4 ms·

As an employer, wouldn't you demand someone be interested in the specific problems you're trying to solve though? Do kids who want to be part of $generic_sexy_y

As an employer, wouldn't you demand someone be interested in the specific problems you're trying to solve though? Do kids who want to be part of $generic_sexy_yc_startup last long? (that's a sincere, non-rhetorical question)

aaronbrethorst 16y ago
I think there are interesting, challenging problems to solve at any and every funded startup (why else would they have been able to receive funding?). I'm far more interested in working on The Next Big Thing—especially if it's a big challenge—than I am in a specific problem domain. Maybe it's just the way I'm wired; maybe it's a reflection of my skillset. My guess is that the kind of person who would be attracted to the idea of working at any and all YC-backed startups is the same kind of person who is more interested in tackling big, challenging problems than any particular problem domain. Maybe I'm wrong and just projecting. What do you think?
- dschobel 16y ago
  It's a subjective question so don't feel bad about projecting. I was coming from the diametrically opposed position where I have a very specific interest and background (robotics) so I couldn't go write web-apps even if the business side ("the next big thing") was extremely compelling. I was mostly trying to understand how (and if) YC's alpha engineers would happily go work on "the next big thing", largely independent of what that thing was.
acgourley 16y ago
I agree that the person should investigate the company a bit more before shotgunning out his or her application. I don't agree the domain matters so much, what matters is something fuzzier. I'm not sure exactly how to define it, but consider that at the 'trenches' level YC funded companies do a lot of the same day-to-day tasks with the same technologies.
pg 16y ago
Sure, but I'd assume they'd decide that in a later phase. Submitting something to YCommonApp is just like going to a mixer where you think interesting companies might be.
- johnrob 16y ago
  I was thinking about proposing something like a mixer (after reading these threads today), and now that you've mentioned it - why not have regular mixers for hiring YC companies and interested hackers?
  - pg 16y ago
    We had one after http://workatastartup.org http://workatastartup.org
- paulsingh 16y ago
  OK, that's fair... maybe they can decide at a later phase. I guess I take issue with this being presented as a way to "apply to 25+ startups" instead of a more "mixer-like" approach.
BrandonM 16y ago
I don't consider myself a kid anymore, but I'd still love to be part of a startup. The opportunity to work with smart individuals in a sensible environment is pretty huge. The potential to learn a lot about what is required in running a startup is another thing. The ability to make a good living while doing something cool is yet another. I'm one of those people who doesn't particularly care what startup I work for. As long as it's not a spamming site or something else that generally makes the world a worse place, I'd be excited to work there. If I wanted to solve problems I was interested in, I'd be a Ph.D. student, create a personal project, start my own startup, or get a completely unrelated job while programming in my spare time. Right now (for the next few years, at least) I just want to make some good, reasonably-steady money while providing value in a job that I enjoy. The specific problems I'd be solving have very little bearing on my thought process right now.
- JabavuAdams 16y ago
  Right now (for the next few years, at least) I just want to make some good, reasonably-steady money while providing value in a job that I enjoy. The specific problems I'd be solving have very little bearing on my thought process right now. Um, it sounds like you really don't want to work for a startup. And, that's not a bad thing. Perhaps you've been oversold on the startupian == special forces, genco employee == demoralized grunt attitude that's common on sites like this. The opportunity to work with smart individuals in a sensible environment is pretty huge. There is no generic startup, and many startups are far from sensible! All that said, I'm in week two of my startup, but it's because I have an unbearable, pathological, un-fucking-reasonable need to work for myself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with steady and sensible, but you're not likely to find it by generically applying to startups.
  - BrandonM 16y ago
    I realize that there are non-startups I'd enjoy working for, but in general I think that being employee number 10-50 would suit me better. I'd prefer to spend the majority of my time developing new code. I enjoy creating APIs. I would want to be able to execute good ideas (that make it quickly into the end product) myself without a ton of bureaucracy. Sure, there are some companies where these things are true, but I think they are much more likely to be the case in a startup. And when I say "steady", I don't mean that I need a high-paying job that I needn't be scared of losing for the next several years. I simply mean that I would like a salary with a monthly or bi-weekly paycheck for as long as I happen to be working there. I only meant steady in relation to freelancing or creating my own product.

