American companies are stuck in a crisis of broken talent filters. We keep screening for the same stale credentials—elite schools, FAANG logos, “prestigious” employers. It’s a modern form of credentialist bureaucracy that has crept into every institution. And like in government, this checkbox mentality is making our companies slower, safer, and less competitive.

The problem is twofold. First, old proxies poorly predict real capability. A self-taught engineer who’s shipped multiple products often outperforms someone who maintained legacy code at a big tech firm. An electrician-turned-entrepreneur who built a thriving business has sharper instincts than an MBA who’s only studied them.

Second, we have no systematic way to discover and assess exceptional people who don’t fit the mold. America is full of them, but finding them depends on chance and networks. Too many great people never get a fair shot to show what they can do. For too long, companies have been checking credential boxes and signaling virtue instead of building the meritocratic infrastructure to discover and empower the best talent.

We’re facilitating objective testing to measure what truly matters—critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, execution—designed to be accessible and to strip away proxies for privilege. Credentials and experience still matter—but as part of a holistic evaluation, not as gatekeeping filters.

This matters far beyond tech. America’s strength has always come from empowering exceptional talent, regardless of background. The Manhattan Project didn’t succeed by checking credentials—it succeeded by finding the most capable people and letting them work.

America’s next frontier is unlocking hidden talent. Meritocracy is how we get there.

-Joe Lonsdale, Sam Lessin, and Zack Ganieany

MeritFirst

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