Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson has built a reputation for an unusual approach to hiring top talent. During interviews that stretch across a full meal, he pays close attention to one particular word. If a candidate repeats it too often, the conversation ends without an offer. The word is “I.”
Lawson described his method in a recent conversation covered by Fortune magazine. He explained that the dinner setting removes the formality of an office and lets him observe how someone interacts over time. A 45-minute meal provides enough space to watch body language, listen to stories, and gauge genuine curiosity about the business. What stands out most to him is the balance between self-reference and outward focus. Candidates who constantly circle back to their own achievements, using “I” as the subject of nearly every sentence, signal that they may struggle to put the team or the customer first.
This preference reflects a broader philosophy at Twilio, the cloud communications platform known for powering SMS notifications, voice calls, and authentication flows for companies around the world. Lawson believes successful employees succeed by solving problems that matter to others rather than by collecting personal wins. When someone talks mostly about what “I built,” “I shipped,” or “I led,” the CEO starts to wonder whether that person will collaborate effectively or simply chase individual credit.
The dinner interview format itself carries practical advantages. Lawson chooses restaurants that encourage relaxed conversation, often spots with good lighting and comfortable seating. He arrives early, orders something simple, and lets the candidate pick the table. From the moment the menu appears, he watches how decisions get made. Does the person ask about the server’s recommendations? Do they show interest in the chef’s background? These small signals hint at larger patterns of curiosity and respect for expertise.
Once the food arrives, the real evaluation begins. Lawson steers the discussion toward real challenges Twilio has faced or hypothetical scenarios the company might encounter. He listens for how often the candidate frames answers around their solo contributions instead of the collective effort that produced results. A healthy mix of “we” and “I” feels natural to him. An overwhelming number of “I” statements raises a red flag.
Lawson’s stance stems from years of observing team dynamics inside fast-growing technology organizations. Early in his career he noticed that the most effective engineers and product leaders rarely led with personal pronouns. They described projects by naming the problems they solved, the customers they served, and the colleagues who helped them succeed. That pattern repeated across multiple companies until it became a reliable predictor of cultural fit.
At Twilio, this hiring filter supports a specific kind of culture. The company operates in a competitive space where developers expect reliable APIs, clear documentation, and responsive support. Employees who focus outward tend to anticipate customer needs more accurately. They notice when an integration breaks for a small business in another country or when a pricing model confuses a large enterprise. Those observations lead to product improvements that strengthen the entire platform.
The CEO does not reject every candidate who slips into first-person language. Occasional use of “I” is normal and even necessary when describing specific responsibilities. What concerns him is repetition that crowds out any mention of teammates, mentors, or end users. He has passed on otherwise impressive applicants because their stories felt like solo hero narratives rather than chapters in a larger book.
Lawson’s approach aligns with research on effective leadership that emphasizes collective intelligence over individual brilliance. Psychological studies have shown that groups perform better when members feel their contributions are noticed and valued. Leaders who constantly highlight their own role can unintentionally suppress that sense of shared ownership. By screening for pronoun balance during dinner, Lawson tries to identify people who will naturally reinforce a collaborative environment.
The dinner setting also reveals how candidates handle ambiguity. Menus present dozens of choices with incomplete information about ingredients, preparation time, and portion size. Watching someone navigate those decisions offers a low-stakes preview of how they might approach product trade-offs or engineering prioritization. Lawson pays attention to whether the person seeks input from others at the table or decides unilaterally. Both styles have their place, but consistent self-focus often predicts trouble in cross-functional roles.
Some candidates prepare for traditional interviews by memorizing their greatest hits and framing every story around personal impact. They arrive armed with metrics that begin with “I increased revenue by…” or “I reduced latency to…” Lawson appreciates results but wants to hear how those outcomes connected to broader goals. He asks follow-up questions that invite reflection on what others contributed or what surprised the team along the way. When those prompts still produce monologues centered on the self, he mentally moves on.
The 45-minute window is deliberate. It is long enough to move past surface-level pleasantries yet short enough to maintain focus. By the time dessert menus appear, Lawson usually has a clear impression. He has learned that the quality of questions a candidate asks often matters more than the quality of answers they give. Someone who inquires about Twilio’s biggest obstacles, the competitive threats on the horizon, or the experiences of current employees demonstrates genuine interest. Those questions tend to come naturally to people who think in terms of “we” rather than “I.”
Lawson acknowledges that his method is subjective. Not every role at Twilio requires the same level of collaboration. A specialized researcher working alone on cryptographic protocols might succeed with a different balance of pronouns than a customer success manager who interacts with dozens of clients each week. Still, the core principle remains: the company advances when employees direct their energy toward shared objectives.
This hiring practice has influenced how other leaders at Twilio conduct interviews. Many now incorporate meals or extended informal settings into their processes. They report that the shift in environment changes the tone of conversation and uncovers dimensions of personality that conference-room meetings rarely reveal. The added time also allows candidates to relax and show more authentic versions of themselves.
Critics might argue that judging someone by pronoun frequency feels arbitrary or even unfair. Lawson counters that the word “I” functions as a proxy for deeper attitudes about teamwork, customer obsession, and intellectual humility. He compares it to body language or tone of voice—subtle signals that experienced interviewers learn to read. Over time, the pattern has proven reliable enough that he continues using it.
Twilio’s growth from startup to public company offers supporting evidence. The organization maintains a reputation for strong engineering culture while scaling to serve millions of developers. Many of the executives who helped build the platform still speak about their work in terms of collective achievement. They credit open-source communities, beta testers, and frontline support staff for insights that shaped major features. That consistent message reinforces the cultural norm Lawson looks for during dinners.
Candidates who clear the “I” test often display other positive traits. They tend to listen more carefully, ask sharper questions, and demonstrate awareness of how their potential role fits into larger systems. They talk about learning from failure rather than avoiding it. They mention specific colleagues who challenged their thinking or expanded their perspective. These details paint a picture of someone who will strengthen the team rather than simply occupy a seat.
Lawson does not pretend his method is perfect. He admits to occasional misses and keeps refining the questions he asks. Yet the core idea remains constant: great teammates talk about problems, solutions, and people, not just themselves. In a business where success depends on thousands of developers choosing to build on your platform, that outward orientation matters.
The dinner interview has become something of a legend inside Twilio. New employees sometimes hear stories about the CEO’s unusual filter and wonder whether they would have passed. Many discover that the same principle applies to performance reviews, strategy discussions, and even casual Slack threads. The company rewards those who frame their work in terms of collective progress.
For job seekers hoping to impress Lawson or leaders who share his perspective, the advice is straightforward. Prepare stories that highlight collaboration. Practice describing achievements by naming the contributions of others. Focus questions on the company’s challenges rather than personal opportunities. Treat the meal as a chance to learn rather than a stage for self-promotion. Most of all, let genuine curiosity guide the conversation. When that happens, the word “I” naturally finds its proper, limited place.
Lawson’s method offers a reminder that culture is built one decision at a time, including decisions made over appetizers and entrees. By paying attention to language patterns that reveal values, he tries to ensure that every new hire strengthens the shared sense of purpose that has driven Twilio forward. In an industry where talent wars never end, a simple pronoun can speak volumes about whether someone belongs.
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