While it seems like a casual conversation starter, answering kickstarts a sophisticated power dynamic test that most executives fail without realizing. Even when speaking with gatekeepers vs. decision makers.
Let's turn how you answer this question into your strategic advantage.
The 90-Second Reality Check
Your first 90 seconds after hearing "Tell me about yourself" will either doom you to mediocrity or establish you as a standout force against your competition.
You must artfully advance your perception, build excitement about your expertise, and distance yourself from other candidates.
But your answer isn't just about making a strong first impression—it's about engineering the power dynamics that will define your entire negotiation journey.
The interview is the negotiation, and every response shapes your leverage. I'm not conflating ideas—I'm correcting them.
These opening moments establish your executive presence, create crucial leverage points, and set the psychological foundation for every subsequent conversation.
Get your answer right, and you will transform from candidate to strategic partner. Or better yet, position yourself as the top executive that others clamber to learn from.
Get it wrong, and you'll negotiate from a position of weakness before you even reach the compensation discussion.
I often receive pushback on the 90-second time constraint:
"Jacob, how am I supposed to explain my 25-year career in a minute and a half and engineer all the required power dynamics?"
You're not.
Your answer isn't about cramming decades of your detailed past.
It's about creating momentum and keeping the conversation interesting, engaging, and valuable.