Top Tier Remote

Hi, I'm Thanasis

Currently working at waldo.photos

3 of 3 in remote series

tl;dr:

  • You are a company
  • You are a brand
  • Be industrious
  • Be persistent

Today's Menu

  • Prerequisites for Top Tier
  • Where to find top gigs
  • How to get top gigs
  • Monetary deals
  • How to deal in stock

Prerequisites for Top Tier

Office experience required

  • At least 2 years of office experience
  • Optimally 5+ years of office experience
  • Good understanding of office mechanics
  • Developed work ethics
  • Discipline and focus

Prerequisites for Top Tier

Remote is not for everyone

  • The social factor
  • The timing factor
  • Communication
  • Self driven
  • Ability to sell yourself

Prerequisites for Top Tier

About you

  • Personal website
    • Links to all your digital existence
    • Blog is a big plus
    • Showcase your work and experience
  • Technical / Social Proof
    • Github / SO / Projects / Linkedin
    • Twitter / Facebook / Talks
    • High degree of specialty

Prerequisites for Top Tier

Living on the edge

Top Tier requires nothing less than the best of you; it is championship grade, life-long training.

Prerequisites for Top Tier

Strive to be amongst the 1,000 world's best in your domain of expertise

Where to find Top Gigs

2017 Go To Places

Where to find top gigs

2017 ~meh places

Where to find top gigs

2017 Resources & Companies

Where to find top gigs

How to get top gigs

Attitude

Attitude

Attitude

It takes a while

How to get top gigs

The bigger your skillset and the more expertise you have, the harder it gets to find the right fit

Know what you want

How to get top gigs

  • Job security
  • Next level tech
  • Leading role
  • Ground up building
  • Multiple part time gigs

... but be pragmatic with what you can

Enjoy it

How to get top gigs

  • Take the time to find the right job for you
  • Each interview is a learning experience
  • Train yourself to read behind the job ad

Be Industrious

How to get top gigs

  • Check job boards daily
  • Keep track of which companies you contact
  • Keep full minutes & notes of your interviews
  • Let your network know you are in the lookout

On bootcamps and exercises

How to get top gigs

  • It's an acquired skill
    • Train yourself
    • Time restrictions forces you to unlearn what you know
  • Avoid doing them up front
    • Ensure your time is not wasted
  • 9 out of 10 are bullshit, don't feel bad

On bootcamps and exercises

How to get top gigs

no pressure...

Questions you should ask

How to get top gigs

  • Funding status
  • Ratio between remote / local workers
  • How the company will use remote workers
  • Workflow and methodologies used
  • Short and Long term hiring plans

Monetary Deals

Warning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here be dragons!

The Numbers

Monetary Deals

Monthly Hourly
Minimum $6,000 $50
Typical $10,000 $90
Can go up to ??? $300

Why Hourly?

Monetary Deals

  • Good for trial period
  • No long-term commitment
  • Part-time / Occasional

Why Monthly?

Monetary Deals

  • Long-term commitment
  • Full and Part time

How much to charge hourly?

Monetary Deals

  • Required hours per week
  • Required total hours (project based vs ongoing)
  • Level of expertise required
  • Urgency of job

Contract vs Employee

Monetary Deals

Contract

  • Higher Pay
  • Your insurance
  • Your equipment
  • Off / sick days are unpaid
  • Vacations unpaid
  • Maintain your own company

Employee

  • Lesser Pay
  • Company's insurance
  • Company's equipment
  • Off / sick days are paid
  • Vacations paid
  • Self-improvement budget
  • No personal company
  • Exclusiveness
  • Company perks
    • Travel
    • Gym, hackathons...

OK to sign

Monetary Deals

  • NDA
  • Contractor's Agreement
  • Any per-country required tax documents

NOT OK to sign

Monetary Deals

  • NDA with monetary penalties
  • Exclusive Agreements
  • Rights to work you produce off the clock
  • Non compete

...not without monetary equivalent

How to deal in stock

Two types of agreements

How to deal in stock

Stock Options

Gives you the option to buy company stock at a reduced price.

Restricted Stock Agreement (RSA)

This is essentially founder stock that is directly vested over time.

When to use which

How to deal in stock

Stock Options

Post Series-A.

Restricted Stock Agreement (RSA)

Early on, up to employee No 5, give or take.

Percentages for RSA

How to deal in stock

  • 3% to 5% for first hire / CTO
  • 0.5% to 2% employees 2 to 4
  • 0.1% to 0.5% onwards

Percentages for Stock Options

How to deal in stock

  • Percentages don't apply much
  • BUT, to figure out, ask how many stocks issued in total
  • Ask company valuation from last round and compare stock purchase price

Things to check for both cases

How to deal in stock

  • Single / Double trigger provisions
  • Vesting plan
    • 4 years is standard, 3 optimal
    • Vesting intervals (quarter vs month)
  • Cliffs
    • Typical is 1y but in contracting you can do way less

... a lawyer would scream, surely there are more

Why deal in stock

How to deal in stock

Stock's primary purpose is to provide incentives for you to stick around and be more engaged with the company.

If you reduce your price for stock then this is an investment that you make.

Summary

  • Stay on top of your game
  • Be persistent and industrious
  • Know your market value
  • Know how to work with stock
  • Enjoy life

Shameless plug time

Thank you

Thanasis Polychronakis

@thanpolas

https://speakerdeck.com/thanpolas

Questions?

Thanasis Polychronakis

@thanpolas

https://speakerdeck.com/thanpolas

Made with Slides.com