The experience, in detail.
- San Francisco · Series B
- Staff Engineer placed into an AI startup.
- Pre-seed · Research
- Placed a researcher with an exceptional academic and competition record into a pre-seed startup.
The placements
One placement was a Staff Engineer joining a Series B AI startup in San Francisco. The other was a Research Scientist joining a pre-seed startup. The research company’s location and identity are not disclosed here.
Define the contribution
A useful brief separates research questions from production engineering responsibilities. It explains how progress will be evaluated, what systems or experiments the person will own and who they will work with. Seniority and academic achievements provide context, but the required contribution should lead the search.
Look at the evidence in context
Research, competition results and engineering experience can each support a different part of an assessment. The important conversation is how that evidence relates to this team’s problems, alongside communication, motivation and the candidate’s preferred working environment.