4 ms·

Ask HN: What are exciting companies you'd love to work at?

4 points by Gooblebrai 2y ago

7thaccount 2y ago
I'm no math genius, but I enjoy mathematical modeling. To me, it's kind of the closest thing to magic we have in the real world in that you can use equations to represent a model for how something works in the real world and use it for decision making. A lot of companies do optimization using things like linear programming or more advanced methods and it's really cool. It's also so freaking satisfying once you get everything working. The regional grid operators in the US and elsewhere are also pretty cool to work for with constant challenges and a hyper-rapidly evolving industry. It can be both exciting and boring at times, but the boring is made up for via job security. No layoffs pretty much ever. Utilities on the other hand get bought out a lot and lay people off all the time, but they can also be exciting.
mfalcon 2y ago
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google(DeepMind), Mistral, Groq, Meta(AI).
- Mc91 2y ago
  My list would be similar to this. Also Perplexity. Black Forest Labs. Maybe Stability AI. I don't even have any work experience in ML as an SWE but would like to work in such companies. I study it and play with it a little bit on my own.
solardev 2y ago
Felt.com, because multiplayer web mapping is cool to me (think "Google Docs for maps"). OpenSolar and Aurora, who make web based solar design apps (like rooftop layouts and other things). NREL.gov, because working with renewables researchers would be a dream for me (applied many times, never heard back /cry) Starlink, even though it's Musk, because it's such a life-changing tech and a very hard interdisciplinary problem. Crazy engineering that still feels like sci-fi to me. Rivian, because they seem more functional/grounded than Teslas. I would love a working man's EV utility vehicle rather than a futuristic spaceship. In general, I just like smallish companies that have applied real-world uses solving immediate problems. AI is up and coming but right now it feels like the industry is still in its infancy and not sure what problems it can solve yet, and mostly they're just frontends on top of a few API providers. Excited to see how it evolves, but so far it's not a field I'd want to work in yet (not that I'm qualified to anyway).
- Gooblebrai 2y ago
  Interesting companies! Thanks for sharing. What role would you like at those companies?
  - solardev 2y ago
    I don't have much in the way of skills (just web dev) or education (science B.S.), so whatever I can get! Web dev seems to be dying anyway, so unemployment is more likely than getting to work for any of those orgs, alas :) But I just think it's cool when companies/orgs find a niche and are able to sustainably work on that problem, living outside the usual tech hype cycles.
    - Gooblebrai 2y ago
      I agree! Felt.com and OpenSolar look really cool
mech422 2y ago
Lately, I've thought it would be cool to work for an agricultural robot/equipment company. Interesting problems (computer vision, system control, navigation, etc.) and working on something that could actually help the world...
- samstave 2y ago
  Acorn: This guy is here on HN. THough I cant recall his HN /u/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFhTPHlPAAk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFhTPHlPAAk
  - mech422 2y ago
    Oh! Thanks!
vednig 2y ago
Linear is doing great in developing a solution for Task tracking and management. RavynOS is also a great project, I have always wondered about their releases. Then there's Paddle, building next stripe.
constantinum 2y ago
Janestreet(Ocaml) Figma Balsamiq — from their careers page “ We're not your typical software company. We are people-focused and highly collaborative, debt-free, profitable, remote-first, generous, and prioritize longevity over growth.” Bumble(the dating app)
cpach 2y ago
Oxide is currently one of the most interesting companies IMHO. https://oxide.computer/ https://oxide.computer/
- brcmthrowaway 2y ago
  How?
  - cpach 2y ago
    There seems to be lot of smart and interesting people working there. Their appliance, a high-end rack loaded with servers is very appealing to me. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of building such a thing? I also like their technology choices. illumos, bhyve, Forth, etc. They seem to pay a lot of attention to detail. The whole thing feels invigorating to the legacy of Unix.
mikewarot 2y ago
I'd love to work at Atomic Semi, pushing what I suspect is essentially the on demand "3d printing" of ASICS. I'm not up for it health wise. If I could, I'd love to be in a machine shop, making gears, learning CNC, etc. I want to figure out a way to do Power Skiving of Bevel Gears, mostly because it's supposedly impossible. PS: Power skiving is amazing stuff -- it takes a 10 minute process and cuts it down to 30 seconds. check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EefFxEGVbWo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EefFxEGVbWo
- samstave 2y ago
  Power Skiving is my new Spirit_Tool! Thats fn awesome. I wonder if you can make a poor mans power skiving jig that can merge a lathe/drill press (Like a modern ShopSmith) as a jig that one can have machined CNC_d like by PCBWay, as they have CNC services [0] And then PCBWay cant print the PCBs that run the Pi 3950 with the app to control the new Pi-in-the-Skiver. So, if we can .STL a Jig to make that DIY skiver... that would be nifty. [0] - https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/cnc-machining/ https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/cnc-machining/
atleastoptimal 2y ago
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, NVidia

