staff_steph · 3 replies
self-taught, been coding seriously for about two years, strongest in JavaScript and React. I've built a few real projects and I host everything on Replit actually, so I feel like I know the product.
my concern is their team is pretty small and presumably high bar. do they care about credentials or is the take-home the filter? also is there any chance they respond at all without a referral? applied cold last week and heard nothing yet, it's been 6 days.
I can't speak to Replit specifically but small product companies that care about craft tend to be more portfolio-driven than degree-driven. the fact that you actively use the product is genuinely useful here. include that in your cover note.
six days cold at a company that small is nothing. they might have 1 recruiter handling 40 open reqs. if you have a genuine connection to the product, put that front and center. "I've hosted X projects on Replit and here's what I'd change about the editor" will get more traction than a polished resume alone.
I'd push back gently on the "they care about the product" framing being a free pass. they're also still a company that needs to ship real systems. 2 years self-taught is a short runway for some of what they work on. not saying don't try, but go in with clear eyes about where the gaps might show.