💳 About paying for this
Why should I pay to apply for jobs? Isn't that unfair?
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Membership gives you access to a curated startup hiring network — a private platform where verified, funded startups list roles exclusively for serious candidates. On public job boards, a single role attracts hundreds of applications in days. On LaunchPad, the candidate pool is small and curated by design. Your subscription is for platform access and discovery tools — not a payment to any employer.
What if I pay and don't find a job?
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That's a real concern and we respect it. That's why we offer a 7-day free trial with no card needed. You can browse real opportunities, see full company and role details, and decide if the platform is right for you before spending anything. If you feel the platform did not provide value in your first 30 days, contact our support team for a refund review as per our Refund Policy.
₹799 feels expensive for a student or fresher. Is it worth it?
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Here's how to think about it: one job offer from a Series B startup at ₹15–20 LPA pays back this subscription in literally the first hour of your first day of work. Compare it to coaching classes (₹50,000+), resume services (₹5,000+), or LinkedIn Premium (₹2,600/month) — none of which give you access to real roles. This is ₹26 per day. If that gets you one real interview, it's already worth it.
Can I cancel any time? Will you keep charging me after I cancel?
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Yes, cancel any time in one click from your dashboard. No phone calls, no emails to send. We don't hide the cancel button. You stay active until the end of your current billing period, then it stops. No surprise charges ever.
Is there a student discount or any cheaper plan?
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The Explorer plan at ₹299/month is designed for this — you can see all the role details and company information, which many people find valuable even before they're ready to apply. When you are ready, you can upgrade instantly. We also run occasional promos for final-year students — follow our LinkedIn page to catch those.
🚀 Why startups — and not big companies?
My family says big companies like TCS or Infosys are safer. Why should I consider a startup?
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That advice made sense 15 years ago. Today, it's more complicated. Large IT companies hire in batches of thousands and put freshers in a 6–18 month bench period — meaning you're trained but not actually working on real projects. At a funded startup, you're building real things from week one. Also, "safe" cuts both ways — TCS, Wipro, and Infosys have all had hiring freezes and bench layoffs. A Series B startup with 18 months of runway is often more predictable than a large company going through a slowdown.
What is ESOP? Everyone talks about it but I don't fully understand it.
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ESOP stands for Employee Stock Option Plan. In simple terms: the company gives you a small ownership stake as part of your salary package. If the company grows and is eventually sold or listed on the stock market, your ownership converts to real money — which you can then sell. Early employees at companies like Zepto, Razorpay, and Meesho have made 10x–50x their annual salary through ESOPs alone. You will not get this at a large services company. It is the single biggest financial advantage of joining a startup early.
I'm a fresher. Will a startup actually take me seriously?
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Startups don't care as much about years of experience as big companies do. They care about what you can do and how quickly you learn. A side project, a GitHub repo, a case competition, or even a clear explanation of how you'd approach a real problem — that's often enough. Many founders actually prefer freshers because they're easier to train without old habits to unlearn. The key is showing genuine curiosity about what the company is building, not just the salary.
What happens if the startup shuts down? Won't I be left without a job?
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It's a fair risk. But here's what most people don't realise: 1–2 years at a funded startup is one of the most respected things you can have on a CV. If you've shipped a real product, managed actual users, or worked directly with a founder — other companies will want you. The skills you gain are real and transferable. Even if the startup closes, your next opportunity is easier to find, not harder. Compare that to a bench period at a large company where you have nothing concrete to show.
Does startup experience help if I want to do an MBA or go abroad later?
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It is one of the strongest things you can put on an application. MBA admissions teams at ISB, IIM, and top international schools actively look for people who took real ownership early in their career. "I was part of the team that grew revenue from ₹2 crore to ₹18 crore in 14 months" is far more powerful than "I completed a rotation at a large bank." For international companies, startup experience signals entrepreneurial thinking — something global employers increasingly pay a premium for.
🏢 What working at a startup is actually like
I've heard startups make you work 12-hour days. Is that true?
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Some do, some don't — it depends on the culture, not just the fact that it's a startup. The best way to check: read Glassdoor reviews and ask directly in the interview — "What does a normal working day look like here?" A good startup respects your time because they need you to last and perform well. The real difference from a large company is that when you do work hard, it actually matters — you can see the result in the product, in the users, in the revenue. That makes the effort feel different.
Will I actually learn more at a startup compared to a big company?
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Almost certainly yes — and much faster. At a large company, you own one small part of one process. At a startup, you may own the entire thing. An engineer at a 30-person startup often does what three different teams do at a 3,000-person company. An MBA hire at a startup may sit in on investor calls, pricing decisions, and product reviews — all in the same week. This breadth of exposure is genuinely hard to find anywhere else in your first 2–3 years of working life.
I'm not very confident speaking up in meetings. Will that be a problem at a startup?
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Startups will help you get better at this — and that's actually a good thing, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. In a small team of 15–30 people, your voice is noticed and needed. There's no hiding behind 200 colleagues. Most startup founders don't want polished performers — they want people who are honest and direct, even if a little rough around the edges. You'll improve at speaking up simply because the environment makes it necessary. Most people find it uncomfortable for the first month and find it energising after that.
What if the startup's product changes direction or the company pivots completely?
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Product pivots are actually common — and having gone through one is respected in the startup world, not a mark against you. It means you've seen how hard decisions are made under real pressure. If the product changes entirely, the skills you built don't change with it. Problem-solving under uncertainty, working without a clear playbook, and adapting fast are things every company — startup or large — genuinely values. The startup community is also tight-knit: founders and investors remember good people and will refer you even after a company shuts or pivots.
Will the startup's work culture match what I'm used to from college or coaching?
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Probably not — and that's the point. At college, the path is clear: syllabus, exam, result. At a startup, nobody hands you a to-do list. You have to figure out what needs doing and do it. This is disorienting for the first few weeks and then becomes the most exciting part of the job for most people. The ones who thrive are those who ask questions freely, don't wait to be told, and treat mistakes as information rather than failure. If you're reading this FAQ carefully, you're probably already that kind of person.