Ask HN: How good do I need to be to work at a startup?

#1

Post by anastasiaess » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 9:11 PM UTC

I want to work at a startup, but I don't know how to stand out. Any advice? I'm a senior atm but if I could I'd drive down to SF tomorrow to start work...

I build a lot and love it but some of these applications say things like "what are you the top 1% at?". I don't go to a target school and have no idea how to market myself. My skills / interest are in vision + interactivity AI applications. For ex: building a full stack local llm app to control a 3D blender scene, getting NVIDIA's research libraries to run headlessly (drone -> 3d selfie), and I've been babysitting extra hrs to save up for AR glasses to do spatial hacking with.

Re: Ask HN: How good do I need to be to work at a startup?

#2

Post by toomuchtodo » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 9:14 PM UTC

Interview until hired, that’s the bar. Every org and hiring manager are different. Each interview only costs your time, but respect each org and those involved by arriving to the interview prepared and engaged. After every interview, take notes and reflect on what you didn’t know, and where you can do better in the future.

Wishing you success.

https://news.ycombinator.com/jobs

Re: Ask HN: How good do I need to be to work at a startup?

#3

Post by anastasiaess » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 9:54 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #2

Interview until hired, that’s the bar. Every org and hiring manager are different. Each interview only costs your time, but respect each org and those involved by arriving to the interview prepared and engaged. After every interview, take notes and reflect on what you didn’t know, and where you can do better in the future. Wishing you success. https://news.ycombinator.com/jobs

Thank you! Tbh I probably just need to put out more applications to get the interviews in the first place

Re: Ask HN: How good do I need to be to work at a startup?

#4

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 9:59 PM UTC

anastasiaess wrote: post #3

toomuchtodo wrote: post #2

Interview until hired, that’s the bar. Every org and hiring manager are different. Each interview only costs your time, but respect each org and those involved by arriving to the interview prepared and engaged. After every interview, take notes and reflect on what you didn’t know, and where you can do better in the future. Wishing you success. https://news.ycombinator.com/jobs

Thank you! Tbh I probably just need to put out more applications to get the interviews in the first place

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How good do I need to be to work at a startup?

#5

Post by tim-tday » Wed, Dec 31, 2025, 4:48 PM UTC

You don’t need tech skill upgrades. You need to connect with people building something you’re interested in. The closer that alignment the better it will work out.

The skills I’ve seen thrive at a startup: emotional intelligence, stamina, high frustration threshold, clarity of thought under pressure

There are tons of programs to connect technical people to startups. Start getting plugged into those.