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I recently was offered a 2 month contract role with a startup after only a 30 minute interview with the founders.

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Anonymous

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I recently was offered a 2 month contract role with a startup after only a 30 minute interview with the founders.

There were some discrepancies on the contract from our conversation in terms of the length of the contract and the hours per week. I asked for clarity, to update some agreed upon changes to the contract and to schedule some time this coming Monday to walk through more details on the role.

The founders then almost immediately rescinded the offer. I feel blindsided and confused. They expressed excitement and moved quickly to try to get me to sign a document with them and then flipped their story. Has anyone else experienced this?

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  1. Anonymous

    Sounds like they were trying to scam you or at least pulling a bait & switch. I'd take this as you dodging a bullet.

  2. Anonymous

    I also had a quick conversation with a company owner years ago who contracted me, made an agreement, but he followed up quickly with the paperwork and it was awesome! One of the best recruiting gigs I ever had. I went to a reputable company where I was referred and was recruited out of another firm. The circumstance was great, great timing, but in the end, I learned the company was misusing funds and not only did I get laid off a year and half later, but others had their base salaries cut in half. and the rest left. The company no longer exists. All this to say, if it feels right go for it, and it did for me. If it doesn't, step out, say no thank you and do not try to fit a square peg in a round hole. Yes, companies do weird stuff all the time and this one sounds weird and suspect to me. Perhaps it didn't work out because it was really saving you heartache later. I applaud you though for reading the contract, questioning the contract to make sure it was what you wanted, needed, and aligned with your work ethics.

  3. Anonymous

    Sure. When an offer is fast tracked it's usually a bit shady. I think you dodged a bullet.

  4. Barb Hansen

    Early-stage startups can be unpredictable, and so can their founders.

    It’s possible they were expecting an investment to fund your contract, and when that fell through, they could no longer afford to bring you on. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were acting in bad faith—just that their financial situation changed unexpectedly.

    The decent thing would have been to communicate that to you, but some founders see struggling to raise money as a weakness and avoid admitting it. In reality, there are plenty of reasons startups fail to secure funding.

    Here’s my advice:

    If you want to keep the door open, send them an email letting them know you’d be open to re-engaging and renegotiating terms if the opportunity arises in the future.

    If you’re not interested in working with them again, you can either ignore them or send a brief message stating that you’re unavailable for future opportunities.

    Either way, try not to take it personally—this is often more about their situation than anything you did.

  5. Anonymous

    It is scam, pls walk away to prevent it hurt you.

  6. Meloney A

    Thank God you walked away. This was definitely scam.

  7. GirlBossanova934974

    No big deal! You just have found out what is like to deal with small time, nickel and dime wise-guys whose number one task every day is to admire themselves in the mirror! As they say in Texas...........All Hat and No Cattle! Move on to your next interview. It is shame these days that such clowns were able to con people out of their money to run a company........

  8. Anonymous

    That last part… Exactly!!

  9. C. Garrabrant

    Good to have found out before you accepted the role.

  10. Anonymous

    i went back to school after a career change, I’d been a teacher meaning I’d never negotiated my own compensation package.

    the first job offer, I had interviewed with two people and my future boss wasn’t one of them. Big Red Flag I didn’t realize at the time.

    After sending my requests (possibly too many??‍♀️)during the compensation negotiation phase, my boss-to-be dropped me like a hot potato.

    Thank goodness. Rejection is Protection.

  11. Anonymous

    I love that last statement that you made because it’s so true! Rejection is protection 110%!

    And everyone just remember that while they’re interviewing you you’re also interviewing them and if they’re playing games like this at the start walk away every time.

  12. Evelyn Livant

    I had a solid interview set up through a reliable recruiter with an established company. I had an offer from the CEO. While I was waiting for the official letter, he called and rescinded because his budget people told him they couldn’t afford me. I felt like I dodged a bullet.

  13. Deborah Pavek

    The don't know how to negotiate, which means they don't know how to compromise. Immature management style; you dodged a bullet.

  14. Anonymous

    I haven't experienced anything like this before, but it seems that they kind of did a bait and switch on you. Sure, they may have verbally promised you the moon, but the realities of what they actually had going on were vastly different. They were hoping that you wouldn't notice. But since you did, and they couldn't back up their verbal claims, they folded. If this is a startup, it could be that top executives aren't skilled in negotiating contracts.

  15. Anonymous

    2-month contract? They may be trying to squeeze out as much free labor as possible to get them afloat

  16. Anonymous

    I’d say you dodged a bullet. Congrats!

  17. Anonymous

    you prob wouldn't have gotten paid

  18. Dawn McDonnell

    Risk, probably in not getting paid long hours, start ups …… you gotta be willing to really dig your heels in demand stock options but pay?

    if you want scheduled, organization, security of some sort nahhhhh don’t go with a start up unless they are something you can really learn from , create in make unbelievable contacts, travel and and get something besides money . You gotta want it. If it’s male dominated nope get with a group of woman start ups do your homework on each of the founders and where they are getting their money from . I understand there is excitement but it’s clear you are smarter than what they want.
    My son starting out went with start up Upper90. Same thing …. BUT he learned a **** load was only 26 and was given a lot of responsibility for little money in his field.
    Good luck, if you’re attracted to start ups, Have some money saved in case they blow up.

  19. Katherine "Kate" Parramore

    It's a scam. Run away, run away.

    NEVER EVER sign anything because someone pressures you to do so. Your walk away line is, "I'm sorry, but my attorneys need to review this."

    Your intuition def. didn't kick in on this one -- start ups -- unless you personally know the principals -- are often scams cloaked as "start ups"

  20. Anonymous

    Sounds like you dodged a complete scam

  21. Danielle Peterson, MBA

    Red flags! You escaped a toxic work environment with grifter bosses!

  22. Angeique Reed

    Would the founders happen to be from NJ ?

  23. Sue

    You are better off, it does not sound like they were very truthful with you. I would not want to work for someone after they were dishonest from the beginning.

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