Job Description
A·Team
A·Team is a VC-backed, stealth, application-only platform for senior product designers to team up with the best companies on their next big thing. After talking with hundreds of independent engineers, designers, and product folks, we heard over and over that finding vetted, high-quality, consistent clients is hard, and projects are often too small to be rewarding. A·Team matches small teams of the most talented builders in the world with companies backed by a16z, YC, Softbank, General Catalyst, etc. on a contract basis for many of their most important initiatives. We quietly launched in May 2020, and have helped A·Teamers earn $7.3+ million since.
As part of A·Team, you can expect:
- High-paying, meaningful missions with the most audacious companies sent your way; generally $110-$190/hr, with vetted, fascinating clients doing work that matters. A·Team is picky, and only works with companies referred to us by top funds or existing members and clients such as Lyft, McGraw Hill, the former-CEO of Waze, a few new unicorns, and dozens of venture-backed startups by a16z, YC, Softbank, GC, etc.
- Keep 100% of what you make: we exist to empower independent builders, which is why A.Team charges a percentage on top of your standard rate.
- Do more with a team you like: our focus is on small, diverse, cross-functional teams of insanely talented developers, PMs, designers, growth leads, etc. This is because clients with bigger budgets & more ambitious work need teams to solve problems, not individuals to do tasks. That said, we try to keep friends together, since clients love builders who have worked together before.
- Full autonomy: we only want you to join teams when the timing’s right. Often they start around 15-20hrs/week, and last at least 3-6 months (longer if it’s going great, or contract-to-hire if true love is found).
- Small, curated, off-the-record gatherings: for conversations you wouldn’t have elsewhere & connecting with other top-tier builders who you may like to collaborate with.
How to apply:
Go here: https://build.a.team/dribbble + mention Dribbble under “how did you hear about A·Team?” No resume or cover letter needed; we respect your time so the application is short. We’re super interested in seeing what you’ve made, so drop in a link to your Dribbble profile. Excited to chat more real soon if there’s a fit.
What you’ll do:
- Once part of A.Team, you’ll regularly be invited to impactful missions that match your interests, which you can accept or decline. Take your pick from early-stage incubations with world-class founders, to fast-growing super-funded companies, to old school non-tech incumbents looking to build as a tech giant would
- Missions usually involve building an ambitious piece of software from 0 to 1 as part of a small 3-4 person team.
- You’ll be paid to scope it out, give the client options, guide strategy, and execute on the selected solution. Sometimes the client has a clear vision, sometimes not; which is why A.Team builders tend to be senior folks who can work together to find the right direction.
Who A·Team is for:
- Senior product designers who left large companies and high-growth startups to pursue their craft with autonomy.
- Those who prefer consistent contract work over a full-time role, who want to create a variety of new products alongside other top-tier builders.
- The majority of A.Teamers spend most of their time doing independent work, but a sizeable percentage are either employed full-time (but testing out client work), bootstrapping a side project, or looking for their next big thing
Who A·Team is not for:
- People looking for small gigs
- Folks looking to build simple wordpress/wix/squarespace-style websites
- Those still early in their careers and recent university/bootcamp grads (at least not yet)
Our long-term vision:
A·Team is a new type of company for a new kind of independent software builder. We call them “unhirables”: people who traditional companies couldn’t hire full-time even if they wanted to, but who want to do their most meaningful work with their favorite people in small, autonomous, distributed expert teams.
To help us secure amazing missions, we raised $5 million+ (not public, yet) from NFX, Village Global, and Box Group, along with the former CEO of Upwork, the founders of Fiverr and Lemonade, Apple’s Global Head of Recruiting, YC Partner Aaron Harris, Wharton’s Adam Grant, and Duke’s Dan Ariely.
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