When hiring for blist, we look for a trait that I think is akin to being a patriot. These folks demonstrate true passion for a much larger cause. For these wonderful, passionate individuals, their thoughts focus on having huge impact on significant causes. Patriots agonize over the opportunity cost of investing their time in something less than revolutionary.

The opposite trait is the mercenary. They are excellent marksmen and skilled soldiers. It’s natural to think they can fortify the ranks and have impact. But they aren’t interested in bigger-than-self movements. They agonize over how they can have leverage, not impact. Leverage is self-serving. Impact is community serving.

Most companies are filled with both patriots and mercenaries, battling side by side. When a company muddles along, having patriots and mercenaries is fine. But when a company starts to have real, broad, meaningful impact, internal conflicts between patriots and mercenaries inevitably arise. In those rare moments worthy of glory, mercenaries overstep their rightful claim. They want to share the glory with the patriots. But they traded all claims to glory for unconditional compensation, independent of outcome.

Fighting for a cause in which they believe is part of the patriots’ reward. As is all of the glory when the battle is won.

In a lot of ways that’s why so much of the great software in the world originates in the open source community. The compensation model almost assures that the contributors are patriots. In the software business, the corollary isn’t necessarily a given. When I think about companies which have truly succeeded at defining a new category or market, they’re the ones filled with patriots not mercenaries. You can get paid and be a patriot. It just depends on what’s the cause you’re fighting for – the paycheck or the movement.