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Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

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Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#1

Post by trianx »

I am seeing YC startups hiring for supposedly in-demand roles (e.g. Senior TypeScript, Senior ML) and offering 50-80k$/year.

This sounds very low to me, even if those are fully remote positions. As far as I know, this salary wouldn't attract strong talent even in medium cost-of-living countries (like Portugal/Spain).

Anyone has more insights around this decision? For example: - Are they targeting extremely low-cost of living countries? Have they seen more success with that strategy? - Will globalisation finally equalize developer salaries across the globe? - Do they offer something else which is unusually attractive?

Intrigued to learn more.

Re: Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#3

Post by ddorian43 »

> Do they offer something else which is unusually attractive?

You can literally read the job description.

Answer:no.

Source: I've read the descriptions.

> Intrigued to learn more.

They are just companies. They either don't have money, or have money and want to lowball (it's good time to lowball).

Re: Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#4

Post by ceejayoz »

ddorian43 wrote: post #3

> Do they offer something else which is unusually attractive? You can literally read the job description. Answer:no. Source: I've read the descriptions. > Intrigued to learn more. They are just companies. They either don't have money, or have money and want to lowball (it's good time to lowball).

> it's good time to lowball

There's lowballing, and then there's insulting.

Re: Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#6

Post by sontek »

Start-ups in general don't have a lot of cash and burn rate is the death of most of them. The standard deal from YC is $500k. So if they pay $80k/yr after operating costs, insurance, etc. They can probably hire 3 people outside of themselves and only be able to do it for 1 year.

If they competed with companies who are paying at the 90th percentile they wouldn't even make it a year if they hired 1 person.

Re: Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#8

Post by CoastalCoder »

ceejayoz wrote: post #4
ddorian43 wrote: post #3

> Do they offer something else which is unusually attractive? You can literally read the job description. Answer:no. Source: I've read the descriptions. > Intrigued to learn more. They are just companies. They either don't have money, or have money and want to lowball (it's good time to lowball).

> it's good time to lowball There's lowballing, and then there's insulting.

Why would that be an insult?

If they can find someone good enough at that rate, then why would they pay more?

And if they can't, then they'll just need to discover the market floor by experience.

Re: Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#9

Post by danpalmer »

"Senior" means different things to different people.

I've interviewed "senior" engineers who I wouldn't hire into an internship, and I've interviewed regular (non-senior) engineers who are exceptional.

It also means different things to different companies. At a startup, a "staff engineer" might just be the best engineer on a team of 5-10, but at a big tech company it means a completely different thing. I've also worked with senior engineers at big tech companies who would be less productive than a new graduate in a 3 person startup.

Apply to a job description, not a job title.

Re: Ask HN: How come YC startups offering <80k$/year?

#10

Post by michh »

ceejayoz wrote: post #4
ddorian43 wrote: post #3

> Do they offer something else which is unusually attractive? You can literally read the job description. Answer:no. Source: I've read the descriptions. > Intrigued to learn more. They are just companies. They either don't have money, or have money and want to lowball (it's good time to lowball).

> it's good time to lowball There's lowballing, and then there's insulting.

If you’ve just been laid off from big tech and have been applying for three months in the current climate you might want to take the insult and hope the startup succeeds in a way that brings you the rewards later. I don’t like it either but that’s where some of my friends are at right now.
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