Most hiring processes take four weeks and produce hires nobody remembers deciding to make. Ours takes about two weeks, is designed around a small number of high-signal conversations, and ends with an offer or a clear no. Applying is meant to be worth your time even if you don't get the role.
Step 1 — Written application (30-60 min your side)
- Email hiring@ladle.chat with the role you're interested in.
- Attach: résumé, and a written note (300-600 words) answering three questions: (a) why LADLE specifically, (b) the thing you've built or contributed to that you're most proud of and why, (c) something you'd push back on if you joined the team.
- No cover letter template. No LinkedIn-scraped forms. If you'd write it for another company by find-replace, don't send it to us.
- We respond within 5 business days with a yes-to-next-step or a no-with-reason.
Step 2 — 60-minute conversation with the founder
- Video call. No slides. Bring one specific thing to discuss (a problem you've solved, a strong opinion about our product, a question about our future).
- First 20 min: your background and what you're looking for.
- Next 30 min: a real work problem — usually one we're actually facing. Not a leetcode question; not a whiteboard interview. Something like 'how would you think about scoping the first version of X'.
- Last 10 min: your questions. We take these as data — the questions people ask reveal what they'll care about on the job.
Step 3 — Paid trial project (1-3 days)
- For engineering / design / product roles only. Not applicable to other functions.
- A real problem from our actual backlog, scoped to 1-3 days of work at your normal rate (we pay contract rates for this — not stock, not exposure).
- You send the output; we review; we discuss what worked and what didn't in a 30-minute follow-up.
- The output might ship. If it does, we credit you in the changelog (with your permission).
What we don't do
- Unpaid take-home projects beyond the 60-minute conversation.
- Panels of 6+ interviewers. Interviewer count is proportional to team size, and our team size is 2.
- Ghost candidates. Every applicant gets a response — yes, or no with a reason.
- “Culture-fit” screens that are aesthetic-not-substantive.
- Reference checks without your written permission.
Rejection feedback
When we say no, we say why. Usually one of: (a) the fit is off for a specific reason (we're a small team; we don't hire generalists at any level; we need someone who can own X specifically), (b) your work is strong but we don't have the right role right now (and we say when we might), (c) the trial output didn't land for a specific reason. If you want detail beyond what we send by default, ask — we'll respond.
Timeline
Written application → response in 5 business days. First conversation → within 10 business days of application acceptance. Trial project → 1-3 weeks depending on your availability. Offer or final no → within 5 business days of trial completion. Total: usually 3-4 weeks calendar time; 2-6 hours of your time active.
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