Deepinder Goyal is hiring ‘engineers who are also athletes' for Temple wearable startup

Deepinder Goyal, the visionary founder behind Eternal, is on the lookout for engineers to join his latest health-tech venture, Temple. This recruitment drive follows the startup's recent announcement regarding the upcoming public launch of its innovative wearable technology, set to debut later this week. Goyal took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his ambitious hiring goals, emphasizing the need for "engineers who are also athletes." The roles available are highly specialized, encompassing areas such as analogue and embedded systems engineering, brain-computer interface development, neural decoding research, computational neuroscience, computer vision, and deep learning. In his post, Goyal outlined the mission of Temple: to create the ultimate wearable for elite athletes. He stated, "A device that measures what no other wearable in the world measures, with a level of precision that doesn't exist yet." He underscored the importance of passion in both engineering and athletics, stating that they are seeking individuals who are not only skilled but also dedicated to perfecting their creations. However, the announcement has sparked considerable debate due to its strict fitness criteria for applicants. Goyal specified that candidates must be individuals who take fitness seriously, with particular body fat percentage requirements noted. Those who do not meet these thresholds are encouraged to apply with a commitment to improve their fitness over a three-month probation period, suggesting that fitness levels would play a role in job performance evaluations. This approach has garnered mixed reactions. Some critics argue that imposing such physical standards could exclude talented engineers who excel in their fields but may not meet the specified fitness benchmarks. One user on X remarked, "Hiring based on body fat % may not be the best filter. Some great engineers who love fitness and train seriously may not fit that number, but they can still build amazing products." Another comment raised questions about the relevance of fitness to technical roles, highlighting that many skilled professionals may struggle to maintain rigorous fitness regimens due to their demanding careers. Despite the controversy, some view this hiring strategy as a bold move in the competitive landscape of tech startups.