Darwin Lo’s Post

 🎨 Product Designers and Engineers 💻  ... I've had one of the most exciting weeks of 2024 kicking off new remote roles with some of the top startups in the US. 🚀 1. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 @ an SF-based, $12M security startup backed by Costanoa Ventures & Microsoft 2. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 @ $20M Series A next-gen AI platform startup (on track for 300% growth in 2024 and a huge Series B in early 2025) 3.  𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗿. 𝗨𝗫 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 @ an industry-leading AI/OCR tech startup (our client was named the #1 platform in their industry 3 years in a row) 4. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿-𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 @ a 3D enterprise SaaS startup backed by Redpoint Ventures 5. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 @ next-gen workflow automation SaaS startup ($55M in funding) If you're a Product Designer or Engineer looking for the chance to have extreme ownership in a startup on track for 🦄 status, let's connect! #opportunity #startups #productdesign #engineering 

🚀 INTERESTED IN A TECH STARTUP? 🌟 Crafting the next wave of cutting-edge Tech products has been a cherished aspiration of mine. Now, I believe it's finally time to mark this milestone as "Initiated" on my bucket list. I'm seeking individuals who are not just skilled programmers, but visionaries with a passion for innovation and a thirst for challenge. If you're passionate about coding, crave the excitement of startup life, and want to be part of great visionaries at the forefront of technological innovation, I want to hear from you! Reach out to me via DM to learn more about this incredible journey and how you can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Tech. Let's build something extraordinary together! 💡 #TechStartup #SoftwareDevelopers #InnovationJourney #Startup

[What I felt] - Focus on your strengths and keep working hard, and one day you'll get to where you want to be. - Work is not done alone, but with others, and it is important to build credibility through interaction with others. [What I found] (About working abroad) - Increasing Opportunities : Catch the opportunity in the emerging industries like IT service, Finance, Academia, Health care, Digital marketing, Startup, etc - Sustainable employability : Try to keep finding what I like to do - How to enhance Global Mobility : Reach, Interact, Search, Embrace ⇒ Keep reach out actively - Think about my expertise - Use LinkedIn & Github to find job posts (About IT sector) - Developers are leveraging chat GPTs to make their work more efficient. Work as if you are a CTO and It's better to focus on the fundamentals, which AI can't do yet. (About English) - English is not much important for deliverable-based roles. - However, if the job is language-intensive (like marketing or sales), you need to be good at English, also selling points and storytelling. (About VISA in United Kingdom) - Working Holiday - Local recruitment (Tier 2 visa, can apply for permanent residency after 5 years) - Expatriate assignments (7+ years of experience required)

🚀 We're Hiring! Join XFounders! 🚀 2025 has kicked off with full speed at XFounders Accelerator! At the end of February, we’re launching the first season of XFounders Startup Warriors Show 🎥, and we’re scaling up from 1 season per year to 3! 🔥 Big announcements are coming soon! To keep up with this momentum, we’re looking for talented, driven professionals who want to join our mission and help build the best startup accelerator of our time! Open Positions: 💼 Business Developer – Help us bring top-tier startups on board and strengthen our scouting program. 📈 Program Manager – Join us in building and scaling world-class acceleration programs. More details in our Notion: https://lnkd.in/ddXcCT7g Let’s build something legendary together! 🚀 If you know someone who would be a great fit, tag them in the comments! #Hiring #Web3 #Startups #BusinessDevelopment #Acceleration #VentureCapital #XFounders #JoinTheTeam

Deep Tech Momentum startup slots are officially sold out 🚀 After vetting 1000+ startups, we were blown away by so many that we made room for 150 of Europe’s top early-stage Deep Tech startups 🔥Now, we have officially closed our DTM 2024 cohort of startups! Startups will be featured in four Deep Tech tracks:  🧠 Novel AI & General 🦠 Bio Builders 🚀 New Space & Dual Use … and after such high demand from startups, we decided to open up a new track: 🌍 Climate Startups will be joined by 100 ambitious Joiners, 50 of Europe’s top investors, 20 industry-leading partners, and 100 expert mentors. ⏰ You haven’t missed your chance to join Deep Tech Momentum. Joiner tickets are still available for talented professionals interested in networking with teams hiring and potential co-founders. 👇 Apply via the link in the comments before they’re gone!

My 16-Month Journey with Startup Job Last month, my 16-month journey with Dayzero, an early-stage funded startup, came to an end. I joined the team in March last year when it was known as Briefly. The initial product was a platform for business owners to create to-do documents using AI and connect them with people to execute those tasks. Despite being over-engineered, its core idea wasn’t fully developed. In response, the founder proposed building Dayzero, a new app to create documents and link it to Briefly. We launched the first version of Dayzero within a month, attracting 3000+ visitors and 300+ signups but no revenue and low retention. Our feedback interviews provided valuable insights and momentum. The second version of Dayzero, built after firing our lead designer due to differing visions, also failed to generate revenue and had low retention. The founder collected feedback from his network for the third version, but it was chaotic and eventually scrapped after six months without launching. By December, my motivation had dwindled. Despite shifting focus to the fourth version and constantly changing designs driven by the founder, progress was slow. I was reassigned to another part of Dayzero, which I built within a month. However, upon rejoining the main project, the founder decided to revive Briefly and assigned me the task, which I ultimately refused. Lessons Learned - Never work in a startup older than 6 months. - Talk less, and don't share opinions until asked. - The founder should not talk too much to investors and advisors. - Never work in a startup that is unable to make money within a year. - Never work in a startup that is working on multiple projects. - Share every progress with potential users and celebrate wins. - Focus on improving the product and team only. - Only build features if users pay. - Never take feedback from the same user. - Never work in a startup that has a cool idea but no problem statement. - Never work in a startup in which the CTO doesn't code. Working in a startup can be exhilarating and educational, but it's crucial to recognize the red flags and make informed decisions. I hope my experiences help you navigate your journey in the startup world. Now, I building personal projects in the public and looking for a better job patiently. #StartupLife #LessonsLearned #ProductDevelopment #CareerJourney

