How One CEO Uses a Simple Question to Hire for Growth Mindset

When it comes to hiring, most leaders lean on predictable scripts: tell me about your weaknesses, where do you see yourself in five years, why should we hire you? These questions can feel like rituals, rehearsed answers that tell you more about a candidate’s interview prep than their actual fit.

Becca Millstein, CEO and co-founder of Fishwife, has taken a different approach. She’s built her tinned seafood brand around bold flavors and an even bolder mission — to make conservas cool, accessible, and sustainable. And when it comes to bringing people onto her team, she relies on one question that cuts through the noise: “What’s something you’ve changed your mind about recently?”

It’s not a trick question. It’s not designed to catch someone off guard. Instead, Millstein says it reveals how a person thinks, learns, and grows — qualities she values far more than polished resumes or rehearsed narratives. In a world where adaptability often matters more than expertise, this question gets to the heart of intellectual humility and curiosity.

Why this question works

Most interview questions ask candidates to prove what they already know. They invite storytelling about past wins, skills checked off a list, or challenges overcome. But Millstein wants to understand how someone processes new information, especially when it challenges their assumptions. “I’m not looking for perfection,” she explains. “I’m looking for someone who can say, ‘I used to think X, but now I think Y, and here’s why.’ That tells me they’re paying attention, they’re reflective, and they’re not stuck in their ego.”

The question works because it’s difficult to fake. You can memorize a story about overcoming adversity or leading a team through a crisis. But articulating a genuine shift in perspective requires self-awareness. It means the person has been listening — to feedback, to data, to changing circumstances — and had the courage to let their views evolve. In early-stage companies like Fishwife, where priorities shift quickly and roles often blur, that kind of mental flexibility is invaluable.

Millstein has seen candidates stumble on this question not because they lack experience, but because they’ve never been asked to reflect on their own growth in this way. Some default to safe, vague answers: “I’ve learned to communicate better.” Others pivot to professional development courses they’ve taken. The strongest responses, she says, are specific and personal — moments when a candidate realized a long-held belief was incomplete or wrong, and what they did about it.

What she’d say if she were in the hot seat

If Millstein were answering her own favorite question, she’d point to a shift in how she views leadership itself. Early in Fishwife’s journey, she believed that being a good CEO meant having all the answers. She thought confidence meant certainty, and that showing doubt would undermine her authority. “I used to think leadership was about projecting strength,” she says. “Now I know it’s about creating space for others to be strong too.”

That change didn’t come from a book or a seminar. It came from watching her team step up during busy seasons, from noticing how much better decisions got when she stopped trying to control every outcome, and from realizing that her own burnout was hurting the company more than any mistake ever could. Letting go of the need to have all the answers didn’t make her less capable — it made her a better leader.

She’d also mention how her views on work-life balance have evolved. In the early days, she wore long hours like a badge of honor. Now she sees sustainable pacing not as a luxury, but as a necessity — especially in a mission-driven business where passion can easily tip into exhaustion. “I used to think pushing through was the only way to build something meaningful,” she says. “Now I know that rest isn’t the opposite of productivity. It’s part of it.”

What the answer reveals — beyond the resume

Millstein emphasizes that she’s not looking for a particular “right” answer. There’s no script she’s hoping to hear. What matters is the authenticity behind the response. A candidate who shares a real moment of reconsideration — whether it’s about a management style, a political belief, or even how they parent — shows they’re capable of growth. And in a startup environment, where the map is constantly being redrawn, that’s often more valuable than any technical skill.

She also watches for how the answer is delivered. Is there defensiveness? Or is there a sense of openness, even vulnerability? The way someone talks about changing their mind can tell you as much as what they changed their mind about. Did they frame it as a failure? Or as a natural part of learning? The best answers come with a tone of reflection, not regret.

Building a team that learns together

Fishwife’s culture reflects this mindset. The company encourages experimentation, quick feedback loops, and honest retrospectives — not just after product launches, but in everyday work. Millstein believes that if you want a team that adapts, you have to hire people who see change not as a threat, but as information. And you have to model that behavior yourself.

She’s quick to say that this approach isn’t about lowering standards. Quite the opposite. By valuing intellectual flexibility, she’s building a team that’s better equipped to solve hard problems, because they’re not locked into outdated ways of thinking. In a category as traditional as tinned fish — where perceptions about taste, convenience, and sustainability are still evolving — that ability to reconsider assumptions has been a quiet superpower.

The takeaway for hiring managers

If you’re tired of hearing the same polished answers to the same old questions, consider borrowing Millstein’s approach. Asking someone what they’ve changed their mind about recently doesn’t require fancy tools or HR training. It just requires a willingness to listen — really listen — to what someone says about how they’ve grown.

And if you’re preparing for an interview yourself? Think honestly about the last time you shifted your perspective. Not what you learned, but what you unlearned. That’s often where the real growth lives.