A social media post describing the brutal hiring reality at an American startup has gone massively viral. This sparked a heated debate about the value of elite titles. It also questions the role of luck in finding a job. The user questions whether it still makes sense to look for a high-paying tech job in 2026.
A post shared on X described a scenario where a US-based founder received 6,840 applications for just three software engineering positions. Candidates included graduates from IITs and Ivy League universities.
The founder’s approach was remarkably blunt. She planned to randomly select 20 candidates for interviews. If no suitable match is found, she said, she will randomly select 20 more.
The person sharing the post concluded with a warning that clearly struck a nerve: “In 2026, your resume is worthless. Good jobs have competition like you’ve never seen before.”
“Starting a business is less risky than finding a well-paying job at a company,” he added.
Note: This report is based on user generated content from social media. LiveMint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.
Reaction on social networks
The responses came quickly and from all directions. One user says he personally completed 20 interviews in the United States as an international student. He was able to do this simply by building projects publicly. The user claims that visibility matters much more than a polished CV.
Another points out that entry-level software engineering roles are currently drowning in application volume. This makes even strong candidates almost invisible.
A third user is more direct, saying that the entire result now depends on luck rather than merit.
“See, I said it. It’s luck guys. It’s fucking luck,” the user writes.
Not everyone agreed with the startup vs job framing in the original post. Several users backed off, noting that startups carry significant risks. Most startups fail, and income stability is far from guaranteed, he claims.
“That’s true, but startups aren’t automatically ‘less risky’.” Most fail and income stability can be a real issue depending on your situation,” wrote one user.
Others saw a deeper structural problem at play. One user claims that STEM companies have systematically rigged recruitment in their favor. Another notes that recommendations still quietly determine outcomes in a way that raw applications simply cannot overcome.
“It’s up to you if you choose to be in the competition and do it a little differently than everyone else and step out of that competition zone,” chimed in another.
