Introduction – Product Hunt
Finding a company early enough to make a meaningful contribution at an entry level is difficult. Chances are slim, unless you have some pretty incredible help. Here’s why using Product Hunt is one of the smartest ways to find early stage companies to join.
Product Hunt is best known as a place where founders announce new products. However, you can also use it to uncover early-stage companies to join.
As a job seeker, I can’t think of a better way to get in front of companies at the earliest possible moment than by engaging with what they release on Product Hunt.
By learning how to leverage Product Hunt to its absolute maximum, you can turn new product launches into job opportunities.
How to Use Product Hunt to Find Early-Stage Companies Hiring?
1. Understand What Product Hunt Provides
Product Hunt features new products, start-ups, software companies, SaaS companies, and digital businesses launched daily by teams from around the world. New companies usually search for employees that can help these start-ups grow and improve their software and services. However, not every young company has already announced a job opening or has clearly defined what positions they need to fill.
That is why one should not only browse through job opening sections of websites but also pay attention to platforms like Product Hunt and make a list of companies that one would potentially like to work for in the future.
Launching a product and bringing it to market is only the first step which most start-ups take when entering the market. The next step is usually looking for ways to improve the product and start thinking about the necessary resources for maintaining, supporting, and promoting the product.
Therefore, one should instead look for companies that will need their skills and expertise instead of only looking for companies that already have available job positions listed on their website.
2. Search for Companies in Your Field
First of all, you should look through the categories on Product Hunt that are relevant to your professional field. Find products that fall under the industries you are interested in.
For example, if you are looking for a job in content marketing, search for companies that are launching marketing-related products, productivity tools, artificial intelligence software, or creative products.
If you are a designer, look for companies that are launching apps, websites, productivity software, or consumer goods.
Instead of applying to every company that catches your eye, make a list of companies that you are interested in. Keep an eye out for products that seem to be taking off. The more attention the product gets right after its launch, the more research you should do on the company.
3. Research the Founders
After you find a company that looks interesting to you, research who the founders and leadership is. See what they are up to on the company website and on LinkedIn. Founders of early-stage companies often play an active role in hiring, so connecting with them professionally can be more valuable than simply applying through a large job board.
Research their backgrounds, the companies they have founded or worked for, and their current interests.
You should also look into the company’s mission, recent funding, products, and future direction.
This research will help you tailor your message to the company and person you are reaching out to.
4. Check Whether the Company Is Hiring
Do not assume that all the companies, products, and services featured on Product Hunt are hiring. These are two separate processes, and companies can launch products and hire new people at separate times.
After finding a few companies you are interested in, look through their careers pages, linkedin profiles, and other resources for open positions.
You can even try searching the company name and possible jobs they offer using search engines.
If you cannot find a specific job you are looking for on their site, do not automatically dismiss the company.
Some companies will sometimes hire people without formally advertising the position, and some will make positions available based on who they meet and what they need.
5. Look for Signs of Growth
Product Hunt can sometimes give you an early indication about whom to invest your time into. However, it is important to go beyond the launch of a product and think about the company’s growth potential.
There are different signs that show that a company is growing. Sometimes, the signs are obvious, such as a recent launch of a product. Other times, there maybe a recent uptick in customers or partners, more social media engagement, and more funding raised by the company or added members to the team.
Growth can be an indicator of a need for new employees in the company.
For example, a newly launched start up may be looking to hire content writers, marketers, sales, customer success, and other operational positions. This gives you an indication on how you can best help the company even before a vacancy is publicly advertised.
6. Build a Target Company List
Instead of mindlessly scrolling through Product Hunt, build a list of companies that you’d like to target. When you come across one, write it down with key details: company name, product, industry, founders, website link, linkedin link, open roles, and your potential value addition.
Moreover, you can also add the latest news and product updates about the company if any.
This way, you’re creating a list that helps you keep track of companies to research more deeply instead of randomly browsing Product Hunt as you scroll through social media.
Remember to revisit your list often and delete companies that you’re no longer interested in.
Conclusion – Product Hunt
Product Hunt can be much better than a mere source of discovering new products – for job hunters, it can serve as a platform for scouting out early-stage startups.
By doing research on recently founded companies, spotting emerging trends, studying founders, keeping track of who these organizations are hiring, and networking with them and others, one can find leads on job positions that are not available anywhere else.
Thus, to benefit from using Product Hunt for job hunting purposes, one should view it as a source of research and networking opportunities rather than a mere job board.
After all, the more one learns about promising companies and engages with their founders, the greater the chances of finding employment at one of them.
“Don’t limit your job search to traditional job boards. Discover promising early-stage companies, research their products, connect with founders and teams, and identify opportunities before they become widely visible. Find smarter career opportunities with Best Job Tool.”
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