Sharing a similar experience with the same company where I was Immediately Terminated for showing concern regarding Work-Life Balance. I joined Dayzero AI in April as a Frontend Developer Intern. I worked on building and improving the Frontend for their new product and then later on I was assigned to their older product where I worked on both Frontend and Backend. During the course of this 3-month internship, no doubt I learned a lot of things but on the other hand it was a burden and headache to be honest. The concept of working hours were non-existent, and we were expected to work late into the night. After 1.5 months of ignoring this and hoping this would improve (which didn't), I eventually declined to work past 6 PM. As my internship period neared its end, we were asked to sign a protocol document outlining a 10 AM-7 PM work schedule for six days a week, with a 9:30 AM reporting time. According to Indian Labour Laws, working hours should not exceed 48 hours a week. I raised this concern with the founder, asking, "How are you going to promote a healthy work-life balance when there is no 'life' after work?" The next morning, I was questioned about some unfinished work from the previous day, which I planned to complete that day. When I explained this, the founder became furious because I hadn’t worked on it overnight. Immediately he setup another meeting and I was given Immediate Termination just 10 days before the end of internship (or a potential Full-Time conversion). Next day they fired another employee for the same reason (5 employees fired/left in a span of 3 months). In the meeting he remarked "Tum 22 saal ke bacche ho, tumhe ghurur kis baat ka hai? Microsoft me log 12 ghante kaam karte hai". Well, they working because they are being well compensated for. Start paying me for hourly basis and I'll also work for 12 hours a day. But then I remind myself I was working for a company which can't even afford to give their own laptops to their employees. Red flags in companies to watch out for: 🚩 High rate of hire-fire. 🚩 Doesn't give you their own laptop. 🚩 Unrealistic working timings. 🚩 Expecting you to work apart from working hours. Sharing all this 'publicly' just because the founder told me once "We share feedbacks privately, never publicly". 😉

I chose a STARTUP over BIG TECH. Was it a mistake? Startups offer a blank slate, allowing us to build products that truly address user needs. Every day, I collaborate with a passionate team, pushing boundaries and moving fast without the cumbersome layers of approval that slow down innovation. Rolling out code changes and launching new features happens quickly, often driven by direct user feedback. The best part? I get to speak with our customers, understand their pain points, and create solutions that have a real impact. Software engineering isn't just about writing code; it’s about crafting products that change lives. With this philosophy, we built Jobright.ai—your personal AI Job Search Co-Pilot designed to help you land your dream job faster. Was it a mistake choosing the startup life? Not for me. The growth, impact, and connection to users make every moment worth it. #CareerGrowth #JobSearch #Startup #JobrightAI

Certain things are bulletproof: Kevlar, glass-clad polycarbonate, steel. But your startup? Not so much. You might think that because Meta pulled off something similar years ago, you’ve got tens of millions of eager users just waiting to sign up for your product. And sure, by following the ChatGPT playbook, you believe you can capture the market quickly and easily. But let’s get real: your pre-product, pre-funding startup—no matter how revolutionary it claims to be—is just an idea. And don’t get me wrong; ideas are bulletproof. But once you start building, attempt to get users, try to hire people, and actually turn that idea into a reality, the bullets will come flying at you. Spoiler alert: your startup won’t withstand that barrage. Trust me. The only thing that’ll be left standing is your delusion that everything will be fine. #startup #founders  #venturecapital

🚀 Kickstarting the Week with Ambitious Talent! Monday mornings just hit differently after connecting with so much incredible talent. The UK startup scene is the place to be right now for software engineers who want to build meaningful products and grow with passionate, driven teams. If you’ve been thinking about stepping into the startup world, here’s what makes it so exciting: 👉As an engineer, you’ll get to iterate quickly and see your work go live in real time. No waiting around—getting early feedback from customers is essential in the startup world. 👉Startups let you be part of the bigger picture. It’s about building something customers truly value, and seeing how your work directly drives success. 👉 You’ll be surrounded by creative, ambitious people solving tough challenges. The energy is contagious, and you’ll grow faster than you ever thought possible. If this sounds like the kind of environment where you’d thrive, let’s talk! Drop me a message or email me at Lee.Heynes@generativegroup.ai. #SoftwareEngineering #Startups #UKTech #CareerGrowth #MondayMotivation #Innovation