5 ms·

Infiltrating Any Startup

66 points by mlinsey 15y ago

mangala 15y ago
What horrible advice. Yes, stalk the founders to get a job.
- Luyt 15y ago
  and blog about it ;-)
vnorby 15y ago
I got my last job at a startup by emailing the startup's info@ email address the following (searched my email for the exact copy): Are you guys hiring devs for threadbox? I'm a web dev/software engineer in Palo Alto - couldn't find a jobs section on your site, but I have done some interesting work in the email space and I think there are a lot of opportunities there - let me know if we can get together. Best, V---- N---- @v---- I think reaching out personally can work very well for small companies. I had sent this email the day after I had read on TechCrunch that they had raised funding.
- DrJ 15y ago
  Nothing ventured, nothing gained! (not that I follow that advice myself) I've actually received quiet a few interviews through cold calls to start ups, probably because there is someone on the other side listening.
- StavrosK 15y ago
  Wait, if you launched Threadbox why are you asking to be hired for it? I don't understand.
  - vnorby 15y ago
    They had announced funding when I was hired, but the product had not been developed or launched yet.
    - StavrosK 15y ago
      Oh, hmm, from your profile I understood that you were a (sole) founder, sorry about the confusion.
matdwyer 15y ago
The first person to buy a domain and get it in front of the founders = hired The next 100 = annoying & stalker-ish Some solid tidbits in there too though
nsoonhui 15y ago
Not too sure whether this is the right way to attract talents; most talents can have their pick of work and they don't need to beg a startup founder to hire them. Only those who are desperate enough need to resort to this kind of tricks.
- sahillavingia 15y ago
  I know quite a few desperate, amazingly talented folks. :)
  - nsoonhui 15y ago
    I'm based in Malaysia, but I can't seem to find them.
forensic 15y ago
My fav part of this is when the Airbnb founder says he didn't start the company for money. I think we've all heard the story by now about how desperate they were to make money.
- puredemo 15y ago
  That's how you continue making more money, just claim it's not about the money.
- qq66 15y ago
  It's more accurate to say that now that he has as much money as he can spend (he can cash out multiple $m's in a financing round whenever he wants) that he doesn't need 10 times that right now.
greattypo 15y ago
IMO, this kind of stuff is creative and cool... until it gets reduced to a formula.
jerrya 15y ago
please-vote-my-comment-up-up-to-the-highest-height-so-pg-will-hire-me
- jerrya 15y ago
  Sigh. It was related to the article! Sorry.
shalmanese 15y ago
I know of at least one case where a person tried this and did not end up getting hired at the startup mentioned.
iphoneedbot 15y ago
This Post hits all of the keywords.. StartUp, OpenSourced, Infiltrate a bit of a turn-off ...seems to be a trend on HN to have such a post nowadays

66 points by mlinsey 15y ago

mangala 15y ago

What horrible advice. Yes, stalk the founders to get a job.

Luyt 15y ago
and blog about it ;-)

vnorby 15y ago

I got my last job at a startup by emailing the startup's info@ email address the following (searched my email for the exact copy): Are you guys hiring devs for threadbox? I'm a web dev/software engineer in Palo Alto - couldn't find a jobs section on your site, but I have done some interesting work in the email space and I think there are a lot of opportunities there - let me know if we can get together. Best, V---- N---- @v---- I think reaching out personally can work very well for small companies. I had sent this email the day after I had read on TechCrunch that they had raised funding.

DrJ 15y ago
Nothing ventured, nothing gained! (not that I follow that advice myself) I've actually received quiet a few interviews through cold calls to start ups, probably because there is someone on the other side listening.
StavrosK 15y ago
Wait, if you launched Threadbox why are you asking to be hired for it? I don't understand.
- vnorby 15y ago
  They had announced funding when I was hired, but the product had not been developed or launched yet.
  - StavrosK 15y ago
    Oh, hmm, from your profile I understood that you were a (sole) founder, sorry about the confusion.

matdwyer 15y ago

The first person to buy a domain and get it in front of the founders = hired The next 100 = annoying & stalker-ish Some solid tidbits in there too though

nsoonhui 15y ago

Not too sure whether this is the right way to attract talents; most talents can have their pick of work and they don't need to beg a startup founder to hire them. Only those who are desperate enough need to resort to this kind of tricks.

sahillavingia 15y ago
I know quite a few desperate, amazingly talented folks. :)
- nsoonhui 15y ago
  I'm based in Malaysia, but I can't seem to find them.

forensic 15y ago

My fav part of this is when the Airbnb founder says he didn't start the company for money. I think we've all heard the story by now about how desperate they were to make money.

puredemo 15y ago
That's how you continue making more money, just claim it's not about the money.
qq66 15y ago
It's more accurate to say that now that he has as much money as he can spend (he can cash out multiple $m's in a financing round whenever he wants) that he doesn't need 10 times that right now.

greattypo 15y ago

IMO, this kind of stuff is creative and cool... until it gets reduced to a formula.

jerrya 15y ago

please-vote-my-comment-up-up-to-the-highest-height-so-pg-will-hire-me

jerrya 15y ago
Sigh. It was related to the article! Sorry.

shalmanese 15y ago

I know of at least one case where a person tried this and did not end up getting hired at the startup mentioned.

iphoneedbot 15y ago

This Post hits all of the keywords.. StartUp, OpenSourced, Infiltrate a bit of a turn-off ...seems to be a trend on HN to have such a post nowadays