How to Be a Better Candidate

A comprehensive guide for employers preparing to apply. Study hard. There will be a test.
(The test is the scorecard page.)

Interview Questions to Prepare For

These are the questions I'll be asking. Good answers and bad answers are provided for your convenience. You're welcome.

Put the salary range in the job posting. Yes, the actual numbers.
Let me talk to the team before I decide. Real team, not the 'culture ambassador'.
Have a clear tech stack. 'We use everything' means you use nothing well.
Offer remote or hybrid. It's 2026, not 1926.
Respond within a week. You expect it from candidates, return the favor.
Have a career growth path. 'We'll figure it out' is not a path.
Provide good equipment. A 2015 MacBook is not 'top-of-the-line hardware'.
Be honest about challenges. Every company has problems — own them.

What you write vs. what I read. Use this to audit your job postings before applying.

"Fast-paced environment"

→We're understaffed and everything is on fire.

"We work hard, play hard"

→You'll work 60 hours but we have pizza on Fridays.

"Wear many hats"

→You'll do 3 people's jobs for 1 person's salary.

"Competitive salary"

→It's not competitive. If it were, we'd say the number.

"Like a family"

→Boundary issues and guilt trips when you take PTO.

"Self-starter"

→We have no onboarding and no documentation.

"Unlimited PTO"

→Nobody actually takes PTO because of peer pressure.

"Equity instead of salary"

→We can't afford to pay you but here's some Monopoly money.

"Passionate about our mission"

→We expect you to work overtime for free.

"Rockstar developer"

→We want one person to mass produce an entire engineering team's output.

Frequently asked questions from employers going through my application process.

If you've read all of this and still think your company qualifies, I respect the confidence.