Why Ramp is hiring teenagers who built empires on Minecraft

Glyman identifies these high-achievers by looking for "spikes"—specific areas where a candidate exhibits exceptional drive. One early hire at Ramp famously funded his entire college education through profits generated from his Minecraft server. This individual became a catalyst for further recruitment, referring peers who shared a similar background in complex, fringe digital communities. According to Glyman, this approach uncovers talent that standard hiring filters would inevitably miss.

For Ramp, "proof of work" outweighs polished job applications. The company actively scouts GitHub for active contributors and leaders within niche technical circles, mirroring a broader trend among executives at firms like Cognition and Replit. While the company maintains an intensive interview process spanning 15 hours, Glyman remains skeptical of its ability to predict real-world performance. Instead, he prioritizes referrals and trial periods, noting that two business days of actual collaboration provide more insight than any number of interview rounds.