Hi my name's Ajay and I'm the founder of an email automation platform called GMass. For our 5-year history I've been the sole developer, and I've balanced my time between writing code and managing the business. It's time to scale up by bringing on a full-time developer to help out.
Some things to know about GMass:
GMass is a Chrome extension for Gmail, and the front-end of Chrome extensions are written in JavaScript.The back-end of our system is .NET/C# and SQL Server.GMass has hundreds of thousands of users. We are just shy of 1 million total user signups.We've been in business for 5 years.We're profitable.The team is totally remote and has been since even before the pandemic.We're at about 15 people right now. Currently looking for the 16th.
I'm looking for a full-time developer who can take over projects I've been sitting on for far too long and head up new development initiatives to help GMass compete with certain enterprise-level competitors in our space. We have a rabid and loyal user base that loves our product, and there is so much room for the product to grow.
Qualities I'm looking for in a developer:
You should be adept in C#, SQL Server, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. I don't like to use the term "full stack", but I do want someone who is comfortable with both writing back-end processes as well as tweaking our public website based on our SEO firm's recommendations.You won't need to manage our database but you should be able to write complex SQL SELECT queries.You and I have to get along well, because we'll be working together almost daily.You should have a history of doing noteworthy and interesting projects.
If hired, here are some projects I'd want you to work on in your first 6 months:
Built out our webhook API and build a Zapier integration for GMass.Add some automation to our support system, such that when a user asks a question, we present them with some potential solutions before they submit their ticket.Redesign various pages on our website to have better navigation.Build an IMAP/POP system to retrieve and process mail from any account.Upgrading our Stripe integration to the current version of their API.
Here are some of the things that I personally believe in:
Keeping development teams small and fluid. Putting new features in the hands of users before they're perfect.The importance of always learning new stuff.Building stuff from scratch ourselves rather than integrating with an existing tool.Testing one's own code.
Why should you want to work for GMass?
Good developers are in high demand these days. Here's why you'll working for us:
No politics: As a small company, you won't have to deal with big company politics.No useless meetings: Meetings are very rare, and when they do occur, they're for a reason. You can spend 99.9% of your time developing.Developer led company: Because our leadership consists of developers, we already know how you think and what you like.The ground floor: We don't like making promises we can't deliver, so while I can't promise you that GMass is the next unicorn, the future does look bright.
Final thoughts:
We are light on formal processes and heavy on experimentation. In fact, once we get to know each other, you'll find that we do things quite differently than a "normal" software company, and that therein lies our magic.
If you've made it this far, you might be a good fit, and I'd love to hear from you. I prioritize cover letters way more than resumes, and I will be reading every single cover letter myself.