When hiring, values are the most important, then abilities, and skills are the least important — because skills can change but values and abilities are foundational.
Dalio explains that most people focus on skills from a resume, but the correct order of priority is values first, then abilities, then skills — because abilities allow you to learn new skills as the world changes. ✦ AI generated
Ray Dalio · My First Million · 2026-07-17 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 29:00
“Did he know anything about research or finances?”
There are three things. There's skills, abilities, and values. And most people look at skills and they look at the resume to determine what skills they have. In my opinion, it's the opposite order is what's the most important. First, values. What are the person's values? Like, then what are their abilities? Because if you have abilities, you can change what your skills are. We're in a world now that maybe programmers are no longer going to be the most important people. ... the least important is the skills.
verbatim transcript · starts at 29:00
29:01was, you know, like I say, there are three things. Um there's skills, abilities, and values. And most people look at skills and they look at the resume to determine what skills they have. In my opinion, it's the opposite order is what's the most important. First, values. What are the person's values? Like, then what are their abilities? Because if you have abilities, you can change what your skills are. We're we're in a world now
29:32that maybe programmers are no longer going to be the most important people. And maybe you know all of a sudden you were growing up with okay man you need to program because you're doing this and then all of a sudden man that's a lousy shot because you know something comes along right so how do you adapt what are you going after and then the least so the least important is the skills and so
29:54in thinking about that what's our relationship going to be like when how do we pursue a dream is he bride is he uh what is his abilities what can we do what how do you discover I mean most of like your curiosity. Most of everything is in the discovery. Okay? It's not in the, you know, remember these rules and and so on. The future is in the
30:16discovery. So, so that's what I'm, you know, I'm looking for, right? I mean, that that's what even talent identification is because talent is more important than money. Okay? The the money people are trying to find those people, right? Okay. So, if you look at, okay, what did Elon Musk have? He didn't have money. And how did people make money? They invested in Elon Musk. They found him and they invested in Elon