Project Manager

How do I evaluate a start up before applying there?

Making the switch from Business Analyst to APM. I don't mind the lack of WLB (60-70 hours a week) since I'm very early in my career- all I'm looking for is: 1) Learning 2) Above average but not ridiculously high pay (I'll be more than happy with 80k-1LPM in hand) Problem is most companies that are more likely to provide me with these are start ups since I'm not from a Tier-1 college and have a B.Sc. So how do I evaluate a start up's financials before applying there? Most people give vague answers like "check their financials", "figure out how much runway they have left" etc. without going into detail or mentioning any concrete steps.

Got a big shock at start of career

At the very start of my career, I faced a big shock. I joined BitGo as a Software Engineering Intern with the hope of full-time conversion, as HR mentioned the conversion rate was good. Despite consistently delivering results and even demoing my work to the Head of Engineering and CEO, two interns including me were laid off with vague and shifting reasons. First, we were told the team capacity was 13 while we were 15 — yet two new FTEs were hired after us. Then we were told we were working on “less important” tasks, even though we had repeatedly asked for critical work. Finally, I was told I hadn’t coded enough hours — despite clear output and appreciation in demos. It felt like pure office politics. Recently hired FTEs — who were related to existing top performers — were retained, and interns were let go. Escalations to HR and leadership didn’t change anything. Walking away from a 35 LPA CTC (15 LPA fixed) opportunity was tough, but staying would’ve meant surviving politics over performance. Today, I’m working as a Data Engineer at Accenture. The pay may be lower, but I’m genuinely happier. My team is supportive, ideas are heard, and politics — though present everywhere — is minimal in my experience. Sometimes peace of mind > compensation.

Exposing the Hiring Scams: How AI Vetting Companies Are Wasting Developers' Time

As a developer who’s wasted too much time on these platforms, I feel it's important to speak out. If you come across job listings from companies like: pesto.tech micro1.ai mercor.com Or any other "new age AI vetting" companies, stay away. These companies aren't interested in actually hiring talent. They're just after numbers to impress investors, and they’ll do whatever it takes to inflate their metrics. The job postings are vague, misleading, and often flat-out fake. Even when recruiters reach out, they won't have a real conversation—they’ll just send you a link to their website. The worst part? Developers, especially those who are new or desperate for opportunities, end up wasting hours on these applications. You’ll fill out forms, take pointless "screening tests," and train their AI—only to realize too late that you’ve been played. The whole process is a scam designed to make it look like these companies are doing something valuable, when in reality, they’re making the already broken hiring system even worse. So, if you see these companies or others like them, report them. Don’t let them take up any more of your time. The hiring process is hard enough without these vultures trying to profit off our time and effort. Let’s call out the bullshit and protect each other from falling for it.