Software Developer

Recruiter

Impressive title to the post. 
  
 I thought this was a query on how you could manage cheating supermodels. Damn!

Sales Manager

Simply ask them there increment policy. Will tell you a lot about Runway.

Assume they exaggerate evrything by 30 to 40% min.  
 This is not just with founders but everybody above you in rank. Or atleast anyone who decides your work/pay

That's pragmatic. Any questioning that we can do to uncover more details about the runway?

Consultant

Lawyer

Almost every founder these days is lying about or in fact just plain wrong about their runway. How to actually evaluate this as a prospective employee?  This is very crucial as a 2 year runway migh...

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Almost every founder these days is lying about or in fact just plain wrong about their runway. How to actually evaluate this as a prospective employee?

This is very crucial as a 2 year runway might just be a 1 year runway practically.

Dealing with runway liars

Dealing with runway liars- Grapevine

Q to employees working in startups..do you folks have visibility about the runway left for your startup?

And is your company actively looking to raise funds in this market?

Runway of your startup

Growth Manager

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

Im currently working at McKinsey and want to understand if working at a startup in a strategy.growth role is better. What are the factors i should be thinking about before making the switch?

High growth startup or Consulting?

PM here with 3.8 YoE, got an offer from a B2C/B2B company for PM position. Full time wfo, based out of Mumbai. Offering 20 lpa fixed. Verbally said will be starting ESOPs from next month and eyeing to go public in the next 2 years.

Yay or nay?

Offer Evaluation

Product Manager

Just got to know I was laid off, any personal stories or experiences you folks would like to share, 
- what helped you to find the next job
- how to mentally get over it it etc,

Thanks!

Things to do after getting laid off

So sorry to hear this @Yamprofessional! I’ve seen you on grapevine for some time and you’ve been so great! It felt like a friend got laid off :(  
  
 Please let me know if anything I can do to help! :/

Founder

Product Designer

I have evaluated a lot of startups as part of my work. My approach has changed from being optimistic to being suspicious of a lot of founders, even before the process starts. 

The sheer number of founders that I come across that try to game metrics/play around with data to make the startup look good. 

Most commonly:
1) Completely changing the definition of margins, repeat rates, etc. and never clarifying that they are using different definition. 
2) Often giving rebates/discounts to key stakeholders but finding ways to hide it from their P&L so that it’s not visible. THIS IS SO COMMON - lot’s of them start showing revenues, and then you will see another cost item rising at the same pace, and lot’s of times it will just be money moving around
3) Sometimes completely giving the wrong picture of how their product works on ground. You then speak with their customers, and they describe something completely else.

Things like these are eating up the ecosystem. These founders also end up fooling some VCs, and then capital get’s kept away from actually good founders who have good intentions.

There was a recent major investment in the commerce space, and that is another one such example of a startup doing this. Needs to stop.

RANT: Founders who fake metrics

Product Owner

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

As a software engineer considering joining a startup or company, what are the essential questions you recommend asking HR or the CEO to gain insights into the company culture, growth opportunities, and overall work environment? And whether to join there or not. 

Please share your experiences or any red flag you noticed, would be very helpful for our community.

Thanks in advance

Things to enquire before joining a startup/company

Software Engineer

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

Making the switch from Business Analyst to APM. I don't mind the lack of WLB (60-70 hours a week) since I'm very early in my career- all I'm looking for is:

1) Learning
2) Above average but not ridiculously high pay (I'll be more than happy with 80k-1LPM in hand)

Problem is most companies that are more likely to provide me with these are start ups since I'm not from a Tier-1 college and have a B.Sc.

So how do I evaluate a start up's financials before applying there? Most people give vague answers like "check their financials", "figure out how much runway they have left" etc. without going into detail or mentioning any concrete steps.

How do I evaluate a start up before applying there?

Business Analyst

I had a 6 month internship, and now I showed in my resume as Full time job, and got the offer. Will there be any problem in faking payslip?

If I fake internship as Fulltime experience, any problem?

I want to quit my job and take a break. 

I Have been contemplating to do the same for almost an year but decided not to do it. So many things have happened since then

1. Layoff wave started in india
2. Got married
3. Had to move back to bangalore from hometown

Reason I want to quit is I don't feel like working , feeling bored and work doesn't interest me that much. 

I want to take a break chill for a bit but don't have guts to do the same considering market conditions ( what if I don't get a job when I am back in the market😅) 

Please give any advice on how to tackle this situation or if someone has gone through the same, would love to hear your experience. 

Also how is the product hiring currently in India? 

