Founders · August 2, 2026
How to do engineering reference checks that matter
Reference checks rarely sink a hire, but the right questions and the right people surface signal you cannot get from a loop. Here is how to run them.
8 min read→
Engineers · July 31, 2026
What an engineering manager does at a startup
At a 12-person startup the EM still ships code, runs hiring, and owns delivery. It is a player-coach job, not the big-tech manager-of-managers role.
9 min read→
Market · July 29, 2026
The AI startup engineering job market
Where the money and roles actually are in AI startups in 2026, how comp got inflated, and how to tell a real company from a wrapper before you sign.
9 min read→
Founders · July 28, 2026
Structured interviews and scorecards for engineering hiring
Structure beats gut feel because it makes hires comparable. Here is how to define a rubric, calibrate a panel, and run a debrief that produces a defensible decision.
8 min read→
Engineers · July 26, 2026
IC vs management track for engineers
Management is a different job, not a promotion. Here are the honest tradeoffs, the comp at each level, and how to switch back if you guess wrong.
9 min read→
Market · July 24, 2026
Working in developer tools as an engineer
Devtools pays close to big tech, attracts strong engineers because you are your own user, and carries one specific risk worth naming before you sign.
7 min read→
Founders · July 22, 2026
How to run a technical phone screen
A good technical phone screen is 30 to 45 minutes, filters on one or two signals, and leaves a strong engineer wanting the next round.
9 min read→
Engineers · July 20, 2026
How to become a staff engineer
The senior-to-staff jump is about scope, impact, and influence, not more code. Here is what the bar actually is, and how it differs at startups versus big tech.
10 min read→
Market · July 18, 2026
The fintech engineering job market
Fintech pays at the top of the market and ships under real rules. Here is what the stack, the comp, and the regulation actually feel like day to day.
9 min read→
Founders · July 16, 2026
Employer branding for a startup that is hiring
Senior engineers pick companies they can verify in 20 minutes. Make the careers page, the story, and the fresh raise do that work for you.
9 min read→
Engineers · July 15, 2026
Landing your first startup job as a junior engineer
A junior engineer with no big resume can still get hired at a startup. The trick is applying where juniors get read and proving you can ship.
9 min read→
Market · July 13, 2026
Which startup sectors are hiring engineers
In 2026 the hiring concentrates in AI infrastructure, fintech, devtools, healthcare, and security. Here is what each pays, what each wants, and how to read the shifts.
8 min read→
Where the numbers live
These notes sit on the live board. Pay, companies, and open roles each have their own page, and the research reports freeze a month of the same data.