S1 #7 Kurtis Nusbaum
Navigating the Early-Stage Startup Landscape As An Experienced Engineer: Insights from Kurtis Nusbaum
On all our episodes of the 1st10 podcast so far, we have been speaking about (and with) founders, CTOs, and generally people who are on the 'hiring'-side of the interview panel. So, we figured it was time to balance the scales and get some perspective from someone on the other side.
Enter Kurtis Nusbaum.
Kurtis is a talented software engineer with over a decade of experience working with incredible teams at Facebook and Uber. He recently became Member of Technical Staff at a startup named Chronosphere. So, I invited him to discuss some of the intricacies of applying to early-stage startups. Our conversation yielded some amazing nuggets of advice for experienced engineers looking to join early stage startup.
I would strongly advise you to listen to the whole episode but, in case you prefer text over audio, here's a quick list of some key takeways extracted from our conversation:
1. Establish Personal Connections
The throughline to Kurtis' whole career, in his own words, is this: "Don't go chase cool projects, chase cool people!" He self-deprecatingly calls this the "Kurtis Theory of Career Development." He cited several examples of him applying this principle over his career - like switching from Facebook to Uber or switching teams within Uber itself.
When applying this principle in the context of joining an early-stage startups, it becomes crucial to define and identify aforementioned "cool people". Kurtis suggests the following indicators to help you in thi journey:
Casual Conversations Matter: Engaging in casual conversations with the team during the interview process can provide valuable insights into the company culture. It also helps you gauge whether you are able to connect with the team on a personal level.
Shared Interests and Hobbies: Having shared interests and hobbies can serve as conversation starters and potential areas of connection with the team. Or as Kurtis puts it, "You need some sort of social proof that can tell you that this is the kind of person who, when we have lunch together, we'll have stuff to talk about. It won't be just an awkward silence."
2. Finding the Right Fit
Following trhough on the previous principle, Kurtis also stressed the importance of finding a company where you not only believe in the project but also feel a strong personal connection with the team.
But how do you assess whether a startup is the right fit for you?
Well, in my opinion, there are two things you need to analyze:
Your Alignment with the Company Mission: Does the company's mission and the project align with your interests and expertise? This is crucial because if you aren't going to be working on something that excites you and/or aligns with your career goals, you won't survive at the company for too long...
Your Alignment with the Team Dynamics: Does the overall vibe of the company and the team feel cohesive and supportive? Does it feel like a work-environment where you can thrive and contribute effectively? By paying careful attention to the dynamics of the team during the interview process, you can easily establish if you would fit well into the team.
In my own journey, I've found that personal connections and shared values definitely play a pivotal role in determining the right fit for a role at an early-stage startup. So, when we consult with engineers who are looking to make the switch to early startups, we closely evaluate their ability to fit into the culture of the startup they are applying to. And this conversation with Kurtis' totally reaffirmed, for me, the importance of establishing deep connections with the team!
Towards the end of our conversation, Kurtis also highlighted the recent growth in the number of startups working in AI and the abundance of opportunities in AI and AI-adjacent fields. He encouraged individuals interested in the field to explore the opportunities available and reminded that now is an excellent time to delve into the field of AI.
So, if you are an engineer curious about joining a startup, hit us up on our website or on our LinkedIn page - we're always up for a quick chat!
About Us:
1st10 was founded on the simple philosophy that there is nothing more important to the success of your startup than the first ten engineers you hire. Because the first ten will impact the next ten and any wrong misstep can be the difference between success and failure. 1st10 works with visionary founders and exceptional engineers to build world class engineering teams.
1st10 was founded by Boris Epstein, original founder of Binc, the firm best known for pioneering embedded recruiting in Silicon Valley. Binc built early teams for Pinterest, Ripple, Stripe, Square, Airbnb, Reddit, Tesla and many more. Binc was acquired by Robinhood in 2021.