#140: Hiring the Person, Not the Paper with Bryan Lang

Written By Gary Ricke

I sat down  with Brian Lang. Brian and I got into his journey from engineering consulting to JP Morgan Chase and now leading Solutions Engineering at Bedrock Energy. We talked about the rapid growth of geothermal, the technology they're developing and the market momentum behind it.

And of course, we dove into hiring why Brian believes you should hire the person, not the paper, and how cultural alignment beats certifications. Every time.

 

A clip from my discussion with Steph and Mark:

Hiring Philosophy - Person Over Paper

Key Principle: Hire the person, not just their credentials on paper.

Timing Matters: Sometimes you meet an excellent candidate, but your business isn't ready for them yet. Bryan has had conversations where he's said, "Let's revisit in a few years" - acknowledging they're great but the company lacks the scale, service offerings, or resources to properly utilize their skills.

The Balance: References the "Good to Great" concept of getting great people on the bus first, then finding them a seat. While true in principle, it's not always financially feasible.

Bottom Line: If you find someone you genuinely like who can bring value, hire them. When you have strong resumes, interview rigorously to assess if they're a great person and conversational fit - not just someone with the right certifications.

The core tension: Balancing the ideal of hiring great talent whenever you find it against the practical reality of business readiness and budget constraints.

Another Clip from my discussion with Bryan

Bryan's Path to Bedrock and Geothermal

How Bryan Joined Bedrock: Bryan first encountered Bedrock when CEO Joss pitched the company while he was at JP Morgan Chase, helping investment bankers evaluate technologies. As a mechanical engineer with energy background, he was impressed by Bedrock's approach to geothermal - particularly their real-time drilling data and intelligent ground analysis.

Why Geothermal Appealed to Him:

  • Had previous exposure to geothermal properties in facilities operations

  • Loved the simplicity: no cooling towers or boilers needed, just drilling holes for heating/cooling

  • As a self-described data geek, he was drawn to Bedrock's millions of data points per bore

  • Living in Phoenix, the water conservation aspect resonated (no evaporative cooling)

  • Saw it as a strong complement and hedge to traditional energy efficiency work

The Career Shift: When Bedrock's job posting appeared on his feed seeking an energy engineer with portfolio background, it seemed like a perfect match. The role offered something he'd been missing at JPMC: hands-on, tactical problem-solving instead of just hiring others to solve problems. It combined an exciting technical challenge with direct customer work and field experience.

The Full Episode

 

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Gary Ricke http://orbisdesign.com