The Big Vision Recruiting Principle
Build a vision big enough that other people's dreams fit inside it.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 86%
Inspired by the Blackstone CEO's idea that it's just as easy to create a big company as a small one, Hormozi argues a big vision is what recruits big talent — you literally cannot get top talent with a small vision. The vision must be large enough that other people's visions for their own lives can fit inside it, and how well a person's vision fits determines how long they'll stay. She stresses being explicit about the vision and honest about each person's runway, matching the role's trajectory to the individual's personal ambitions rather than competing purely on money.
Origin
Reading Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman's account that it's as easy to build a big company as a small one reshaped Hormozi's thinking; she confirmed it at Gym Launch, where enthusiasm and vision let her recruit talent that money alone couldn't.
Core principles
- 01It's as easy to build a big company as a small one, so build big.
- 02Big talent won't work for a small vision.
- 03Your vision must be big enough that others' visions for their lives fit inside it.
- 04Retention length equals how well a person's vision fits inside the company's.
How to run it
- 1
Set a vision big enough to contain others' dreams
Define a company vision large enough that a candidate's personal vision for their own life can fit inside it.
Watch out Thinking too small guarantees you can't attract the talent needed to build.
- 2
Make the vision explicit
Communicate clearly and repeatedly where the company is going so people can see themselves in it.
- 3
Match runway honestly to each person
Understand each hire's personal vision and how much upward runway the role truly offers, and be honest about it.
Pro tip Tell an EA you'd love them to stay an EA forever if there's little upward room; promise a BD hire a path to VP or CRO if there is.
Watch out Never tell someone they have a long runway if you know they don't.
In the wild
At Gym Launch, Hormozi recruited big talent that wouldn't otherwise have joined because the company offered enthusiasm, vision, and a visible way for those people to grow — even though it wasn't the biggest opportunity.
→ Vision and growth path won talent that money alone couldn't have secured.
Common mistakes
Competing only on money
Believing 'I just can't afford top talent' misses that people primarily want opportunity and vision, not just pay.
Being scared to think big
Thinking small out of fear of failure guarantees failure, because you can't attract the talent required to build.
Is it for you?
Best for
Founders competing for top talent without the deepest pockets.
Not ideal for
Roles where the honest runway is genuinely limited and the person craves rapid growth.
From the transcript
“it is easier to recruit talent if you have a big vision than to recruit talent if you have a small vision, because big talent…”
“you have to have a vision big enough that other people's visions for their own lives can fit inside of it.”
From the episode
Leila Hormozi: $100,000,000 Leadership, How to Build High-Performance Teams People Never Want to Leave
Leila Hormozi