Why I’d Leave a Role Empty Instead of Hiring You | Chris Radoszewski, Ex-COO & VP of HungerStation

Some of the best leaders don't start their careers looking like future leaders. Chris Radoszewski certainly didn't. A failed business venture. A stint as a bartender. No clear roadmap. Fast forward a few years and he's helping scale Uber, leading hypergrowth businesses, and hiring hundreds of people across multiple markets. The question is: what changed? Joining Mohammad Osama on #AboveCLevel, Chris Radoszewski shares the lessons he's learned from building businesses in some of the world's fastest-growing companies, including Uber, CloudKitchens, and HungerStation. But this isn't a conversation about titles or career milestones, but one about resilience, ownership, and the difficult decisions that determine whether a company grows or stalls. Chris opens up about: ↳ Why he'd rather leave a role vacant than hire the wrong person ↳ The hiring mistake fast-growing companies make over and over again ↳ What scaling Uber taught him about leadership and accountability ↳ Why many leaders focus on authority instead of ownership ↳ How to build a culture that survives rapid expansion ↳ The leadership trait he struggles most to find in senior hires From navigating failure early in his career to helping build businesses at scale, Chris details the experiences that shaped how he leads, hires, and makes decisions today. Because building a successful career isn't usually a straight line. And sometimes the experiences that feel like setbacks at the time end up becoming the reason you're ready when the opportunity finally arrives. Catch the must-watch episode now. Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: The Hiring Struggle - Why Senior People Don't Get Things Done 00:00:45 The GCC On-Demand Market: Is There Room for Everyone? 00:05:42 The Amazon Playbook: Scaling at a Loss Before Profit 00:07:41 Hiring at Hyperspeed: The 20-Hour Interview Week Reality 00:12:08 The False Positive Problem: Why Hiring Under Pressure Backfires 00:15:36 Decision Paralysis: When Companies Hire 6 People Instead of 60 00:19:48 It's Okay to Change Your Mind: The Recruitment Reset Conversation 00:22:08 The Uber Breakthrough: From Bartender to Launch Team Leader 00:25:19 The Creative Exercise: How Uber Hired for Attitude Over Experience 00:29:21 Living in Saudi: The Stigma That Should Have Been Gone Years Ago 00:32:54 Generalists vs Specialists: What You Need at Each Stage of Growth 00:34:00 The Radical Candor Gap: Why Senior People Don't Challenge Leaders Here 00:36:02 Extreme Ownership: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Do It Yourself 00:40:06 Closing: Define What You Need or You'll Never Hire It Listen on: Spotify: Apple:  Connect with Chris:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrado/  Follow Our Host: Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/