Hey bro can you share the startup name, I'm actively looking for a new role

Software Engineer

Software Developer

Hey please share the name. It's nice to know what companies handle recruitment properly.

So I applied for a SDE job at a startup and for the first time I got proper feedback from the HR.  They properly mentioned what kind of experience they are looking for and why they think I'm not a ...

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

So I applied for a SDE job at a startup and for the first time I got proper feedback from the HR.

They properly mentioned what kind of experience they are looking for and why they think I'm not a fit for the role.

Now I don't care if it was a human who provided the feedback or an AI tool, all that matters is they cared enough to put that effort and it will help me in improving my resume at least.

PS: I'm hiding the startup name because I don't want you guys to spam them, but if enough people ask for it, I might share in the comments.

Got feedback from HR, feeling happy about it

Senior Software Engineer

Got feedback from HR, feeling happy about it- Grapevine

Peeps who got a job through LinkedIn, post 2021, with 0-2 yoe, how??? Sahre experiences

LinkedIn Jobs

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Hi guys(Mainly HRs), 
              Recently I applied to one SaaS company for the position-Solution Engineer/Implementation engineer, I had 2 rounds and was done with both the rounds. As I was expecting results, I got this mail from the previous round interviewer saying ( See the below/above image).  It sounded very odd and strange to me and frustrating to hear this, I acknowledged it and mailed the interviewer and HR asking to  give any constructive feedback if there were any; Until now they haven't responded back. I feel better now but obviously very disappointed with such a reply, can any one of u from startups/ HRs from start-up Please clarify - Is this the way Start-up rejects candidates or I got unlucky in this situation?
Please help friends.

Hiring process

System Engineer

Gave an interview for Product Ops at Cred. Didn't convert, but the overall experience was great: 

1. HRs were empathetic and helpful - called after a week to give detailed feedback (covered what they liked, didn't like, what they were expecting)
2. Interviewer was also nice and keen to know more about my experience 

They were expecting a good understanding of growth and metrics, and I didn't have much experience with that, so I got rejected, but overall, it was an excellent experience. 

I have been putting all my recent bad interview experiences here, so why not also put a good one! :)

CRED - Product Ops Interview - Great experience!

Woow you must be someone really in control of your ego. Being able to appreciate a company even after getting rejected is a high quality

Product Manager

\[You've probably come across this and Im SORRY for posting across various subs but doing it for wider reach as few redditors asked me to :)\]

Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience of quitting my job on the very first day (7th October 2024) & standing up to a toxic boss.

**A bit of background for context**

My dormmates & I co-founded a startup right out of college in September 2022. Our goal was to level the playing field for retail investors by addressing 3 core problems:

1. Lack of time
2. Limited expertise
3. The grunt boring work

We aimed to solve these issues with AI & algorithms that could automate data gathering, analysis, and simplify complex financial information. Think of it as an "Auto/Co-Pilot" for portfolio management, not buy/sell trading tool. This was before AI became the buzzword it is today.

As a part of our B.Tech CSE program, we were also introduced to finance, & markets through structured courses. In the midst of lockdown having extra time on our hands, our finance professors encouraged us to invest to learn in the markets & so we did. It was tough for us (CS Background), as learning about the basics of market fundamentals and tracking them was not easy.

We realized that many existing tools speak a financial language that's not familiar to most people, & we felt the need for something simpler.

By the time we graduated, we often wondered how we could manage a full-time job while keeping up with the markets. We couldn’t find a tool that really saved time & simplified things. That’s when we saw an opportunity to create one ourselves.

I worked full-time on product design & operations for our startup while my co-founder balanced a day job to support us financially.

We reached the finals of the Elevate Karnataka Startup Funding Competition, competing against over **800 startups**. Although we didn’t secure funding, we understood the government panelists' priority to support ventures in green/clean technologies & those from rural areas, even if they aren't always financially viable and they believed we could raise funds externally, because of a good decent college.

Our team included interns, & we shared equity among everyone involved. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints & the departure of key team members for higher studies, the project is currently paused. However, we haven’t given up; we just need more time & financial stability to get things moving again.

With that in mind, I began looking for a job. The interview for this position happened back in August. After completing two lengthy assignments (80+ hours of work, one of which I later found out was directly related to their product), they finally got back to me at the end of September. The offered salary was well below average, but I accepted it because it was a remote position that would allow me to focus on my startup after hours and on weekends.

However, things quickly took a turn for the worse on my first day.

