"Not hands-on enough." What does that even mean now?

Two founders I respect gave me the same feedback in the same week: “You’re great, but you’re not hands-on enough.” My first reaction was the usual one — I’ve shipped products used by millions, what exactly is not hands-on about that?

My second reaction was more honest: they weren’t describing my past, they were describing the present tense. “Hands-on” used to mean you could go deep with designers and engineers. Now it means you opened the tools yourself this week. The bar didn’t rise, it moved sideways.

So this site, and everything on the feed behind it, is my answer. I think every product interview should now open with the same question, in both directions: “What did you build yourself last month?” Not to filter people out — to find out where their curiosity actually lives.