Comun | Backend Engineer 03/17

Summary

In a recent discussion, Clark Boyce outlined the essential requirements and exciting prospects for a backend engineering role at Kon—a neo bank for immigrants in the U.S., especially focusing on the Latino community. The conversation touched on the unique mission of providing banking services to the underserved, with particular focus on developing debit, credit, and remittance products. Ideal candidates would be experienced with Python and relational databases, preferably with background in fintech or fast-growing startups, and must exhibit a high level of ownership and a low-ego attitude. The role promises engagement in meaningful projects, a collaborative work environment, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Highlights

• Kon is committed to providing financial services to the Latino community, a largely underserved market. 💪
• The engineering team is small but growing, opening opportunities for personal growth and ownership. 🌱
• Candidates from high-growth or fintech backgrounds, such as Stripe or Revolut, are preferred. 📈
• The work environment values low-ego and high ownership, which contributes to a collaborative culture. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Key Takeaways

• Kon is a Neo-bank focused on expanding financial inclusion for U.S. immigrants, particularly the Latino community. 💳
• The company is seeking senior-level backend engineers with strong academic backgrounds and experience in fintech or high-growth companies. 🚀
• Python and relational database skills are a plus, along with a low-ego, high-ownership work ethic. 🤝

Overview

During this 17-minute discussion, Clark Boyce shed light on an exciting backend engineering opportunity at Kon, a company dedicated to enhancing financial access for Latinos in the U.S. The role is poised to support the development of debit, credit, and remittance services, crucial for the community it serves.

Kon offers a dynamic work environment with a strong team spirit where low-ego and high-ownership attitudes are highly valued. This setup not only fosters personal growth but also accelerates the company's mission-driven agenda.

Ideal candidates are expected to have a solid academic foundation, preferably from top universities, with significant experience in fintech or rapidly scaling startups. The company is also open to sponsoring visas for the right candidates, further broadening its reach for talent.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Small Talk The chapter titled 'Introduction and Small Talk' likely sets the stage for the rest of the content, focusing on the initial interactions between characters or participants. It possibly involves brief exchanges, establishing rapport, and setting a comfortable tone for more in-depth discussions ahead.
• 00:30 - 02:30: Discussion of Moving to San Francisco In this chapter, two individuals connect after some rescheduling, expressing mutual gladness at making the meeting happen. The conversation starts with casual greetings and a quick check on how the weekend went.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Introduction to the Company The chapter introduces the context of the narrator's recent move. Having signed a new lease, the narrator is transitioning from Dallas to San Francisco, marking a significant change as they plan to stay in San Francisco for the foreseeable future. The conversation reveals excitement about the move, and briefly touches upon the other speaker's connection to San Francisco, indicating familiarity and past experiences with the location.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Discussion on Latino Market and Company Growth The chapter titled 'Discussion on Latino Market and Company Growth' seems to involve a conversation possibly about relocation or community areas in San Francisco, as indicated by the mention of neighborhoods like Knob Hill, Stockton Tunnel, Vaness, and Washington. However, the summary of the company's strategies or achievements in regard to the Latino market or growth is not clear from the provided transcript. It suggests a conversational or informal setting, potentially situating a context before leading into the main discussion topics. Further details from the transcript are needed for a more comprehensive summary on the Latino market and company growth.
• 04:30 - 06:00: Job Role and Requirements Overview The chapter provides an overview of a job role specifically tailored for a backend engineer. It highlights the context of a Neo bank for immigrants, indicating a fintech environment. The discussion includes a request for a brief description of the organization and the importance of the role within the team, suggesting its relevance in achieving team goals.
• 06:00 - 09:00: Company Preferences and Candidate Evaluation The chapter titled 'Company Preferences and Candidate Evaluation' discusses the economic profile and challenges faced by the Latino population in the United States. Specifically, it highlights that approximately 20% of Latinos are unbanked, and another 20% are underbanked. Despite these financial challenges, the Latino community wields significant and rapidly growing spending power. If considered a standalone economy, Latinos in the US would have the fifth-largest GDP in the world, making it the third fastest-growing GDP globally.
• 09:00 - 11:30: Additional Candidate Considerations This chapter discusses the overlooked yet significant financial needs of a demographic growing behind India and China. This group requires specific financial services related to credit, remittances, and sending money abroad. The chapter also highlights the company's relatively small engineering team, which is in need of more personnel to expand their operations. The focus is on developing a debit product, venturing into credit, and establishing a remittance network.
• 11:30 - 14:30: Company Culture and Work Environment The chapter discusses a company looking to hire backend engineers, primarily focusing on senior or staff level roles. They are considering hiring through an agency and emphasize the importance of sending money to family and friends back home, indicating a supportive work culture.
• 14:30 - 16:30: Experience Level and Growth Opportunities The chapter discusses the recruitment process and the criteria used to select candidates. It highlights the importance of having a strong academic background as a positive signal during the hiring process. The emphasis is on quality over quantity, indicating a preference for being selective about who advances through the hiring funnel even if that means missing some potentially good candidates (false negatives). The aim is to ensure that individuals who make it through exhibit strong potential and align well with the company’s standards.
• 16:30 - 18:30: Interest in the Company and Mission The chapter titled 'Interest in the Company and Mission' seems to focus on the academic and work background requirements for a position in a company. It emphasizes the value of having a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from prestigious US institutions such as Stanford, Berkeley, or MIT. Additionally, it highlights the importance of having work experience, particularly in high-growth or hypergrowth startups, as a significant advantage. The chapter may address challenges related to these criteria in the context of company interest and mission alignment.
• 18:30 - 20:30: Profile Review and Expectations The chapter discusses the dynamics of high growth versus hypergrowth in companies, focusing on their varying phases and what it implies when assessing potential hires. There is an emphasis on understanding whether a company is currently in a high growth or stagnant phase, which may affect the profiles of people joining at different times. The discussion briefly mentions fintech companies and references hiring practices involving companies like Brex and Nubank.
• 20:30 - 23:00: Next Steps and Platform Information The chapter revolves around discussing potential partners or inspirations for a project, particularly mentioning names like 'ramps,' 'stripe,' and 'revolute.' There is an overall agreement on the potential benefits of these entities. The conversation indicates a process of iterative calibration with partners, emphasizing attention to details. It also hints at a question about the core focus or strategy of the team involved.

