

Ask HN: How to get a job at a startup that is not technical? - ewokinonendor

I&#x27;m eager to find a job with an innovative company and I&#x27;m very technology savvy, but I don&#x27;t code or design. How do I get a job at these companies? P.S. I live in Downtown SF.
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taprun
Well run companies exchange something they have (money) for an outcome they
want.

Don't think of what you skills, degrees or characteristics. Think in terms of
what you can provide. If you can't build software, can you build an audience?
Can you find customers? Can you bring in investment dollars?

Your pitch should be something like "If you hire me, your company will ...".

~~~
Peroni
The first line of this response is the absolute truth.

I work for a startup, one that is categorically on track for significant
success. I'm not a programmer, designer or product person so lets apply your
questions to my situation...

 _Can you build an audience?_

Not in the companies target demographic. Not even close.

 _Can you find customers?_

As above. Not even remotely close to my remit.

 _Can you bring in investment dollars?_

Debatable. The question is vague. My presence alone wouldn't attract investors
therefore the answer must be 'no'.

Despite all that, I work for a start-up. I have a lucrative job paying a
decent salary as well as a healthy chunk of equity. Just before I joined, the
company raised a significant series b round[1].

The value I add to the company is that I can solve a significant problem that
is key to their growth. I can triple their staff numbers in a very short
period of time without the need to spend ridiculous money on agency fees.

To refer back to the first line of your response:

 _Well run companies exchange something they have (money) for an outcome they
want._

They exchanged money for an individual who could abolish one of the
significant hurdles preventing their rapid growth.

You don't need technical chops to work for a startup. You need to possess
skills and/or experience that the founders do not have in order to facilitate
their growth. What those skills and/or experience is, depends entirely on the
company you want to work for.

[1] [http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/23/lyst-a-fashion-e-
commerce-a...](http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/23/lyst-a-fashion-e-commerce-
aggregator-raises-14m-more-plans-beacon-rollout-with-paypal/)

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deadfall
This is an interesting problem since most companies that post jobs at sites
like [https://angel.co/san-francisco/jobs](https://angel.co/san-
francisco/jobs) are mainly Engineering, Design, or Product Mangagement.
Finding companies that aren't building software is your best bet, IMO.

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curiousphil
I would suggest studying marketing and getting your feet wet in that space.
Outside of the code and design, I think its one of the most needed skill-sets
in this space. I could be mistaken though. Or maybe you are looking for an
executive assistant type position?

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jesusmichael
Well what can you do?

~~~
ewokinonendor
\- Experience as Administrative Assistant

\- Speak, Read, and Write Spanish Fluently

\- Some knowledge about app and mobile QA testing

\- Dabbling with Python on Codecademy

\- Experienced in Child Development Studies and Childcare

~~~
idoh
I got my foot in the door doing QA for a tech company, and then transitioned
into Product Management (which I've been doing for about 8 years). If you
really shine in QA then you'll probably find some doors open up for you too.

