23andMe is definitely looking for top-notch engineers. They're still running small (5 engineers 3 years in), so if you want to have a big impact on a potentially world-changing product, get in touch with them.
> Direct to consumer sales are dead/dying at the hands of the FDA.
Not true - such rumors have been greatly exaggerated.
>What do you have to offer that say, Counsyl doesn't?
At the moment:
Access to your whole genotype and a curated set of the published literature, rather than a narrow carrier screening.
Deep ancestry analysis & finding long-lost cousins.
A commitment to advancing the science of genetics. As the database grows, the insights we generate create more value for the end-user. http://tinyurl.com/246mw46
In the future:
There's lots of opportunity - come talk to us about it.
>How do you avoid a war to the realm of being a commodity?
genotyping is becoming commoditized, the interpretation of the A's, C's, G's and T's is not. We're in a sweet spot where rapidly falling costs:
- let us offer our service at a lower cost to a broader market
- improve the rates of discovery & create a more valuable interpretation
We have an economy of scale which will allow us to:
- negotiate lower costs
- have a bigger database of potential relatives to meet
- better interpret the meaning individual's genetics
I tried applying to them a while back with no dice. They seem like a really cool company to work for and I really like their product. It's disheartening to see their ads for engineers everywhere I go, but maybe I dont qualify as top-notch at this point.
Yeah, I think I applied a bit after that, maybe sometime in April of this year. Not taking it too personally, I'm only a few years out of school so I imagine there are some more experienced applicants.
