Assessing a Company: Questions you need to ask in an Interview • Hacker News Board

Re: Assessing a Company: Questions you need to ask in an Interview

#41

Post by jacques_chester » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 10:21 PM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #39

matwood wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Companies don't owe you any of this information as an interviewee. Sure, ask about the financial health of the company. But a balance sheet? Good luck. They may not owe it to you just as you don't owe the company anything like showing up for an interview. It's what people do when they want a job and it's what the company should do if they want good people (this applies a lot more to small startup companies than a…

It's what people do when they want a job and it's what the company should do if they want good people (this applies a lot more to small startup companies than a big corp because a big corp will have a lot of public information already out there). Good people will simply go somewhere else rather than take unneeded risks. Wasn't it mentioned somewhere else in this thread that a lot of small VC-backed startups are contr…

> Wasn't it mentioned somewhere else in this thread that a lot of small VC-backed startups are contractually compelled to not disclose their finances?

If that's their situation, I won't complain.

> Isn't that the big risk that is supposed to lead to the Big Payday?

Sure, it's a bit of a gamble. But experienced punters check the form guide.

Re: Assessing a Company: Questions you need to ask in an Interview

#42

Post by temphn » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 10:58 PM UTC

jacques_chester wrote: post #32

temphn wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For one data point: as an employer, if someone asked me that in a job interview I'd think they were complete mercenaries and highly distrustful/cynical. Would smile, respond with something noncommittal about how the board won't let us share that kind of information, and cut short the interview as soon as possible. Think about it from our perspective: part of the point of being a non-public company is that you can kee…

> For one data point: as an employer, if someone asked me that in a job interview I'd think they were complete mercenaries and highly distrustful/cynical. Now this is interesting. What triggers that reaction? Is it asking for the particular documents, or is it the request for meaningful information? > Perhaps 50% of the people we interview don't end up getting a position. What if you take that info and share it with…

> Now this is interesting. What triggers that reaction? Is it asking for the particular documents, or is it the request for meaningful information?

It's sort of like a woman who asks you what car you drive right off the bat, on the first date. It indicates she is only in it for the money. And that she also lacks the social intelligence necessary to gain information without revealing that she's only in it for the money.

For a startup to succeed its people need to be a bit irrational. A pure profit maximizing strategy for a good developer is just to do something boring at Google. You aren't joining a startup to do median case profit maximization, you're doing it to (a) do something interesting for a change and (b) have a shot at a big payday.

Now, there's a certain undercurrent here at HN that says "F you, pay me". OK, but this is not the type of personality that is likely to build something great. They are the first ones to bail when things get rough, the first ones to trash their former (or current) employers, the first ones to lay blame.

There is a role for highly skilled mercenaries, just as there is a role for really beautiful golddiggers. But they should gravitate to Google/really rich men, as that's where they'll find a mutually satisfactory exchange.

Re: Assessing a Company: Questions you need to ask in an Interview

#43

Post by jacques_chester » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 5:19 AM UTC

temphn wrote: post #42

jacques_chester wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For one data point: as an employer, if someone asked me that in a job interview I'd think they were complete mercenaries and highly distrustful/cynical. Now this is interesting. What triggers that reaction? Is it asking for the particular documents, or is it the request for meaningful information? > Perhaps 50% of the people we interview don't end up getting a position. What if you take that info and share it with…

> Now this is interesting. What triggers that reaction? Is it asking for the particular documents, or is it the request for meaningful information? It's sort of like a woman who asks you what car you drive right off the bat, on the first date. It indicates she is only in it for the money. And that she also lacks the social intelligence necessary to gain information without revealing that she's only in it for the mone…

What about the "runway" question?

It's the same thing: I want a sense of the risk I'm taking, but without signalling (incorrectly IMO) that I'm just such a mercenary.

Re: Assessing a Company: Questions you need to ask in an Interview

#44

Post by johnobrien102 » Fri, Dec 23, 2011, 4:28 AM UTC

Peroni wrote: post #35

johnobrien102 wrote: post #34

These might be questions to ask after you get the offer, but IMHO you'll likely decrease your chances of getting the job if you ask them early in the interview process.

I couldn't disagree more (obviously). There is nothing in those questions that could lead an employer to think that you wouldn't be suitable. They are intelligent, natural questions and the answers are very relevant to someone applying for a job. Once an offer has been made, the opportunity to ask detailed questions is gone. If someone posed these questions to me after the offer I'd simply think why didn't they ask d…

Well perhaps you are right.