. In this regard, probably the most significant advantage of hiring people out of your industry is their breaking out of an echo chamber. While they might not understand at first all the subtle variations of your industry, their minds are free of preconceptions that might blind other people from seeing the solution. They can provide excellent cross-disciplinary insights that blend novel ideas into your current business setup. A good example of this is gamification, which was a purely language learning app phenomenon until it expanded into fintech and banking.
This type of out-of-the-box thinking often comes from people who bring new perspectives from outside traditional sectors. Moreover, diversity in the workplace has been proven to have a tangible impact on business outcomes. According to the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Global Market Report, diverse companies generate 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee and enjoy greater productivity. McKinsey's Diversity Matters Report also found diversity in gender and ethnicity to relate to better financial performance.
Having people with varied backgrounds hired within the company improves the culture, but it is also beneficial financially, giving a company an edge over its competitors in the market. Another important benefit of hiring people outside the industry is that they view the customer from a fresh perspective. In industries like ours, where customers have complex and evolving needs, having team members who can empathize with the customer’s point of view can be invaluable. At Atom, our diverse hires come from various industries and offer unique insights into our products from the perspective of end-users.
This allows us to “think like the customer” and better serve both domain investors and small business owners seeking powerful brand platforms. Ultimately, the underpinning of innovation will come from hiring fast learners who have broad skills to bring fresh insights, not without even asking questions. In the case of a startup that needs to grow fast, such an approach is vital for a creative, curious, and high-performing team. For example, my international team, spread across a number of countries, speaks volumes about how diversity and innovation are connected. We have created an environment that encourages growth, creativity, and success by embracing the power of outsiders.
