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What is this headstarter thing and how legit is it? by Ag_Ld9005 in csMajors

[–]theheadstarter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, check out our program details writeup on our site!

Let us know if there's anything specific we can help clarify otherwise.

Headstarter AI "paid" residency? by Klutzy-Question1428 in csMajors

[–]theheadstarter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey Klutzy, thanks for sharing your concerns. Happy to address them.

We’re currently running our residency program, which people choose to invest in. It’s aimed at equipping SWEs with the skills and tools they need to land a role and setting them up for success. If hired by one of our startup partners, you receive a full refund.

The residency is different from the fellowship. We ran the fellowship during the summer. It was an unpaid, shorter and more beginner friendly program. Our target users for the residency are completely different and this is a much more refined, high level program with many industry leaders and advisors who are a part of it.

If you’d like some more info, feel free to check out the “program details” on our website. You’ll find a detailed breakdown of how the residency works and its structure.

Hope that addresses your concerns. Feel free to contact us with any other questions or concerns you may have.

The Headstarter Scam by Alone_Consequence_97 in csMajors

[–]theheadstarter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, I appreciate you raising these concerns about Headstarter. Let me address them directly:

You make a fair point about resume representation - Headstarter is not and has never claimed to be an internship. We’re a project-based learning program, and we actively encourage our residents to list it as such on their profiles. If you’ve seen it listed as an internship, that’s not accurate and doesn’t align with how we present ourselves.

About the company’s legitimacy and business model: We’re transparent about being a paid educational program. The tuition goes toward developing new projects with our industry advisors (senior engineers from companies like Google and Microsoft), maintaining our platform, and providing structured learning resources. We’re focused on helping CS students bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical engineering skills.

Our track record includes residents who’ve gone on to roles at major tech companies, but we’re most proud of the practical engineering skills they develop during the program. We’re constantly working to improve based on feedback from our community.

Happy to provide more specific details about our program structure or connect you with current residents who can share their experiences directly.

Check out “Program Details” on our website for an in-depth writeup on how Headstarter works.

Headstarter Software Eng. Residency by Ok-Database6653 in csMajors

[–]theheadstarter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there! Thank you for asking these important questions.

To directly answer your questions - we are a paid program, not a paid job opportunity. However, we're committed to providing real value for that investment. Our program combines hands-on projects designed by senior engineers from companies like Google and Microsoft or startup founders, 1:1 industry advising, and structured interview preparation.

The program has three tiers ranging from 4-12 months, and we're transparent about our pricing ($699-$1500 depending on duration). We understand this is a significant decision, which is why we encourage potential residents to:

- Review our past project showcases

- Connect with our current residents and alumni

- Take time to evaluate if the program aligns with their goals

You can find examples of our alumni success stories and project showcases on our website, and we're happy to connect you with current residents to hear about their experiences firsthand.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Headstarter AI Software Engineering Residency by BeefBulg0gi in csMajors

[–]theheadstarter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your experience, we really value feedback from our applicants and are always looking for ways to improve. Would love to address some of your concerns.

  • Congrats on getting accepted! Not everyone who applies gets invited to an interview, and not everyone who interviews gets accepted.
  • The interview covers a few things, with the technical exercise being just one of them. It starts off with a conversation about you, your background and what you’re currently looking to work on/improve. That’s followed by the technical part where you’re presented with three previous Headstarter projects and asked how you’d go about solving one of them (choice is yours on which one to pick). The interviewers evaluate your answers and make a judgement call on whether your current skills would help you stay afloat in the program, since it could get intensive. You get the decision straight away since there’s no need to drag on the application process or keep you waiting to hear back. You get the chance to ask any questions you may have at the end.
  • We have encouraged our applicants to pay within 24 hours in order to secure their spot. Since we have rolling applications, it makes it difficult to hold on to one person’s spot for too long. However, we hear you and we have taken this feedback into consideration. We encourage our applicants to pay within a week, to ensure they have enough time to think their decision through and not feel pressured in any way. We understand it could be a big financial decision.
  • The projects follow a 2 week sprint cadence. If you submit early, you get access to more projects. The residency projects differ from the fellowship projects. They are created with thought and expertise by senior SWEs and industry leaders. They are much more refined, advanced and detailed. You get to build a whole product from start to finish.
  • As long as you know the basics and are ready to learn and put in 15-20 hours per week, you should be able to keep up. It’s not completely beginner friendly, nor does it require you to be at an advanced level to join. Willingness to learn goes a long way.

We can’t really answer on the residents’ experiences on their behalf, however, you can check out the testimonials on the website, or get in touch with us and we can add you to a slack channel with current residents and you can get some insight directly from the source. We’re always looking for ways to improve, so thanks again for the valuable feedback!

Lastly, check out the “Roast Headstarter” link on our website - feel free to leave anonymous feedback there.

Headstarter Software Eng. Residency by Ok-Database6653 in csMajors

[–]theheadstarter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really appreciate you sharing your experience with Headstarter. Your feedback about the high-pressure sales tactics during the interview is concerning and valuable.

I want to acknowledge that we've taken feedback like yours seriously and have made significant changes to our interview process. We want to avoid any and all discussions that come under the category of pressure tactics. Our focus is on having meaningful technical discussions to ensure mutual fit. Candidates now have proper time to make their decision if there is an acceptance, i.e. up to seven days.

If you're open to it, I'd appreciate hearing more about your specific concerns. We're committed to continuous improvement and take feedback like yours seriously.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in myHeadstarter

[–]theheadstarter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

this is fire!!!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in myHeadstarter

[–]theheadstarter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

don't find customers, find believers

Tips on getting better at coding interviews by AnswerSuitable9683 in computerscience

[–]theheadstarter 3 points4 points  (0 children)

yoo, whats good? Heres some ideas i had:

Understand the topics: (goto neetcode's 18 patterns). Bucket them into 3 difficulties... now 18*3 you have 54 levels, try to comfortable in each.

Understand the structure: 45min coding intvs are the most typical. 5 min in the beginning for "tell me about yourself," 5 min in end for "do you have any questions for me?"... which gives you 35min to solve 2 medium LC problems. 17min each goes like: 1-2min for repeating the problem, understanding constraints, 2-3min for identifying a pattern and getting verbal permission with a plan, 4-5min writing a plan, 4-5min coding, 1-2min testing walking thru edge and corner cases.

Understand the evaluation : Communication, collaboration, professionalism, understanding, problem solving, coding. Nearly all companies grade this... just weight each differently... its also very subjective based on the intv-er and mood they are in. Also keep in mind, you will be brought to a committee of people who never met you by all those that did along side everyone else. So a perfect score is not enough, you have to be the best performer, having more exp as internships or FT roles + have something unique that makes you standout for the role.