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> the vast majority of startup hires are referrals.

> Find ways to hustle to get a warm intro.

OP's process is actually that of a spring chicken by not realizing this reality.

I still don't understand why people, especially "experienced hires," expect more from passive applications.

I also think people don't appreciate the sheer volume of online applications that a desirable startup gets. There have been times were I would literally get hundreds of applications per week, with none of them standing out in any way. You want to give unknowns a chance but when it's a waste of time 99% of the time, you learn to reject quickly.

Then why even play make-believe and have public job postings? If everyone's just ignoring them, most companies should just take them down and stop wasting everyone else's time. Just state for real on your web site "We hire through nepostism and friends-of-friends only" and make it clear and easy for everyone.

Desirable? Every employer is being flooded with applications.

You could list perks of employment as a four-hour commute (one-way), a liberal bring-rabid-dog-to-work policy (mandatory; if you don't have a dog with rabies, one will be provided), and a salary that can best be described as "rounding error", and you'd still get 100 applicants.

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