**The Incident**

At the end of my first day (October 7th), my reporting manager (Cofounder/CEO) , made it clear that he expected unreasonable commitments—work beyond normal hours (expecting 12-14 hours) without any compensation. When I tried to establish boundaries, he mocked me for talking about "work-life balance," calling it a "fancy term" and "western developed nation behavior." He also ridiculed my desire for time to read & exercise, dismissing it as an excuse.

I understand that startups sometimes require ext ra hours—We've done that ourselves as co-founders at our startup. But there’s a difference between going the extra mile for your own project out of passion on your own & being coerced into it in a professional setting with an established, profitable company.

**Why I Shared This**

Toxic work culture isn’t worth compromising your health and self-respect.

**Would be Grateful for Leads** on my profile:

If anyone here can help me by recommending to UI/UX roles (Ill share profiles in the DMs & since this is a new account, I request you to DM first :) ), I’d be grateful & deeply appreciate it. I’m open to working in office/hybrid/remote environments.

I promise to deliver high-quality work to anyone who gives me the opportunity. Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Stay strong & remember—your well-being matters.

**Just For clarity & clear any air,** it's not that I’m unwilling to work after hours. It’s the personal attacks, belittling, & ridicule for mentioning I have a life outside work that are hard to handle. I’m fully committed to working when necessary, even on weekends if required. But not every day for 12-14 hours, as the previous founder CEO manager expected & demanded me to forfeit my entire life outside of work, & certainly not with the personal threats & insults he made.

CTC was 7LPA. Tried negotiating but they refused to even negotiate and talk. I Accepted it only because of fully remote setup flexibility even though it is below fair median pay with 2 YOE.

Apparently the company is trying really hard to do damage control but the cat is out of the bag. They’ve been abhorrent in the way they conduct their company.  This is a tight slap to anyone who ex...

Designer resigns on first day after Manager’s 💩behaviour- Grapevine

Quit Job on Day 1 on 7th Oct, After Standing Up to an Extremely Toxic Founder CEO Boss. Kind Grapeviners, would be v.grateful for any leads

Product Designer

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

This is a personal win post.

I'm a '23 grad from top IIT but from non circuital branch. I did my summer internship in a payments MNC as a Quality Engineer and received PPO, but I rejected it since I didn't want to continue in testing. This was when recession was just starting. The money was decent in PPO, but I felt I could get more in a dev role in placements.

When placements came, I interviewed with few big companies, but unfortunately got rejected at some stage. Finally I got placed at Cogoport (yes that same cursed company), with a higher CTC but same base. I was initially happy with it, but as I talked with seniors I came to know about the horrors there, and a month before my joining I decided to take the jump and didn't join. My parents weren't supportive of the decision and I had to fight with them.

I was trying offcampus for a couple of months with a very specific strategy, I got good response but none of them converted to an offer. I finally joined a seed stage startup through my friend as an intern for 3 months. I struggled a lot initially but eventually put in the efforts and learnt and contributed well. The work, culture and people are great here.

Two months after I joined the startup, I got to know that almost half of the new joiners were laid off from Cogoport. And today is my first official day as a full time employee at the same startup I joined as an intern. The base is also the same as the other 2 offers, although CTC decreased but I have immense learning and responsibilities here and I'm sure I'll grow faster than my counterparts in big companies.

Thanks for hearing me out. Have a great end to the year folks

Huge career gamble paid off

Hi folks,

I got laid off today from a YC-backed startup (W23) citing a shift in product focus. Was part of the core team since Oct '21, initially as an intern then later converted to FTE in '22. Got a decent (30%+) increment this year. I was leading the mobile platform but currently, I'm on a notice period. CTO is supportive and helping me via their network.

I'm a recent graduate and this is my first time experiencing a layoff. What should I do now? What things should I keep in mind looking for the next opportunity? 

Also, if you are hiring and looking for a full-stack engineer, do reach out via https://t.me/GrimBeard75

Got laid-off from a YC backed startup

Product Engineer

So I interviewed for a SaaS company serving US clients. I got selected after three rounds (basic email chat, built a project, technical coding round at last) and got selected. 

Finally, it was time to discuss salary and joining date with the CEO. He was impressed by the about section on my portfolio, where I mentioned that I like to go on treks, hikes, read books, lift weights, go on a run, etc. During our call he mentioned that everyone at the startup works 6-7days a week, 12hrs a day and asked if I'd be fine with it as I have a "happening life".

I said that I'm not used to it but I'll manage and work in appropriate working hours. He seemed to agree on it.

But he ghosted me after that, and when I pinged him in the email thread; he said he's not moving ahead with me because my other properties won't allow me to "work as much as other employees".

How am I supposed to react to this lol

I didn't get selected because... I have a happening life?

