I agree with you on the general workflow of an interview process. Phone screen or two, programming assignment (not 1 week though), face-to-face, etc.
I need to get better about the salary thing. I've gotten several offers from companies (even YC companies) in the last year, and each time we're just not in the same ballpark. I think a lot of it just has to do with equity. Startup CEOs treat their equity as worth a lot of money, but at the end of the day, I can't use my equity to pay my rent. So unless I really, really, really believe in your company's ability to dominate in that problem domain and/or exit successfully, your equity just isn't worth the pay cut for me...
But that's another discussion entirely.
I, too, am picky about what I want to do. I want to solve real problems. I don't want to reinvent the wheel with yet-another-message-board (sorry Jeff). I want to save the world. I want to do something meaningful. And a lot of these startups I see around here are solving what I consider to be superficial problems. Yet another ephemeral chat service. Yet another Instagram. Yet another subscription clothing service. Zzz.
If Elon Musk called me up and asked me to come "audition" for SpaceX, I'd probably do it. That's an exciting enough field and opportunity that I'd spend a week of my free time to get it. If a company that was building out tools for combating malaria called me up and asked me to audition, I'd probably do it. Or updating farming with 21st century technology. Or engineering a way to purify water for pennies. Or... well, any number of what I consider "epic" problems.
But that's another discussion, too. :)
I totally just went off on two different tangents. Whoops. :)
I need to get better about the salary thing. I've gotten several offers from companies (even YC companies) in the last year, and each time we're just not in the same ballpark. I think a lot of it just has to do with equity. Startup CEOs treat their equity as worth a lot of money, but at the end of the day, I can't use my equity to pay my rent. So unless I really, really, really believe in your company's ability to dominate in that problem domain and/or exit successfully, your equity just isn't worth the pay cut for me...
But that's another discussion entirely.
I, too, am picky about what I want to do. I want to solve real problems. I don't want to reinvent the wheel with yet-another-message-board (sorry Jeff). I want to save the world. I want to do something meaningful. And a lot of these startups I see around here are solving what I consider to be superficial problems. Yet another ephemeral chat service. Yet another Instagram. Yet another subscription clothing service. Zzz.
If Elon Musk called me up and asked me to come "audition" for SpaceX, I'd probably do it. That's an exciting enough field and opportunity that I'd spend a week of my free time to get it. If a company that was building out tools for combating malaria called me up and asked me to audition, I'd probably do it. Or updating farming with 21st century technology. Or engineering a way to purify water for pennies. Or... well, any number of what I consider "epic" problems.
But that's another discussion, too. :)
I totally just went off on two different tangents. Whoops. :)