4 points by Gooblebrai 2y ago

I'm no math genius, but I enjoy mathematical modeling. To me, it's kind of the closest thing to magic we have in the real world in that you can use equations to represent a model for how something works in the real world and use it for decision making. A lot of companies do optimization using things like linear programming or more advanced methods and it's really cool. It's also so freaking satisfying once you get everything working. The regional grid operators in the US and elsewhere are also pretty cool to work for with constant challenges and a hyper-rapidly evolving industry. It can be both exciting and boring at times, but the boring is made up for via job security. No layoffs pretty much ever. Utilities on the other hand get bought out a lot and lay people off all the time, but they can also be exciting.

mfalcon 2y ago

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google(DeepMind), Mistral, Groq, Meta(AI).

Mc91 2y ago
My list would be similar to this. Also Perplexity. Black Forest Labs. Maybe Stability AI. I don't even have any work experience in ML as an SWE but would like to work in such companies. I study it and play with it a little bit on my own.

solardev 2y ago

Felt.com, because multiplayer web mapping is cool to me (think "Google Docs for maps"). OpenSolar and Aurora, who make web based solar design apps (like rooftop layouts and other things). NREL.gov, because working with renewables researchers would be a dream for me (applied many times, never heard back /cry) Starlink, even though it's Musk, because it's such a life-changing tech and a very hard interdisciplinary problem. Crazy engineering that still feels like sci-fi to me. Rivian, because they seem more functional/grounded than Teslas. I would love a working man's EV utility vehicle rather than a futuristic spaceship. In general, I just like smallish companies that have applied real-world uses solving immediate problems. AI is up and coming but right now it feels like the industry is still in its infancy and not sure what problems it can solve yet, and mostly they're just frontends on top of a few API providers. Excited to see how it evolves, but so far it's not a field I'd want to work in yet (not that I'm qualified to anyway).

Gooblebrai 2y ago
Interesting companies! Thanks for sharing. What role would you like at those companies?
- solardev 2y ago
  I don't have much in the way of skills (just web dev) or education (science B.S.), so whatever I can get! Web dev seems to be dying anyway, so unemployment is more likely than getting to work for any of those orgs, alas :) But I just think it's cool when companies/orgs find a niche and are able to sustainably work on that problem, living outside the usual tech hype cycles.
  - Gooblebrai 2y ago
    I agree! Felt.com and OpenSolar look really cool

mech422 2y ago

Lately, I've thought it would be cool to work for an agricultural robot/equipment company. Interesting problems (computer vision, system control, navigation, etc.) and working on something that could actually help the world...

samstave 2y ago
Acorn: This guy is here on HN. THough I cant recall his HN /u/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFhTPHlPAAk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFhTPHlPAAk
- mech422 2y ago
  Oh! Thanks!

vednig 2y ago

Linear is doing great in developing a solution for Task tracking and management. RavynOS is also a great project, I have always wondered about their releases. Then there's Paddle, building next stripe.

constantinum 2y ago

Janestreet(Ocaml) Figma Balsamiq — from their careers page “ We're not your typical software company. We are people-focused and highly collaborative, debt-free, profitable, remote-first, generous, and prioritize longevity over growth.” Bumble(the dating app)

cpach 2y ago

Oxide is currently one of the most interesting companies IMHO. https://oxide.computer/ https://oxide.computer/

brcmthrowaway 2y ago
How?
- cpach 2y ago
  There seems to be lot of smart and interesting people working there. Their appliance, a high-end rack loaded with servers is very appealing to me. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of building such a thing? I also like their technology choices. illumos, bhyve, Forth, etc. They seem to pay a lot of attention to detail. The whole thing feels invigorating to the legacy of Unix.

mikewarot 2y ago

I'd love to work at Atomic Semi, pushing what I suspect is essentially the on demand "3d printing" of ASICS. I'm not up for it health wise. If I could, I'd love to be in a machine shop, making gears, learning CNC, etc. I want to figure out a way to do Power Skiving of Bevel Gears, mostly because it's supposedly impossible. PS: Power skiving is amazing stuff -- it takes a 10 minute process and cuts it down to 30 seconds. check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EefFxEGVbWo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EefFxEGVbWo

samstave 2y ago
Power Skiving is my new Spirit_Tool! Thats fn awesome. I wonder if you can make a poor mans power skiving jig that can merge a lathe/drill press (Like a modern ShopSmith) as a jig that one can have machined CNC_d like by PCBWay, as they have CNC services [0] And then PCBWay cant print the PCBs that run the Pi 3950 with the app to control the new Pi-in-the-Skiver. So, if we can .STL a Jig to make that DIY skiver... that would be nifty. [0] - https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/cnc-machining/ https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/cnc-machining/

atleastoptimal 2y ago

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, NVidia