Builders Build for Fun. That's How You Get Hired.

TL;DR

• Between jobs, build something. Companies want to hire builders, and builders build for fun.
• My first coding job came from showing up. I interviewed at Canvas Technology and got rejected. Two weeks later, the hiring manager invited me to come hang out unpaid. Within a month, the CEO was asking what it would take to keep me.
• I started building for Winnow Labs because I was curious. A microplastics company needed an inbound marketing channel and a research platform. I showed up and started solving problems.
• Within a month, Winnow Labs has a curated blog and a research atlas backed by 40,000+ scientific papers. Neither product was on a roadmap. They came from weekly conversations and just doing the work.

I talk to young people all the time who are looking for work. When I ask them how they’re spending their time, most of them don’t have a good answer. Sending out applications. Tweaking resumes. Waiting.

That’s not how you get hired. Not for the jobs worth having.

How I Got My First Job in Software

My first real engineering job was at Canvas Technology, an autonomous robotics startup in Boulder, Colorado. I interviewed there and they said no.

Two weeks later, the hiring manager called me. He asked if I’d want to come hang out at the office, unpaid, until I got a job or they filled the position. We had hit it off during the interview, and this was a gift. He was betting I’d show up, contribute, and make it hard for leadership to watch me leave.

So I showed up. Every day. I learned the codebase. I picked up tasks. I made myself useful.

Within two weeks of mentioning that I had other interviews lined up, the CEO pulled me aside and asked what it would take to get me not to go.

Winnow Labs

A few months ago, I met Matt from Winnow Labs, a company making microplastic-binding probiotic supplements. We sat down and talked about problems facing the business. The big ones were domain authority and the need for an inbound marketing channel. He wanted a blog that could feed social media campaigns. And he had a dream of a sponsored research platform.

I was between client engagements and curious about the problem. So I started building.

Within a month, Winnow Labs has both. A curated journal for commentary and analysis of microplastics research. And a research atlas powered by a database of 40,000+ scientific papers, helping researchers find insights, gaps, trends, and potential partners.

None of this was on a formal roadmap. We had weekly sit-downs. We talked about what was working and where the opportunities were. The projects weren’t well-defined when we started. Matt didn’t expect someone to show up and start solving these problems on this timeline. That’s what made it work.

The journal connects customers with information about what’s in their bodies and what they can do about it. The atlas connects researchers with the latest work in a field that affects everyone. I don’t get to say that about most code I write. Matt is thrilled. I’m thrilled to keep being a part of it.

And none of it started with a job listing or a contract. It started because I was curious and had time.

Build Something

If you’re between jobs, build something for someone who needs help. It gives you a story to tell, and stories are what get you hired. Not resumes.

Companies want builders. And builders don’t stop because they’re between paychecks.

Go build something.

David Kerr is the founder of Kerrberry Systems. He builds custom software for businesses that want a partner, not a vendor. Find him on LinkedIn or GitHub.