What 'The Software Craftsman' Taught Me About Responsibility and Hiring

A developer reflects on lessons from Sandro Mancuso's 'The Software Craftsman', focusing on two key takeaways: radical ownership over your code (the 'mirror test' — asking what you could have done differently before blaming others) and how these principles shaped a practical hiring framework. When unexpectedly needing to hire for a fast-paced project, the author prioritized attitude over technical skills, looking for ownership mentality, comfort with ambiguity, a constructive approach to legacy code, and honesty about limitations. Specific interview questions used to surface these traits are shared, along with honest self-reflection on applying the craftsman mindset personally.