Scale AI
Alexandr Wang said there were two things he never delegated, even as he ran one of the hottest data labeling companies in tech.
The Scale AI cofounder and CEO said on an episode of Y Combinator’s podcast published Wednesday that he personally reviewed every hire.
He said he also hand-reviewed customer data before it was delivered.
The episode was recorded before Meta confirmed earlier this month that it’s buying a 49% stake in Scale AI. Meta invested nearly $15 billion in Scale AI, valuing the company at $29 billion — double its last valuation from a year ago.
The 28-year-old founder is also joining Meta to work on the tech giant’s AI efforts.
“I still review every hire at the company,” Wang said on the podcast. “We have this process where I approve or reject literally every single hire at the company,” he added.
“I care a lot about every decision we make at the company.”
Wang said he can always tell when someone’s just “phoning it in” — versus when the work means something to them.
The best people hang onto their work like it’s “so incredibly monumental,” he said.
“It’s so important to them that they do great work, and it sort of eats at them when they don’t do great work,” he added.
That kind of care is one of the strongest predictors of someone’s success at Scale AI, he said.
Wang also said he hand-reviewed all the data being sent to partner companies, serving as the final layer of quality control.
“What your customers feel, and when your customers are happy and sad, it really gets to you,” he said.
One of Scale AI’s core values is what Wang calls “quality is fractal.” The idea is that the entire organization should hold high standards, especially at the top.
“When people realize their manager or their manager’s manager or their director don’t really care, that removes the deep desire to need to care,” he said.
“It’s incredibly important that high standards and this deep care for quality are deeply embedded tenets of the entire organization,” he added.
Wang did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Zuckerberg’s newest AI exec?
Wang made headlines recently as the 28-year-old guy Mark Zuckerberg spent $15 billion on.
The deal has raised questions in the tech industry about Meta’s motivations. As Business Insider’s Peter Kafka reported, some believe the partnership is less about Scale’s data-labeling infrastructure and more about bringing Wang himself into Meta’s inner circle.
While Wang is joining Meta to work on its superintelligence arm, he will continue to serve as a director on Scale’s board.
“The idea of not being a Scalien was, frankly, unimaginable. But as I spent time truly considering it, I realized this was a deeply unique moment, not just for me, but for Scale as well,” he wrote in a note announcing his departure to Scale employees.
“The proceeds from Meta’s investment will be distributed to those of you who are shareholders and vested equity holders,” he added.
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