How to NOT get hired

Published November 22, 2022Updated November 22, 2022

Co-founder at King’s Cross Labs · ex-LinkedIn PM & Forbes 30 Under 30

This is NOT an email you should send to a founder to try to get hired in a startup.

Getting info salary and equity for a certain role is fair but if you lead with it as the FIRST email you send to the hiring manager, then that says you care more about compensation than the vision, or what you’re working towards. Compensation alone will not get you through the early stage startup grind.

Frequently asked questions

What email should you never send a startup founder?: Don't make your first message about salary and equity. Asking about comp is fair, but leading with it tells a founder you care more about the package than the vision or the work, and compensation alone won't carry you through the early-stage grind.

How Not to Email a Startup Hiring Manager — what signals the wrong priorities, and what to send instead