Cognitive Agility: Aced competitive environments or built non-trivial projects while excelling academically. Academic Pedigree: Tier 1/2 grad or scaled a startup/side hustle with measurable impact. AI-First Instincts: 2+ years shipping B2B SaaS where AI/ML was core to the product. Founder DNA: Thrive in chaos, rebuild broken systems, and default to action.