Interview Cake
Really Good Technical Writer
Come work with us at Interview Cake!
NOTE: we're not actively looking for more writers right now! We still love hearing from folks who are great writers and want to work with us, and it's possible that in the near future we'll be looking for more writing help. But don't spend a whole afternoon assembling an excellent application for us because right now it's likely to just end up sitting idle :( Sincere apologies to all the amazing folks who've carefully put together applications for us that we've been unable to get back to!
The Toaster Trick
We need someone to help us write the best possible explanations of data structures, algorithms, and coding interview questions.
The best possible isn't just "the best." When we think about being "the best," we think about that trick people use on The Price is Right:
When you're the last contestant to guess the price of the toaster, you already know what the other three contestants have guessed. If you know the toaster is more expensive than the highest guess, you just add a dollar to the highest guess.
You do this even if you suspect the toaster is like twice that expensive. Because you don't win the toaster by getting objectively close. You win the toaster by getting closer than those other bozos.
But we want to get as close as humanly possible.
We imagine a mythical best possible explanation of logarithms.
That mythical explanation of logarithms is perfect. It's not just clear and smooth and easy to understand. It uses the best possible analogies. The best possible examples. It presents those examples in the best possible order. It represents the fastest possible way to fully understand logarithms.
We'll never quite get there. But we'll work hard to get closer and closer. Like a curve approaching an asymptote.
Job details
When and where? Remote, part time, starting as soon as possible. Open to talking about full time in our office in Brooklyn, NY.
How much? We'll pay you whatever you need.
What you'll be doing. Stuff like:
- Explainers on data structures and algorithms. Like these, but even better.
- Algorithmic coding interview questions. Like the ones in our course, but even better.
- Language-specific questions. Like these, but even better.
You'll be working closely with our CEO and other team members who are great writers. You'll get notes on your writing and you'll give notes on other people's writing. We do a lot of rounds of revisions. When a draft starts coming back with hardly any notes, we know it's almost ready to publish.
Who we're looking for
There aren't many jobs quite like this. So we don't expect you to have done exactly this kind of work before. Here are our best guesses for the kinds of backgrounds you might have:
If these make you think of someone, please send them this job description!
- You've worked as a programming or computer science teacher. Or a tutor or TA. Maybe at a coding boot camp. Maybe at a university.
- You've worked as some other kind of teacher (and also happen to know computer science).
- You write great blog posts that explain complicated things in simple terms (and also happen to know computer science).
- You've written a great book or ebook.
- You've taught an online course. Maybe one you put together yourself for Udemy or another site. Maybe one you did for a company, like Code School or Treehouse.
- You give excellent presentations at conferences.
- You're just really good at explaining things.
- You write Wait But Why. You write Better Explained. You wrote Learnable Programming. You wrote this piece explaining the Manhattan subway to beginners. You made the "half 'A' press" video.
These are just guesses—we're interested in hearing from anyone who thinks they can do a great job with this role.
Seriously: if you've got a friend who comes to mind, please send them this job description!
What's gotta be true of you:
- You know your way around data structures and algorithms. You don't have to be a total whiz—you can research on the job. But you've got to have some familiarity with this stuff.
-
You think great writing means
employingusing shorter, more informal words. - You're worried about "local maxima." You want to make sure you've picked the best angle for explaining logarithms (the best analogies, the best examples, etc). Writing the best version of an explanation from a not-the-best angle isn't enough for you.
- You're a perfectionist. You understand that writing is only the first 10% of the process—the other 90% is revising.
- Your perfectionism, obsession with revision, and concern for local maxima is crippling. It's almost impossible for you to finish a piece of writing. You can hardly even finish a job description. You go through 5 different stupid analogies before landing on the "The Price is Right" thing, and you're still not happy with it.
To apply:
Email parker@interviewcake.com. Subject line: "Technical Writing Position."
Include an example of you explaining something really well:
- You don't have to make something original—pull something you already have. A blog post, a video of a talk, a lesson plan, etc.
- Ideally something technical, but it doesn't have to be.
- Keep it short. If it's long, please send a short snippet.
If you know someone else who might be a fit, please send them this listing. Thanks!
About Interview Cake
We make a study tool for software engineers to prepare for coding interviews: interviewcake.com.
We got started about 3 years ago after helping a close friend prepare for her coding interviews. Now we have 3 people in our office in Brooklyn and a couple dozen part time contractors around the world.
We've never collected any outside funding. We believe in slow, sustainable growth and only spending money you actually have.
Some more things we believe in:
- Building something you actually like.
- Talking to your users the same way you talk to your friends.
- Never inconveniencing your users just to convenience yourself.
- Getting really smart people, giving them ownership, and standing back. "If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