aaronbrethorst 16y ago

I think there are interesting, challenging problems to solve at any and every funded startup (why else would they have been able to receive funding?). I'm far more interested in working on The Next Big Thing—especially if it's a big challenge—than I am in a specific problem domain. Maybe it's just the way I'm wired; maybe it's a reflection of my skillset. My guess is that the kind of person who would be attracted to the idea of working at any and all YC-backed startups is the same kind of person who is more interested in tackling big, challenging problems than any particular problem domain. Maybe I'm wrong and just projecting. What do you think?

dschobel 16y ago
It's a subjective question so don't feel bad about projecting. I was coming from the diametrically opposed position where I have a very specific interest and background (robotics) so I couldn't go write web-apps even if the business side ("the next big thing") was extremely compelling. I was mostly trying to understand how (and if) YC's alpha engineers would happily go work on "the next big thing", largely independent of what that thing was.

acgourley 16y ago

I agree that the person should investigate the company a bit more before shotgunning out his or her application. I don't agree the domain matters so much, what matters is something fuzzier. I'm not sure exactly how to define it, but consider that at the 'trenches' level YC funded companies do a lot of the same day-to-day tasks with the same technologies.

pg 16y ago

Sure, but I'd assume they'd decide that in a later phase. Submitting something to YCommonApp is just like going to a mixer where you think interesting companies might be.

johnrob 16y ago
I was thinking about proposing something like a mixer (after reading these threads today), and now that you've mentioned it - why not have regular mixers for hiring YC companies and interested hackers?
- pg 16y ago
  We had one after http://workatastartup.org http://workatastartup.org
paulsingh 16y ago
OK, that's fair... maybe they can decide at a later phase. I guess I take issue with this being presented as a way to "apply to 25+ startups" instead of a more "mixer-like" approach.

BrandonM 16y ago

I don't consider myself a kid anymore, but I'd still love to be part of a startup. The opportunity to work with smart individuals in a sensible environment is pretty huge. The potential to learn a lot about what is required in running a startup is another thing. The ability to make a good living while doing something cool is yet another. I'm one of those people who doesn't particularly care what startup I work for. As long as it's not a spamming site or something else that generally makes the world a worse place, I'd be excited to work there. If I wanted to solve problems I was interested in, I'd be a Ph.D. student, create a personal project, start my own startup, or get a completely unrelated job while programming in my spare time. Right now (for the next few years, at least) I just want to make some good, reasonably-steady money while providing value in a job that I enjoy. The specific problems I'd be solving have very little bearing on my thought process right now.

JabavuAdams 16y ago
Right now (for the next few years, at least) I just want to make some good, reasonably-steady money while providing value in a job that I enjoy. The specific problems I'd be solving have very little bearing on my thought process right now. Um, it sounds like you really don't want to work for a startup. And, that's not a bad thing. Perhaps you've been oversold on the startupian == special forces, genco employee == demoralized grunt attitude that's common on sites like this. The opportunity to work with smart individuals in a sensible environment is pretty huge. There is no generic startup, and many startups are far from sensible! All that said, I'm in week two of my startup, but it's because I have an unbearable, pathological, un-fucking-reasonable need to work for myself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with steady and sensible, but you're not likely to find it by generically applying to startups.
- BrandonM 16y ago
  I realize that there are non-startups I'd enjoy working for, but in general I think that being employee number 10-50 would suit me better. I'd prefer to spend the majority of my time developing new code. I enjoy creating APIs. I would want to be able to execute good ideas (that make it quickly into the end product) myself without a ton of bureaucracy. Sure, there are some companies where these things are true, but I think they are much more likely to be the case in a startup. And when I say "steady", I don't mean that I need a high-paying job that I needn't be scared of losing for the next several years. I simply mean that I would like a salary with a monthly or bi-weekly paycheck for as long as I happen to be working there. I only meant steady in relation to freelancing or creating my own product.