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Comment by sAuronas | Hacker News Reader

Wearing multiple hats is for the partners/owners. Startups don't hire generalist to do anything. I worked at Zomato's NEXTABLE (reservation software on the iPad) as the iOS dev along with two interns. I used to do some Nodejs and messed around in Java in addition to having done marketing and financial modeling as a real estate developer. Still - I was hired to work on the app, not server-side, not marketing nor making phone calls.

Pick something you like and get awesome at it and iterate from there.

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Startups don't hire generalist to do anything.

More anecdata. I've worked as a generalist my entire career, always in companies with < 200 people. Mobile, web, desktop, api, windows, linux, embedded, javascript, sysadmin, netadmin, whatever. It's all the same to me. Point me at your weakest spot, and I'll make sure it's not your weakest spot, until the pain is gone, or you find a specialist. Rinse and repeat.

You may be hired for a singular problem / job to start. But if the startup grows, that problem is going to change or go away. The opportunity to grow with a company and take on new challenges often is the best reason to join a startup.

Having had a bit of startup mileage, I second this. I don't know why the above post downvoted.

Because it's generally not the case for early stage employees. The first couple hires, especially on engineering, definitely need to wear a variety of hats. In my first startup engineering gig, I did everything from front-end design and development to backend API work to helping people tech support their Macs and upgrading hardware in team computers, talking with potential investors, etc. Without a doubt, wearing multiple hats is the norm when joining a startup that's pre-seed up to Series A or so.

I'm working at my third startup now (horrible management and lack of understanding of work-related injuries caused me to leave my first two gigs)

I joined each of these startups in their infancy, and at that stage, even if wearing multiple hats doesn't get you hired, it quickly fast-tracks you to a position where you can have more impact in the decision-making process.

These startups were not just in tech either, so I think this is just generally true of startup culture. One was agricultural, one was food service / retail and only my current one actually has me coding, but I still found myself going all over the place with client/customer relations, marketing, spreadsheets, tech support / IT, etc.

What I like about taking these kinds of open-ended gigs is that it can really help provide you the experience and comprehensive knowledge that will land you better administrative / project lead roles elsewhere, as well as prepare you for striking out on your own without becoming overwhelmed.

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