Here is what worked for me: 1. Become active in the community you want to get involved in. If it's startups, you're at the right place. Start to build a repu

Here is what worked for me: 1. Become active in the community you want to get involved in. If it's startups, you're at the right place. Start to build a reputation. Start to make connections. Honestly, I thought I had to become the next bingocardcreator before I'd really get opportunities. I was wrong. 40 - 50 good HN comments and a strong e-mail go a long way. 2. Either look for opportunities as they pop up (Now Hiring Threads) or be proactive and send out potential cover letters basically outlining specific skills you have that might be a good match and then ask if they are interested. 3. It took me from August to the beginning of this year to really find something that I'm over 100% excited about, but it was worth the wait. Just keep producing...Code, blogposts, HN comments, etc that you can point to. 4. Good Luck!