The conversation goes both ways
Questions to Ask Companies
You're choosing a team, too. Ask about the work, the culture, and the things that matter to you before you say yes.
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What's your current runway? | Assesses financial stability and urgency |
| What's your funding stage and when do you plan to raise next? | Understand growth trajectory and dilution risk |
| What's your path to profitability? | Shows business acumen and long-term viability |
| How much equity would this role include, and what's the vesting schedule? | Compensation clarity |
| What's the current burn rate? | Financial health indicator |
| Who are your investors, and how involved are they? | Governance and support structure |
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What does the career ladder look like for this role? | Growth potential and structure |
| How do promotions work here? What's the typical timeline? | Advancement clarity |
| How much bureaucracy should I expect for decision-making? | Agility vs. process trade-offs |
| How does this team/department fit into the larger org strategy? | Job security and relevance |
| What's the mobility like between teams or departments? | Long-term flexibility |
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What does a typical day/week look like in this role? | Reality check on the job |
| How would you describe the team culture? | Fit assessment |
| What's the team's biggest challenge right now? | Transparency and expectations |
| How do you handle disagreements or conflicts on the team? | Conflict resolution culture |
| What's the onboarding process like? | Support for new hires |
| Why did the last person in this role leave? | Red flag detector |
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What learning & development opportunities are available? | Investment in employees |
| How do you give feedback? How often? | Performance culture |
| What does success look like in the first 90 days? | Clear expectations |
| Can you share an example of someone who grew within the company? | Proof of internal mobility |
| Is there a mentorship program or culture? | Support systems |
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What's your remote/hybrid policy? | Flexibility expectations |
| How do you handle on-call or after-hours work? | Boundary expectations |
| What's the expected working hours culture? | Actual vs. stated balance |
| How do you prevent burnout on the team? | Employee wellbeing priority |
| What's your PTO policy, and do people actually take it? | Real vacation culture |
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What's the tech stack, and are there plans to change it? | Technical alignment |
| How do you balance tech debt vs. new features? | Engineering maturity |
| What does your deployment process look like? | DevOps culture |
| How are technical decisions made? | Autonomy and influence |
| What's the ratio of building new things vs. maintaining existing systems? | Role reality |
| Question | Why Ask It |
|---|---|
| What's the employee turnover rate? | Retention issues |
| What's something the company is actively working to improve? | Self-awareness and honesty |
| How has the company changed in the last year? | Stability and direction |
| What do employees here complain about most? | Hidden problems |
Pro Tips
Tailor your questions
Pick 3-5 most relevant based on company stage and your priorities
Ask the same question to multiple interviewers
Inconsistent answers reveal misalignment
Save compensation questions
for HR/recruiter rounds, not technical interviews
Take notes
You're interviewing them too!
Address concerns proactively
"Is there anything about my background that gives you hesitation?" - Shows confidence and gives you a chance to address concerns
End with confidence
"If you were to hire me today, what would be my biggest strength and how would you put it to use?" - Helps them see you as already hired and sets the right tone for the next round
Ready to work on your side of the conversation?