startup job description red flags/amateur/elitist indicators

If a job application has a text box to gather where you went to school, the managers/culture has some elitism or inferiority complex where they think the only intelligence exists at ivy leagues. Alternatively, it could be a warning that the founders have never hired engineers before (e.g. former researchers), and they think academic credentials actually have a huge impact on engineering productivity. If a company culture description aggressively name drops big tech companies that their founders/employees came from, again this is a red flag that the founders think big tech magically makes people better engineers or the recruitment filters at big tech are magically able to identify great engineers through aggressive leetcode.

Mar 12, 2025 - 03:23

startup job description red flags/amateur/elitist indicators

If a job application has a text box to gather where you went to school, the managers/culture has some elitism or inferiority complex where they think the only intelligence exists at ivy leagues. Alternatively, it could be a warning that the founders have never hired engineers before (e.g. former researchers), and they think academic credentials actually have a huge impact on engineering productivity.

If a company culture description aggressively name drops big tech companies that their founders/employees came from, again this is a red flag that the founders think big tech magically makes people better engineers or the recruitment filters at big tech are magically able to identify great engineers through aggressive leetcode.