WTH Job Interview

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

May the force be with you
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I just finished a 5 1/2 hour job interview!
Looks like a unique gig. It is a startup with a solid backing

CEO says we have deep pockets so we can pay as well as the big guys. We also give everyone equity in the company.
We are looking to be aquired in 2-3 years and everyone walks away happy.

I think I talked to everyone in the company.

1st question asked at the interview
"Welcome Bryan, Which beer do you prefer Peticolas or revolver?"


Then I am shown this in their break room
attachment.php


Looks like a good gig if I can stomach the drive.
Denton to Downtown Dallas which would be hell but I can come and leave when I want and work from home a couple days a week.


CTO is a pilot and I see this in the entry way (Its a sign right?)

attachment.php



Holy Hell I am beat.
I may take the gig as I have nothing to lose at this point and it will restart my "countdown to ownership"

What a weird day.
 

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Oh they work standing up (its optional) at these rolling desk things.

And he says when you start we give you a budget and you just go pick out whatever computer you want.
If you stay 2 years you get to keep it so get something nice.

Downside is it has to be a Mac :(
 
If you like the work and the financials and other details work out, go for it!

If you hate the work/expectations, find something else. Even if you need money, the only thing more soul-crushing than a job you hate is a mismatched spouse [which doesn't apply in your case].
 
ChrisK said:
Ugh. Startups. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

I know. If I just saw the office I would think it was run by 22 year olds.
These guys are Harvard MBAs and lawyers.

I am not sure if that makes a difference though.

It feels a bit like playing the stock market only I am not investing my money. Just my energy and PPL when I get the DUI driving home from work ;)
 
I worked in downtown for about a year. Looks like a nice place from the pics and description, don't know about the work but I can tell you after my stint they would need to pay me enough to fly from DTO into DAL and have a driver every day for me to do it again. The commute is death squared.

If their plan is to be bought out at some huge amount in a few years, that's a bad plan and rarely works out unless the company is really worth more than they think. But, it could happen.
 
Matthew said:
Sweet! In two years you get your own two year old computer!
Click to expand...

It will be a mac. I hear good things about them.
I had one. It lasted 2 weeks before I sold it on craigslist.
 
No idea what the ride is like, but I suggest reading some of the happiness research re commute times. Good luck whatever you choose.
 
evapilotaz said:
What will you be exactly be doing?
Click to expand...

Drinking at work duh!

Meeting clients and working with their tech teams working to integrate their product with this companies. A lot of EDI and client on boarding.

very little travel but travel to interesting places.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
...CEO says we have deep pockets so we can pay as well as the big guys. We also give everyone equity in the company..
Click to expand...

It's been quite a while since I was out on a job interview, but those are words that would concern me. But I'm guessing you've already done your own due diligence on their potential?

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Mike
 
What's your fallback strategy if things fall through? Mrs. PC gets a second part-time job?
 
Sounds like an interesting opportunity Bryan. I once went to work for a husband and wife that had just started a company. I was their first full time employee. Helped them grow by learning new skills and the company is still in business today nearly 20 years later. I only left because, in the end, it involved a lot of travel and I got tired of that aspect of it.

Good Luck
 
Brad Z said:
What's your fallback strategy if things fall through? Mrs. PC gets a second part-time job?
Click to expand...

No fallback.
My current company is shutting down so I don't have a lot to lose.

If I had a perm gig I wouldn't be entertaining this.
 
Brad Z said:
What's your fallback strategy if things fall through? Mrs. PC gets a second part-time job?
Click to expand...

Second part-time? :confused: I run the place where I work, thank you very much. :yesnod:

Though it's a non-profit, so pay-wise, it's not all that impressive.
 
Van Johnston said:
Did you confirm he is not a PoA member before posting?
Click to expand...

No. I doubt he is though.
I haven't posted anything here that we didn't discuss today.
They are really casual. "What do you want to know? Ask me anything."

And I did.
 
Lots of red flags, but I'm getting old. But hey, if they pay cash and you don't assume it will last forever, have some fun. (And spend conservatively) Just remember to get some resume material or network to make it worth your while.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Electronic Data Interchange
Your system outputs data and my system consumes it.

We have just done EDI.

Pretty hot right?
Click to expand...

I call it the "not standard,standard." Or the standard not standard.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Electronic Data Interchange
Your system outputs data and my system consumes it.

We have just done EDI.

Pretty hot right?
Click to expand...
I know what it is. I have been responsible for a crap ton of big X12 + AS2 implementations (in fact that is most of what I did with SAP - I lived in WEDI).

