Mark Cuban credits his initially tech task to this interview tactic: I answered a trick problem actually

Mark Cuban credits his initially tech task to this interview tactic: I answered a trick problem actually


Forty several years ago, Mark Cuban wasn’t sitting courtside at Dallas Mavericks basketball online games or fielding pitches on ABC’s “Shark Tank” — he was sharing a three-bedroom apartment with five roommates.

Then, he landed his first career in tech as a Computer system application salesperson at a organization named Your Business enterprise Software package. But in an old site write-up, which Cuban recently shared on Twitter, the billionaire uncovered he almost failed to land the consequential purpose. He had no practical experience and was “trying to pull out every job interview trick I knew.”

The interviewers weren’t amazed, Cuban wrote, right until he answered 1 problem: “What do you do if a buyer has a problem about a software program package deal and you really don’t know the respond to?”

As Cuban recounted, there was a very long pause. “Just after who is aware of how very long, I blurted out that, ‘I would glance it up in the manual and uncover the reply for them,'” Cuban wrote. “Ding ding ding… [the interviewer] just beloved the answer.”

The question was built to gauge a career candidate’s self confidence level — to see if they’d freeze, refuse to confess they didn’t know one thing, or swallow their satisfaction and seek out out an response right in front of a client. Cuban didn’t know it was a trick query, so he answered it truthfully, stumbling into the proper response.

The foot in the tech industry’s doorway was all Cuban necessary: A lot less than a decade later, in 1990, he established then sold programs integration pc firm MicroSolutions for $6 million. His upcoming enterprise, world wide web radio company Broadcast.com, was obtained by Yahoo in 1999 for $5.7 billion in stock.

Cuban bought a greater part stake in the Dallas Mavericks for $285 million the pursuing year, he tells CNBC Make It.

Ironically, Cuban claims the finest business owners usually lie to on their own, at minimum a tiny bit. “At the rear of the lie are the ‘wantrepreneurs,'” he mentioned at a Dallas Startup 7 days occasion in 2019. “The folks who speak about undertaking it, but you should not just take that stage. And then you lie to yourself a minor little bit and you say, ‘I can do this.’ You happen to be terrified s—considerably less, but you know you can do this. You get just one modest phase.”

You just cannot lie to the folks all around you — primarily in job interviews. In 2019, a joint report from U.S. careers suggestions site TopInterview and task search platform Resume-Library identified honesty was one particular of five most attractive character traits in staff.

Cuban’s fellow “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary feels equally. In Could, O’Leary told CNBC Make It that his prime piece of information for position applicants was to inform the fact.

“Fantastic HR managers have an innate talent to perception bull—-,” he said. “They know when you are lying to them, simply because [detecting that is] what they do 24/7.”

This story has been up-to-date to mirror that Cuban bought a vast majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks for $285 million in 2000.

Indication up now: Get smarter about your income and job with our weekly newsletter

You should not overlook:

4 ‘ballsy questions’ absolutely everyone really should talk to in occupation interviews—but most don’t, suggests employing CEO of 10 yrs

Kevin O’Leary suggests he’s betting on Elon Musk amid Twitter drama: ‘I assume this dude is Teflon’

Learning to fail is the key to success, this CEO says





Resource

This Asian data center hub is quietly grappling with the massive costs of AI: energy and water
World

This Asian data center hub is quietly grappling with the massive costs of AI: energy and water

The artificial intelligence boom has brought with it hundreds of billions of dollars in investments and promises of economic growth . But the infrastructure required is demanding massive amounts of energy and resources. One lesser-known example of that dilemma can be found in the southern tip of Malaysia, which has quietly become one of Southeast […]

Read More
CNBC Daily Open: ‘Peace’ can look different to Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy
World

CNBC Daily Open: ‘Peace’ can look different to Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images There was no deal when U.S. President Donald Trump met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday. That was not unexpected. The summit, which […]

Read More
Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors await details of U.S.-Ukraine talks
World

Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors await details of U.S.-Ukraine talks

Ulsan city skyline from the Hamwolru Pavilion. People can enjoy beautiful cityscape for free. Ulsan, South Korea. Insung Jeon | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday , after the U.S.-Russia summit concluded without a ceasefire. Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark rose 0.62%, while the broader Topix index added 0.42%. In South Korea, the Kospi index fell 1.06%, while […]

Read More