[temphn]

For one data point: as an employer, if someone asked me that in a job interview I'd think they were complete mercenaries and highly distrustful/cynical. Would smile, respond with something noncommittal about how the board won't let us share that kind of information, and cut short the interview as soon as possible.

Think about it from our perspective: part of the point of being a non-public company is that you can keep some things close to the vest, like profits and balance sheet. Perhaps 50% of the people we interview don't end up getting a position. What if you take that info and share it with competitors, or plaster it on TechCrunch?

This is particularly true if this was a follow up to a previous question (which is borderline) about how many months of cash were in the bank.

Should you judge the financial health of a company? Sure. Look them up on CrunchBase, observe the surroundings, do some research into market size yourself. But have some tact.

[jacques_chester]

> For one data point: as an employer, if someone asked me that in a job interview I'd think they were complete mercenaries and highly distrustful/cynical.

Now this is interesting. What triggers that reaction? Is it asking for the particular documents, or is it the request for meaningful information?

> Perhaps 50% of the people we interview don't end up getting a position. What if you take that info and share it with competitors, or plaster it on TechCrunch?

Good point, and looking at it from your perspective, sure, I'd be reluctant to open the kimono too. The main thing that stops me, since we're swapping data points, is that it would be the wrong thing to do. Betraying confidences is both unethical and often contrary to the protections of common law.

> This is particularly true if this was a follow up to a previous question (which is borderline) about how many months of cash were in the bank.

If you then smiled and cut me short, I'd be suspicious. It sounds like we both lost.

[temphn]

> Now this is interesting. What triggers that reaction? Is it asking for the particular documents, or is it the request for meaningful information?

It's sort of like a woman who asks you what car you drive right off the bat, on the first date. It indicates she is only in it for the money. And that she also lacks the social intelligence necessary to gain information without revealing that she's only in it for the money.

For a startup to succeed its people need to be a bit irrational. A pure profit maximizing strategy for a good developer is just to do something boring at Google. You aren't joining a startup to do median case profit maximization, you're doing it to (a) do something interesting for a change and (b) have a shot at a big payday.

Now, there's a certain undercurrent here at HN that says "F you, pay me". OK, but this is not the type of personality that is likely to build something great. They are the first ones to bail when things get rough, the first ones to trash their former (or current) employers, the first ones to lay blame.

There is a role for highly skilled mercenaries, just as there is a role for really beautiful golddiggers. But they should gravitate to Google/really rich men, as that's where they'll find a mutually satisfactory exchange.

[jacques_chester]

What about the "runway" question?

It's the same thing: I want a sense of the risk I'm taking, but without signalling (incorrectly IMO) that I'm just such a mercenary.

[arethuza]

Why is it tactless to ask whether a company is profitable (or at least has positive cashflow) and, if not, how much time is left at the current burn rate?

Sounds like basic due diligence when checking out a potential new employer to me.

[Peroni]

Asking whether a company is profitable is very different to asking to see their balance sheet.