

Ask HN: Why all the secrecy around the job postings? - blhack

Just curious... I see job postings all the time here (which is really cool), but why don't they ever list what the company actually <i>does</i>?<p>I'm not applying to any of these, so I'm not in the target market; maybe I just don't "get it"?
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citricsquid
I've always assumed secrecy is from companies who do not want coverage yet.
Techcrunch etc. get their panties in a bunch over new companies and stay
"relevant" by covering them, so when a new company appears and it's poised to
get attention in the future tech sites want to report on it NOW, except for a
company it's crucial you get reported on at the right time, you get the
traffic when your product is ready for the "general public". We all know they
browse sites like HN and reddit looking for stories, they're not going to sit
on their hands when they see a potential story.

Tl:dr; my assumption is to avoid tech sites reporting on them until they
choose to be reported on.

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abbasmehdi
They are hiding something from someone. That "someone" could be a) competition
(unlikely), b) future investors (most likely), c) applicants (unlikely because
if I talked to them I'd ask "what do you do" and the cat is out of the bag),
d) No reason (maybe). e) press (unlikely - everything can be done under
embargo).

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ig1
Most of the post are from YC companies that haven't publicly announced that
they're part of YC, hence the secrecy. Often they'll want to announce the YC
connection as part of a press release as it helps them get press coverage, and
they don't want to lose that advantage.

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b0o
would you post a link to such job postings?

one reason some may not want to post would be bc they are startups and they
dont want others to copy their business. i am in such a business and it would
hurt me greatly if others started doing what i do and lose my "monopoly". In
addition, it would increase the chances of a decrease in valuation should
someone wish to acquire the company.

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ig1
If your business is relying upon no-competition then you're dead long term
anyway. If you're building a successful business then you will get people
copying you, you need a better strategy than secrecy to survive.

If your idea is easily replicable then why would anyone want to acquire you
rather than just copy you ?

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b0o
the question was: why people post obscure job postings. My answer was 'to
preserve their secrets', supposedly to obtain a large market share before the
competition arrives, and to possibly patent any ideas before anyone can even
come in, thus ensuring your firm to have an advantage in the long run. Secrecy
wouldn't be their only tool, it's just one of the tools start-ups can use to
keep their

Furthermore, yes my business idea is easily replicable, but my knowledge and
expertise in my field makes me better than others. Say, if i was in the "ice
cream" business, well, anyone can make "ice cream", but i use the best damn
"ingredients" while selling my "ice cream" at a higher, yet reasonable price
for the increase in quality. Now, that would be a reason why others would want
to acquire me, even more so if I had a patent on my "ice cream" making ideas.

