Ask HN: Making the jump from development studio to big tech?

by mrdependable on 4/7/2023, 4:09:23 AM with 2 comments
For the last few years I have been working full-time on a SaaS product I built. At this point, it basically just replaces the salary I would be getting with a full-time job. For life reasons, I need to make a lot more money in a rather short amount of time, so I am looking to find work (terrible timing, I know).

I have been working as a full stack developer since 2010, but I have never worked for a larger company. It has always been greenfield projects (mostly in Rails and React for the last 8 years or so). I do think of myself as a somewhat competent developer. I've worked alongside people who have worked at larger companies, so have had something of a chance to gauge my knowledge against theirs. The problem is, all these companies when I look to apply to them ask specifically for knowledge working with systems that are "high growth" and "large scale". I just don't really have that. Most of my work has also been fairly siloed, maybe working alongside three or four other people on the same codebase. I am not specifically looking for a crazy salary, or FAANG, but I would like the experience of working on a product that has already scaled its user base. With so many years experience though, it feels like the expectation is that I would have done this extensively already.

What would be a good strategy for me to cross this chasm?

  • by kovezd on 4/7/2023, 5:53:10 AM

    A good option is to search for a short-term contract at a cloud-first start-up. Look for something challenging that requires a scalable solution from the ground-up. Even before that you can consider getting some certifications. Unfortunately, it's difficult to learn, and earn on the same job. So if you need to earn a lot on a short period of time, your best chances are in a mid to large company related to your niche. As you said, due to the job market conditions, this will not be easy.

    However, if your SaaS product already provides a developer salary, possibly your best chance is to look for sources of growth. Search how you can reposition it based on market conditions for a larger customer base, get professional advice, and even invest in sales, and marketing. Getting a job today might be the easy solution but a few years down the road you might regret it: getting the first customers is always the most difficult part. Finally, consider that if you've been developing for 10 years independently it could be challenging, or unrewarding to lose that freedom.