Comun | Backend Engineer 03/17 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30
• 00:30 - 01:00 hey there how's it going great have you great to meet you thanks for uh the patience with the rescheduling no worries I'm glad we could make it happen for sure for sure how's your weekend good
• 01:00 - 01:30 uh right now just in the process of of moving and stuff just signed a new lease so oh that's exciting where are you moving uh well I I came back out to San Francisco and I've I've been at par for a couple weeks now but before um before this I was in Dallas so now I'm in in SF for good okay oh that's exciting I I love SF I'm from the bay but in New York but yeah lived lived in SF for a few
• 01:30 - 02:00 years um like pack Heights and Knob Hill awesome yeah moving right in Knob Hill kind of next to the the Stockton tunnel actually if you know okay yeah yeah yeah that's fun that's so fun I was on like vaness in Washington next to uh right next to cor power and House of Front Road yeah I know where that is though yeah yeah yeah fun area all right so took a look at uh is it K Kon uh Kon
• 02:00 - 02:30 yeah yeah yeah K and uh and also the kind of backend engineer role um so maybe if you have uh kind of a short pitch on what you guys are doing and then what this role is is Gonna Fill within your team yeah yeah for sure that would help um yeah so it's we're as you probably read we are a Neo bank for immigrants in
• 02:30 - 03:00 the US focusing on Latinos um it's like what we do is largely about expending access so 20 to like roughly or what is it roughly 20% of Latinos in the US are unbanked another roughly 20% are underbanked um yet it's a group with massive spending power that's growing very quickly so yeah I think by GDP if Latinos in the US were considered a country it'd be they'd be like fifth largest GDP in the world third fastest
• 03:00 - 03:30 growing behind India and China yet it's a group that's like very forgotten about underserved um with somewhat unique financial needs related to credit remittance uh remittances of sending money abroad Etc um yeah we are relatively small engineering team so kind of looking definitely need to add headcount at this point we're building out our debit product starting to get into credit um and building out a remittance Network as well so ability to
• 03:30 - 04:00 send money to family and friends back home um the role is largely well especially we we're looking to hire a couple backend engineers at this point um for anyone we hire through an agency we're largely looking to for kind of a senior plus backend engineer role yeah senior or staff um I as far
• 04:00 - 04:30 as crates that we're looking for and like at this point we're fairly okay with false negatives and so that kind of means like we are okay being picky with who comes through um with who's at the top of the funnel um so generally we're looking for strong academic back like good signals like they don't have to meet everything but obviously it's a big plus strong academic background
• 04:30 - 05:00 um work experience on the work experience or taking a step back on the back academic background um just like a us-based computer science Bachelor of Science from a school with strong engineering um like I don't know Stanford Berkeley MIT Etc um work experience high growth or hypergrowth startups definitely a strong positive Finch strong positive um I think one of the tricky things with
• 05:00 - 05:30 um high growth hypergrowth sometimes it's especially if it's a bigger company it's not clear if it's it's not always clear and depending on when they joined if it's like in the kind of stagnant lower growth phase um yeah so that's kind of helpful to understand as well um to to expand real quick on just so we don't have to come back to it later for companies fintech specifically you guys mentioned that you guys have some some hires from brex new bank um do what
• 05:30 - 06:00 about names maybe more like I mean ramps kind of in the same uh wheelhouse stripe maybe like revolute wise add Yen like things like these what what are your thoughts good as well yeah yeah definitely definitely good as well and I think as we kind of as you send people over we can of course keep calibrating and sometimes the devils in the details but yeah no definitely those are those are good as well okay yeah and I had a question as well cuz it seems like your guys core
• 06:00 - 06:30 offerings kind of working a lot with uh banking systems as well um is there going to be any like how would you guys feel about somebody who did software engineering at like a kind of larger Bank um not a Neo bank or something like that is is that a rough like a hard no for this position probably probably not a hard no but I probably also not just kind of given the nature of how the speed at which most operate probably not a strong positive
