Haute 100: Jack Dorsey Talks Twitter, Relaxation, Hip-Hop & More

Jack Dorsey_Courtesy Square

On Tuesday, Dec. 22nd, Haute 100 lister Jack Dorsey hosted a live Q&A session on Product Hunt. The CEO of both Twitter and Square answered techies’ burning questions, which revolved around Dorsey’s time management, his businesses and more. The Q&A was hosted by fellow Haute 100 lister Chris Sacca, a Silicon Valley investor.

Here are the highlights:

On Twitter

Sacca: Which metrics do you use to track the health and growth of Twitter’s network and Twitter’s business and what are you seeing in those metrics that makes you optimistic about the future for users, partners, and investors?

Dorsey: What I care about is building daily utility. It’s the first thing people check when they wake up because they want to see the world, and the first place people go when they have something to say or want to have a conversation. Everything happening in the world is on Twitter, and I want to make sure everyone can participate!

On Relaxation

Paul Stamatiou,Twitter designer : Jack, how do you relax and de-stress outside of the office?

Dorsey: Meditation, exercise, dinner with friends. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

On Qualities He Looks For in Prospective Employees

Question: What is the most important quality you look, when you hire?

Dorsey: I look for passion. Only thing that can’t be taught. Why Square? Why Twitter? If I hear passion for the purpose in the answer, then I look for leadership and skill. Passion and purpose and principles first though!

On Maintaining Focus

Question: How do you stay focus with two projects?

Dorsey: I look to build a lot of consistent routine. Same thing every day. Allows a steady state that enables me to be more effective when I do have to react to something out of band.

His Top Three Mentors

Question: Hey Jack! Who are three of your top mentors?

Dorsey: Ray Chambers, Bob Iger, Lauryn Hill (who I haven’t met but learn a lot from!)

On Hip-Hop

Question: Hey Jack, heard you are a big hip-hop fan. What are your top five albums of all time?

Dorsey: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (Kendrick Lamar), To Pimp a Butterfly (Kendrick Lamar), The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Hill), Run the Jewels 2 (Run the Jewels), All Eyez on Me (2Pac)

To read the entire Q&A, click here.