Glad, that CEO let you live for a better opportunity

Growth Manager

Welcome to IT Company Discussion's Private Community

So recently I interviewed in many companies including google, Microsoft, Amazon I have seen common pattern that HR not being transparent with candidates. They keep hanging candidates in between and not reply to text, email, messages, calls. Even if candidate is rejected why can’t they email or call to give feedback. Is this job really hard ?
“If I will get a chance to snap out one profession from earth I will snap out all hrs, recruiters out there.”

Ps:- Google ppl was very transparent throughout process one of best experiences for me .

What is wrong with HRs/Recruiters

I happen to finally go for premium since I ran out of invites. And bro I’ve been bombarded with job suggestions left and right . I have applied for 3-4 hours straight, just can’t believe it.
Just a day back my feed was dry as a desert.
So if you’re looking for jobs go for Premium at least till you get few offers

LinkedIn premium is nuts

Infrastructure Engineer

I have had over 8-10 managers in my life in a career spanning over 8 years, 5 of them were female managers and unfortunately the experience with 4 of them were very bad. They’re either micro managers, or power hungry, want to be dominant over male juniors, misuse their power, cannot take any kind of resistance or refusals or disagreement from juniors.

I have always heard female managers are more empathetic but unfortunately I’ve faced the opposite. Just wondering, was it just bad luck or is it actually the case?

I tried to introspect in this and I found at least 4 points common across all these female managers:

1. They are all from Tier 2/3 Cities
2. They’ve studied in premier institutions IIT,IIMS,Wharton even one of them
3. They either have a younger or elder brother who got more love in the family
4. Their husband is at a higher senior level than them in professional life/career

Unpopular Opinion: Female Managers are Dominating

I have found females in corporate are much more opportunistic and shrewd than men. They think that is the only way to rise. Yet to encounter an empathetic female in jobs.

Up from 16 LPA in 2022. Same company, same role. Sales is underrated.

I made 1.2Cr in 2023. AMA

If you want to make 12 CR in 2024, please ping me I'll help you get there... 
  
  
  
 By helping you in launching your course 🙂

Account Executive

Education: CS from Tier 4
Years of Experience: 2+ FTE
Prior Experience: Service based
Date of the Offer: Between Feb to Apr 2024
Previous CTC: 7L + 1L bonus

Alphasense:
CTC: 22L + 60 units stock ESOPs
Position: SE 2
It's a great product. Well funded. $2.5B valuation. IPO within couple of years.
Work and tech stack aligns well with my aspirations.

Oracle:
CTC: 18.6L + 3.6L towards relocation
Position: Applications Engineer
Team: Fusion HCM
It's ADF tech stack which is an outdated tool/wrapper, which is a con for me.

Lowe's:
CTC: 16L + variable from 0% to 200% of 1.6L
Position: Software Engineer
Team: Product Promotions
Work, tech stack, Wlb is good.

Freecharge:
CTC: 14L
Position: Senior SDE

Offers are in chronological order- first one is the latest.
Please help me decide.
My priority is learning. And then my profile value for future opportunities.

Offer evaluation | Oracle | Alphasense | Lowe's | Freecharge | from Service based | Advice Needed

I have received an offer from B2B startup, fairly early stage bootstrapped and going for series A this year.
Base 45
JB 2
Variable 12%
And esops worth 30L over four years
Role SDE 2

YOE 3.5

should i still try for faang or go with this for a year, i really liked the people and team here and they are fully commited to making this startup a success and even their last company got accquired.

Should I choose 45L or wait for FAANG?

Enough negativity, what do you think are some green flags in a company that someone can look for before joining? 

For me, it is companies where interview doesn’t revolve around the interviewer questioning with a pre-defined answer in mind on some random DSA garbage they picked off Hackerrank. 

Someone who genuinely is interested in helping me understand the role, if I like the role and then spend time evaluating me on the work that I have done and quizzing me on that. It feels so refreshing to not be treated like a ChatGPT in an interview. 

A bonus point (and this is very rare) is an interviewing suggesting how to improve! So far, shockingly, I found this only with Infosys (2018) and Udaan (in 2017, I think). 😶

I might have gotten lucky with the panel in both places.

What are some Green Flags in a company?

[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

I interviewed with STRAC.io (a US-based start-up).

I was given the assignment to develop a backend app which implements an API to fetch list of files and file users from Google Drive and add a real-time webhook which gets called when a permission change happens.
Plus they asked me to make a video explaining the code and deploy the application to AWS. (There were some back and forth about the exact requirements)

I implemented the API, deployed and made a video explaining everything. It took me 8+ hours of work.
But once I submitted the code the Founder (CEO) stopped answering my emails.

I just wanted to share my experience.

