Every pastry chef can spot a perfect cheesecake at a glance: the smoothness of the surface, the slight jiggle, the warm glow at the edges. Not because they read recipe books but because they have crafted thousands. They have seen every possible variation, every mistake, every near-miss, and every success. Expert chefs also know that the true test of a cheesecake isn’t in how it looks but in that first bite. What I realized is that hiring expertise follows the exact same path. We’re all just learning to taste the cheesecake and choose the best one.