'extremely talented c/c++/unix developers'... 'able to build complex systems in about one third the time most competent people think possible'<p>This language conveys so much more competence than the standard 'seeking unix ninja rockstar' stuff that seems to be de rigeur these days.
Look at how similar this copy looks to any other SV startups these days (minus some buzz words like "Cloud", "Social", "Disruptive", etc). It goes to show that hiring (well) is hard. Even harder to gauge whether or not a company is worth applying to from the job descriptions alone.<p>Phrases like: "You must have experience designing and building large and complex (yet maintainable) systems" are so vague and ambiguous that if I honestly saw this post from some guy named "Bezos" in '94, I would have written off as a jokester.<p>At least in '94 they haven't started using the word "disruptive" as if it's something you can do to a whole industry overnight. Thank goodness.
If you are looking for a list of significant USENET posts, including this one by Bezos, go to: <a href="http://www.google.com/googlegroups/archive_announce_20.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/googlegroups/archive_announce_20.html</a> The list was created in 2001, when Google Groups reconstructed a huge archive of USENET postings.
That job posting has taught me so much in just a few paragraphs.<p>Even if I was the founder of a well-capitalized StartUp, I'd have great difficulty in promising people that work for me that we were going to be big. I just don't have that kind of confidence, yet it shows Bezos knew very clearly and intuitively that he was going to hit it big.<p>Sense and definiteness of purpose i think contribute way more to success than anything else.<p>I also think it's interesting to see that Bezos shares similar traits to Henry Ford in that he knew intuitively that it <i>was</i> possible to do certain things that were seemingly against the grain.<p>So much learning. So impressed with that job post, even if i can see the flipside for the candidates assessing that vacancy, since it does seem a little "out there".<p>I do wonder if that technique would attract someone like that today. In my own experience i've found hiring slowly and using non conventional methods for bringing people into a business seem to work quite well, so perhaps the economy has changed on this.<p>Either way, great posting.<p>Edit: spelling/grammar