You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
11–18 of 18 posts
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#12Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#13Hi George, welcome to Hacker News. If you're looking to join a startup, here's a couple suggestions on how to improve your odds when posting on HN: - Make things easier for the companies you're trying to attract. Provide links to your Resume, LinkedIn, and/or Portfolio in your Ask HN post. - A Jack of All Trades is a Master of None. You mention having background in Business, Marketing, Graphic Design, and UI/UX. Pitc…
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#14Most of the time, the only technical skill you will develop by doing an unpaid internship is how to simultaneously make coffee and photocopies. This is not what you want.
When a company commits financially, the stakes are much higher and not training you properly will actually result in a waste of money. It will be hard with no prior programming experience but we fortunately, are a field where what you can do overweight where you come from.
This is only true to a certain extent of course, and you need first and foremost to be able to do things. It will take years and thousand of hours before you become a decent programmer.
For companies to invest in you, you need to demonstrate that you are sweating to get better and that you will actually get better.
It means reading, writing and studying code, programming methodologies and paradigms. Overwhelm yourself, learn passionately and ruthlessly. It may sound like a platitude but there is actually very little else you can do.
Start doing that now, yes now. Focus on that, take a job as a waiter and learn, learn, learn on your free time. When you start feeling a little less inept, it will be the right time to send a couple emails, calls and posts on HN.
This will also act as a test, you might be a little delusional and drank a little too much koolaid. Working all day and studying at night will let you truly assess whether it is the case or not, whether you are chasing a mirage or a vocation.
Technical internships, jobs should be viewed as opportunities to get better, professional and familiar with new problems and technologies. if you want people to invest you, start investing in yourself.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#15I find your desire to improve very impressive, but I think you will be better off finding a paid opportunity, as counter intuitive as it sounds. Most of the time, the only technical skill you will develop by doing an unpaid internship is how to simultaneously make coffee and photocopies. This is not what you want. When a company commits financially, the stakes are much higher and not training you properly will actual…
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#16Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#17You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
Couldn't he get around this by doing contracted work and wanting only $1 for payment?
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you really want to get into the tech sector, work for free for yourself and then get a paid job. Teach yourself iOS or Android development, build an app, and then promote it yourself. The app probably won't go anywhere, but seeing an actual polished app that's actually being promoted and maybe even used by a few people looks really good to any potential employer. Then get a job at market-rate wages instead of sell…
That's a great idea. I will def do that. Its not that I don't value myself at nothing I was just trying to get in any way I can. I worked in the music industry for 5 years (large record labels) and that's how I got my foot in the door so I was just trying to do the same. Thanks for the great advice
Tech is different, and the fastest way to get an employer to stop taking you seriously is to ask for less than you appear to be worth.