PS:  I do have a good runway for 4-5 months considering all expenses but I am scared to take the step

How is the market currently for product managers?

Test Engineer

What can be improved? Not people specific, but what you feel is wrong about us consistently across most conversations you've had?

Founders/Ex Founders on Grapevine, what can VCs get better at?

Investment Associate

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

How many folks here 100% refuse to share last salary and are adant that HR state their budget. How do you guys do it and also has it ever happened that you needed up losing a great opportunity coz of this???

Refusing to tell last salary

[TL;DR former National quizzing champ dropped out of B. Tech in 2020 during peak of addiction and depression . Got over it and sober in Jan'23, resumed college and completed my B. Tech in Feb'24. Picked up coding again and feel ready for a job now Should I be honest or lie about the gap? Been ghosted my few recruiters whom I was honest with.]

JS developer here. I used to be a decent student, public speaker and one of the best quizzers in the college scene (former National Champ). But I never addressed some traumatic events that took place in my life before I turned 16. My depression took refuge in substance abuse and I abandoned all studies/career prospects during the pandemic. Eventually after 7 years of using, I got clean/sober in Jan'23 and resumed my studies. I earned my degree but on paper it took me 8 years to complete a 4 year B. Tech (2016-24).

Reasonably I get asked about the gap in my academics by hr/recruiters whom I push my CV to. I've been dead honest to them about my struggles with mental health and addiction in the past. And I've been getting ghosted. (It could be because of skill reasons on my part but I'm not even getting a feedback).

Should I not tell recruiters the truth about the gap? Should I leave the addiction bit out? How should I word it? I've never held a real coding job before but been slogging for the last 6 months to get better each day (my github and projects will reflect that). Please help me out with all your valuable suggestions. If you're a tech recruiter let me know how you would perceive my case.

Sorry if this is the wrong board to post in, I'm desperate. Should I be honest about my past struggles of depression/addiction with recruiters while explaining the 4 year gap in my resume?

You don't have to. They are not your friends and you don't know how someone might take it as.  
 You have been brave enough to come out of it but unfortunately not everyone will see it.

Investor

My offer (from a FAANG company) has been deferred to January 2024. I don't know what to do now: 
 
1) I have another job offer (~8 LPA), but that job requires me to serve notice period of 2-3 months 
 
2) A startup's founder rejected me, saying he wanted someone for long term (he thought I'll leave next January)  
 
Should I try for full time jobs? Many companies become unwilling to take me in, presuming that I will leave in January 2024. 
 
Or should I look for internships (even though I have graduated)? Getting an internship won't help mitigate the risk of not having a fulltime job offer after graduation though.

Offer deferred, don't know what to do

I have probably just gotten a tiny bit hyper aware these days. Of course the role of a founder is to inspire confidence and sometimes employ convenient half truths. I understand that. But I guess there are many out right scamming people. 

Are there more companies like Zerodha? (Or are they scamming too in some way that I don't understand yet)

Which start-up/founder according to you is doing the least amount of bullshitting?

The current startup tech employees and founders are filled with so much junkies who do not care about the product at all.

The culture is set when the startup is founded,when the first set of employees arrive.  These folks are some of the most driven and talented and that's fine, it's how it should be.

But the problem begins when these folks do not find their own hiring strategy and copy the hiring strategy of other companies.

Instead of analysing what works best for them they justify their hiring means by saying this is what other have done.

The result is you get a bunch of leetcode warriors who are always wanting to jump ships when given opportunity, never forming deep knowledge about their industry and their product.

I work in one of the legacy tech companies, sure we do not hire the best people but we nurture them and that earns loyalty and long careers in our company. 

Even the employees have a very 360 degree view wrt product. We always deeply care about our product. 

Tbh I love seeing the stupidity of the market and it makes me happy that more confident that these people are wrong and always will be. 

Even the Indian startups are unoriginal and copied from the west then how do you expect the hiring to be unique. We are all living in the circus where jokers are supporting each other in making the circus bigger.

A rant on startups

Ofcourse Work, Pay, Location are basics however lately i have started asking:

1. How much Runway you have and what is the key reason you are not profitable (in case they are not)
2. Is this a newly opened position, if not, why did the last person left?
3. What’s your attrition rate, and how open are you in terms to taking feedback?

I know there are ways to just pass these questions however it gives you a better picture about the org, what are you some questions that one should start asking?

Let’s make this a good playbook for all the folks :)

Dealing with runway liars

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Sorry if this is the wrong board to post in, I'm desperate. Should I be honest about my past struggles of depression/addiction with recruiters while explaining the 4 year gap in my resume?

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