We at Whereabout , a nearby friends of friends messenger (think of Whatsapp equivalent for LinkedIn), are hiring.
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Apply:
1) No Funding: We aren’t funded yet. We are in talks with investors. The money might/might not hit our bank in the next few months. Your package will be much below the industry average right now. You will be compensated generously in stocks however. Even when we get funded, your compensation won’t skyrocket. It will be decent, not lavish like one of those hyperfunded start-ups. We will remain lean and humble. But if you stick by us for 2-3 years, trust me, you will end up financially and skillwise better than anywhere else you could have been. How can I be sure of that? It’s quite simple, I believe in our team (My cofounder Ashish and me). If we commit our three years to something, we are going to turn it into something impactful. We don’t like wasting our time, and we are always iterating towards a better and more useful product.
2) No Perks: We have no perks. No XBOX, no office lunches, no plasma TV, no booze parties in fancy pubs. Even when we raise money, we might just get a table tennis table but nothing more than that (okay, free beer cans maybe). We’ll continue to be lean. Why? Here’s why: at this stage, it’s of great importance to attract the people with right intent. Because these folks will build the team further. For us, your intention of joining us should be crystal clear—you believe in our idea and the team, and you think we can become big with your help. That’s it. Everything else that can tempt you is bullcrap, and is actually harmful for our team.
Why do we say so? You might say Facebook has amazing work-culture, so many perks. True, but do you have any idea how (and why) was Facebook early on. Here’s an excerpt from an interview of Facebook’s Early Employee (and now a Silicon Valley billionaire) Chamath Pahalipitiya:
Don’t waste money on things that get away from your mission, which confuse employees about why they’re actually there. Meaning, the quality of the office and the quality of the food are all part and parcel of a lack of discipline, which speaks to the fact that the mission isn’t compelling enough. Because I can tell you what it was like at early Facebook: the food was terrible; we’d ship in lunch and probably two to three times a week the lunch had maggots in it. But we were there because we believed, and it didn’t matter.
3) No Big Team, Lots of Work: We are just two people right now, the two cofounders and everything we have built is in house. Every design, every line of code, every marketing copy written, every mail sent has been sent by the two of us. We will expect you to be a Super(wo)man. Master of many trades, instead of just one. It will be challenging, it will be painful and it will not be easy. It’s not for comfort-seeking quick-money aspirants. It’s for people who see the future, who imagine, who dream.
4) We Are Extreme: We don’t know how not to get things done. We don’t know how to shrug and say we’re clueless about how to proceed. We don’t know how to give up. If you go through our journey below, you’ll realize what we mean by extreme and what we can withstand.
We are freaks and misfits who were forced to experience the world in an unusually challenging way. We have developed strategies to survive, and as we grow we find ways to apply these strategies to other things, and create for ourselves a distinct and powerful advantage. We don’t think the way other people think, and hence we don’t want people who are conventional. We want the crazy, the obsessed ones, people who believe they can make a dent in the universe.
5) We are not in for a short term, not in for money, no quick exit in sight:We are in it to create the next networking giant. Whereabout is not going to be one of those ordinary companies, one of those clones that India is known for. We have taken the first right step, and that is creating something truly original that people love. But we haven’t got it all figured out. It’s a new idea and it requires innovation. We are experimenting, trying to measure and iterate and design to suit the palettes of our users, providing them with a better and more fulfilling experience. The path to success is going to be brutal, quite harrowing. It will take a lot from us all. But when you attain that destination, you’ll be blown by the sight you will see. The joy of climbing the Everest is to behold the view from the top. We can envision that view and we can’t wait to get there.
Here’s the Only Reason Why You Should Apply:
Audacious Vision: Imagine going anywhere on the planet and looking at people around, and Whereabout shows you who that person is, what are their interests and how are they connected to you. Imagine the entire world unlocked for you, on your mobile screen, a knock away from being connected to over chat without sharing phone numbers or adding to any social network. Imagine the impact such a product can have, how it transcends your first degree connections and makes the entire world so approachable and connected. Can you dream along with us? Does it excite you?
We are building a truly global social product with the help of a small group of people based in India. We are generous with stock options for people committed enough to stick for long, we’re even open for cofoundership if you earn it by your commitment. If the first 5 points don’t deter you, send two paragraphs about yourself and why you want to join Whereabout at hi@whereabout.in along with your LinkedIn ID. Our backend is in Python (Django), and we are hiring growth hackers, digital marketeers, iOS and android developers, Python mavens and graphic designers.
Make sure you have used our app before applying. Else, your mail will be vacuous.
