Hire creatives for distinct personal style rather than general taste
Blake Mycoskie · How to Start A Business With NO Money | Blake Mycoskie (Founder of TOMS) · Feb 13, 2026 · at 12:28
TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie explains how he evaluates creative talent and differentiates between following trends (taste) versus authentic personal expression (style).
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“I care more about someone having a sense of style than taste, and I don't care if it's my style or not. Like, they could be hardcore cowboy. Great. But if they lean into it, and like, that's them, I respect that. You know, or they're really into, you know, vintage cameras, and like, that's their thing, and they've got this camera, and they tell you exactly about it, and why they had this leather strap, and what this viewfinder does. Like, That's a sense of style. Whereas taste can be a little bit kind of like following whatever's cool in the moment. But I'm more interested in style because that tells me independent thinking. That tells me curiosity. That tells me confidence. They don't care if everyone else has their style, you know? So I think that's something that's a little bit more interesting to look at when you're looking to hire someone, because if someone has a specific sense of style, I think that that can be applied to other styles.”
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