Yes I did. It was very hard work. I combed through hundreds of adds, sent custom replies to several dozen of the most promising and made it clear that I was offering high quality, with the unstated caveat that I was not offering the lowest price. I replied only to adds local to Boston (where I live) and said that I would be happy to come to their location at their convenience. When I did in person interview I dressed very well, and read up extensively on their companies beforehand. I did not even entertain anyone that seemed like a cheapskate or wanted to offer equity.