Is this common practice?
In all my previous experiences at least they sent me a rejection email.
Is there anything I can do?

STRAC.io: Bad Assignment Experience

Senior Engineer

I am a '21 graduate from a Tier 1 college (old IIT) and have had short stints as product manager at a couple of startups. About a year back, I decided to startup but after a few months, realized that startup idea wasn't worth pursuing. 

Researched around a few startup ideas and finally landed upon a good one in D2C space. But the problem is financing. I don't have much saving and friends / family network wouldn't be able to finance this. I really want to pursue this idea but finance is becoming a hindrance. 

So started looking for job opportunities about 3 months back. I have been exploring work opportunities in product / founder office / EIR roles or other generalist role. 

Job hunt process has been frustrating to say the least. Getting very few calls. In most cases, people are ghosting after couple of rounds of interview or assignment. In some cases, after getting through 2-3 rounds, I got to know that opening has been closed temporarily. Most HRs don't even have the decency to give feedback. 

I don't intend to work in job for long anyway. As soon as I have the job, I plan to start working on my business idea and quit as soon as I have enough financial leeway. 

How should I go about job hunt process? I have been trying to connect with folks on LinkedIn in whose company job openings are there. Apart from this, I have been connecting with founders from recently funded startups. Naukri / Instahyre and IIM Jobs are other portals I have been looking on. Anything I should do differently here? 

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions / experience.

How bad is the job market?

Just a advice: 
  
 Never do the assignment for any company.This company will ghost you every time after the assignment or will offer lower pay / lower position. 
  
 Companies just try to get ideas via the assignment

Total YoE - 5+
Current Company - US based startup
Role - SDE 2 Remote
Current CTC: 45 Base + 5L Variable bonus +  Esops

I started my carrer in service based company at 4.5LPA, after that worked for two indian unicorn startups. Now working in US based startup from almost an year. 

PS: Wanted to brag from so long, didn't had the courage to do so till now

Tier 3 college to 50L+ CTC

My previous company shut down a couple of months ago. Interviewed a bunch leading up to it and landed an offer 20% below my previous comp. The offer felt exploitative and I even posted about it on Grapevine.

A lot of folks told me my salary was being corrected and I was overpaid in my previous role. 

But what felt wrong felt wrong. Ended up letting that offer go -- had decent runway, and hence, was able to do so.

Interviewed with 6 more companies, Faced a bunch of last minute rejections as well. But finally landed better offers with teams I'm way more excited to work with.

Key takeaways:
1. Gut > Market Data > Subjective Opinions when it comes to assessing offers
2. Runway = resilience, save up for rainy days -- going to take this way more seriously moving forward

Got feedback from HR, feeling happy about it

Discover More

Software Engineers on

by Kendall Carmden

Good company

LinkedIn Jobs

Indian Startups on

by Anise Denver

Unemployed

Hiring process

Indian Startups on

by Blair Olive

Stealth

CRED - Product Ops Interview - Great experience!

Indian Startups on

by Karilyn Vernon

Unemployed

Quit Job on Day 1 on 7th Oct, After Standing Up to an Extremely Toxic Founder CEO Boss. Kind Grapeviners, would be v.grateful for any leads

Office Gossip on

by Matilda Dean

Early Stage Startup

Huge career gamble paid off

Layoffs on

by Jordon Hyrum

Stealth

Got laid-off from a YC backed startup

Indian Startups on

by Kendall Hyrum

Stealth

I didn't get selected because... I have a happening life?

IT Company Discussion on

by Jordon Lee

Stealth

What is wrong with HRs/Recruiters

Software Engineers on

by Kendall Denver

Yahoo

LinkedIn premium is nuts

Office Gossip on

by Kendall Carmden

Stealth

Unpopular Opinion: Female Managers are Dominating

Misc on

by Kalan Everett

Rippling

I made 1.2Cr in 2023. AMA

Software Engineers on

by Aaron Olive

Stealth

Offer evaluation | Oracle | Alphasense | Lowe's | Freecharge | from Service based | Advice Needed

Software Engineers on

by Kendall Olive

Some Asian Big Tech Firm

Should I choose 45L or wait for FAANG?

Misc on

by Kendall Gabriel

Edgeverve

What are some Green Flags in a company?

FAANG on

by Jordon Lee

Student

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?

Software Engineers on

by Kendall Olive

Scripbox

STRAC.io: Bad Assignment Experience

Misc on

by Jordon Olive

Student

How bad is the job market?

Misc on

by Matilda Taye

Stealth

Tier 3 college to 50L+ CTC

Indian Startups on

by Kalan Lee

Stealth

Was being lowballed 2 months ago, landed two 55-60% higher offers this week