Will have to talk shop sometime.
 
You can take the train from Denton to downtown. During rush hour, that would probably be faster than driving. Or get a hanger and park a beater at Red Bird. Do they need an in-house counsel? :D
 
ChrisK said:
I know what it is. I have been responsible for a crap ton of big X12 + AS2 implementations (in fact that is most of what I did with SAP - I lived in WEDI).

Will have to talk shop sometime.
Click to expand...

Ah most of my EDI has been medical and logistics. Very standardized.
Yet always changing...
 
Lindberg said:
You can take the train from Denton to downtown. During rush hour, that would probably be faster than driving. Or get a hanger and park a beater at Red Bird. Do they need an in-house counsel? :D
Click to expand...

I looked at the train. Hour and a half. It has so many stops.
The guy I would work for lives about 5 min from me and he says it is not bad if you just work around traffic times. They are pretty flexible when it comes to arrival / departure times.
 
Only two taps? Amateurs ;)

I'd expect a happy ending after a 5.5 hour interview. Christ on a Saltine.
 
ChrisK said:
Logistics I've done. Medical I haven't and that sounds wicked cool :)
Click to expand...

It was fun.
It was a company I got in on that was converting dr. offices form paper to EMR

They were a startup. Went out of business right away LOL
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I just finished a 5 1/2 hour job interview!
Click to expand...

"Welcome Bryan, Which beer do you prefer Peticolas or revolver?"

"Rev-bit, rev-bit."

"Um, well, what do you know about computers?"

"Rib-bit, rib-bit."

(Hours later...)

"While you look to be rather green, your eyes show a burning passion for, um, something. I want to reassure you that you'll find the commute easy since you'll be sleeping at the office during the week, and you'll be allowed to work at home two days of the week - Saturday and Sunday - for the next three years. What do you say to that?"

"Ribbit, ribbit."
 
Jim Logajan said:
"Welcome Bryan, Which beer do you prefer Peticolas or revolver?"

"Rev-bit, rev-bit."

"Um, well, what do you know about computers?"

"Rib-bit, rib-bit."

(Hours later...)

"While you look to be rather green, your eyes show a burning passion for, um, something. I want to reassure you that you'll find the commute easy since you'll be sleeping at the office during the week, and you'll be allowed to work at home two days of the week - Saturday and Sunday - for the next three years. What do you say to that?"

"Ribbit, ribbit."
Click to expand...


HaHa true

You'll come for the beer.
You'll stay because you have to.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I just finished a 5 1/2 hour job interview!
Looks like a unique gig. It is a startup with a solid backing

CEO says we have deep pockets so we can pay as well as the big guys. We also give everyone equity in the company.
We are looking to be aquired in 2-3 years and everyone walks away happy.

I think I talked to everyone in the company.

1st question asked at the interview
"Welcome Bryan, Which beer do you prefer Peticolas or revolver?"


Then I am shown this in their break room
attachment.php


Looks like a good gig if I can stomach the drive.
Denton to Downtown Dallas which would be hell but I can come and leave when I want and work from home a couple days a week.


CTO is a pilot and I see this in the entry way (Its a sign right?)

attachment.php



Holy Hell I am beat.
I may take the gig as I have nothing to lose at this point and it will restart my "countdown to ownership"

What a weird day.
Click to expand...


Been there done that.

Beer was good. Work was hard but lots of bright people.

Equity was diluted to nothing by cash investors.

Bad times hit right after they printed their Red Herring to start the "going public" road show.

Company went from over 500 employees to under 100 in a single day when the cash investors called in their loans.

Poof.

Fun while it lasted. Built some cool stuff that's still running ten years later. Had a decent salary.

Worth it? Marginally so. Good contacts later as we all started finding jobs.
 
Oh. I only slept at the office three times in five or so years. But plenty of midnight drives home.
 
Sounds awesome, ask for options that you don't have to pay to exercise, you're taxed on the shares as income even though there is no income since you're not selling the shares
 
docmirror said:
I worked in downtown for about a year. Looks like a nice place from the pics and description, don't know about the work but I can tell you after my stint they would need to pay me enough to fly from DTO into DAL and have a driver every day for me to do it again. The commute is death squared.

If their plan is to be bought out at some huge amount in a few years, that's a bad plan and rarely works out unless the company is really worth more than they think. But, it could happen.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking, if they can pay with the big boys, it's time to get a Robinson and fly to work.
 
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