• 06:30 - 07:00 verse to somebody with like really good Tech experience at a uh company that's maybe not fintech okay got it yep cool um so yeah mentioned academic background work experience um another thing we think about is kind of slope and intercept um so sometimes it's like okay we're looking at a c what if we're discussing a candidate who's a senior engineer but it took maybe 10 years to get there it's like that's not
• 07:00 - 07:30 um that and and of itself wouldn't immediately jump out at us as like a as a positive thing um yeah so that's something that's that we look at as well um as far as Technologies were like it's definitely a positive to have experience with I'd say Python and relational databases not a must have but positive at this point okay
• 07:30 - 08:00 um yeah and then you said bonus is some of that devop stuff you know AWS kubernetes uh that's your current stack that you guys are using right yeah yeah yeah yeah we're built onset but yeah I think just of the yeah yeah yeah I think that but back end and python is kind of the the standard for you guys at least then yeah yeah exactly luckily it's very well known um um yeah as far as I guess yeah
• 08:00 - 08:30 what else would be helpful for you yeah this point do you guys have a a head count for this is just one that you're looking for right now we're looking to hire one or two okay one or two um and then I think salary Equity um salary and Equity what is what does it look like for this role maybe yeah let me get back to you with a specific range but I'll
• 08:30 - 09:00 I can send I have a profile for any one of the LinkedIn profiles I'll a couple over too yeah well send if you have it now we can send it over and I'll pull it up and we can go through it a minute um just so that I mean this call will be uh open to recruiters to view so that they can kind of get a sense of what you guys are talking about what you look for um but yeah so send it over if you have it
• 09:00 - 09:30 awesome that's good another question uh Visa sponsorship how are you guys feeling on that we're open to it um okay I can connect you with somebody who has more specific details but we have definitely done it before we're happy to do it got it and maybe you know but um do you know if you do like a full sponsorship or if it's just like things like H1B transfer or or TN I would rather yeah I'd rather
• 09:30 - 10:00 connect you with somebody okay knows I'll get back to that so yeah no worries just to make sure that I understand it's full sponsorship versus something like H1B transfer or TN yeah exactly okay cool just because I think those are the most common it's quite common that companies that are fast moving I full sponsorship takes a lot longer uh it's just much more of a process so I think it's common that they're not doing that versus well I mean some are some are open to it but most of the times it's I think uh just a H1B transfer TN okay but
• 10:00 - 10:30 you can double check that would be great well yeah I'll check also kind of the interview process what would that look like for this position so it is we're typically able to move fairly quickly process is an intro call a technical takehome in a review of the take-home which is kind of just like talk talking about the takehome and then doing um like kind of
• 10:30 - 11:00 live coding and extension of the take-home um if all of those steps go well the last one is an on-site which is a combination of um Technical and behavioral like cultural so okay got it um just the it's like half day or or full day onsite that one's a half day on site got it you guys's office is in New York correct
• 11:00 - 11:30 uh yes yeah we are in the flat iron in New York um strong inperson preference yeah yeah would you guys kind of what's the maybe working culture like um you mentioned it was a small team of Engineers but I guess are you guys all in the office five days a week um is it pretty Intense or what are what are some of the
• 11:30 - 12:00 traits you might look for in in people as well um yeah it's a good question um we care a lot about high ownership and low like Engineers who have low ego it's as you can imagine it's a job where you're kind of constantly giving and receiving feedback um so caring kind of being able to do that in a low ego way is helpful um on the ownership P it's
• 12:00 - 12:30 I think that can be exciting or daunting it's uh there's a decent amount of product service area relative to backend Engineers um meaning there's tons of opportunity for ownership of Maintenance and development of new features of existing and new features um that said on call is pretty reasonable um we I think have decent job about um having good signal to noise when it comes to alerting systems and and our systems are Fairly reliable as well
