If a person just left IBM, is she a good fit for your startup?

If she left because she couldn’t stand the crushing bureaucracy, the tolerance of incompetence, and the lack of any visibility into what customers actually wanted, then she sounds like a person ready for a startup.

Or therapy.

On the other hand, if during the interview she asks how often you do performance reviews, that means she doesn’t understand the startup culture. If she says “I thrive in environments with clear requirements, written expectations, and defined processes,” run away as fast as your little legs can carry you. (Sorry, too many recent readings of Tikki Tikki Tembo.) Startups are chaotic, rules change, and there is no “job description.” It’s better to make a strong decision that turns out wrong, and admit it, than to plan ahead or wait for instructions. Potential earnings (e.g. stock, performance bonuses) are preferred to guaranteed earnings (e.g. salary, benefits). You already live by this Code of Turmoil because you’re the entrepreneur; you have no choice. But normal people do have a choice and most people abhor chaos. Big companies don’t behave this way, and most people are accustomed to working for big companies. You have to hire someone comfy with the bedlam of startup life.