• 12:30 - 13:00 um so yeah just B all that reasonable on call um office culture where people come in and like we aim for four days a week uh there is a very like one thing we care about a lot is trust at and so kind of as part of that um people are able to work remote for different stints um I think the official policy is like
• 13:00 - 13:30 four what is it you can get up to like four two week stance away every year um with opportunity for more flexibility as like that's a lot yeah yeah that's pretty nice got it that's nice so and it's fun it's like it's it's a decent amount of in office but it's like people like going into the office there's flexibility to work from home sometimes and like I said you can travel as well so
• 13:30 - 14:00 yeah when it comes to um I guess experience kind of going back to experience level um you guys are looking for somebody that's definitely going to be an individual contributor right like no probably would maybe see manager experiences a little bit of a red flag or something like that like um strong manager yeah I don't think we think we would definitely wouldn't think of it as a red flag um in of itself but it's we
• 14:00 - 14:30 like some of our I mean it's like right now it is IC we are looking for IC people having done management doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing but I think at this point you still need to be able to code um and so I think a lot of time away from ic's um would be something we take a closer look at yeah got it um H let's see uh we touched on the yeah we
• 14:30 - 15:00 touched on that um I mean I I kind of have taken a look at uh the job posting and stuff and I feel like you guys have a lot of selling points but maybe how would you praise it in in your words on on why to work at at K and maybe join the engineering team what do you really enjoy about it yeah it's a great question um it's a super fun low we go team like like a lot of very I'd say a
• 15:00 - 15:30 lot of super smart driven individuals so opportunity for learning is very high um it's you get to work I think most people are somewhat Mission driven so it's like you get to be doing a good thing um and pretty quickly seeing the results of your new features helping people in the real world um last year one other person that I built out the back end of our remittances feature and now we're seeing
• 15:30 - 16:00 like 400k a day flow through that um to Central South America and so very yeah fun L ego team lots of chances for learning good Mission um yeah lots of lots of also the company's growing fast so it's like with that is room for increased personal ownership and growth so yeah
• 16:00 - 16:30 is there any anything I missed in the in the call so far that you feel like we would be useful um let's see to kind of cover what you're looking for yeah I think I I think that covers most of it I guess I'd emphasize again it's kind of the the at this point we're looking for senior plus profiles so like senior staff um type profiles um I think we touched on that let's see let
• 16:30 - 17:00 me see what else we yeah otherwise I think that that covers a great I'm G to pull up uh mine's profile that you sent awesome and and um we can you can kind of just share with recruiters share with people what you like about um this profile so so far yeah staff engineer currently it's R Stanford so really
• 17:00 - 17:30 Strong pedigree um y yeah if you want to touch on any specifics as well yeah um both of I think that covers let's see I think that covers a lot of it another thing is like like I mentioned before slope kind of being important um I think having gotten to staff engineer at a company leg stripe at this point in
• 17:30 - 18:00 her career is impressive um yeah relevant fch experience at a company that's scaling at companies that have scaled quickly as well also a strong positive um I think that about covers it I can send you more examples yeah yeah if you just want to send over a couple more they'd be gray as well awesome I prepared a little last minute for this so they're they'll come after no stress no stress um have you been on the paraform
• 18:00 - 18:30 platform at all yet I have not I have not cool are are you going to be the person like mainly uh kind of working with recruiters or candidates on our platform to to get this higher yeah yeah it's gonna be me kind of somewhat recently I've taken over the backend backend sourcing so let me give you kind of insight into how it works real quick I'll sh screen um fine
• 18:30 - 19:00 example