Breaking Into AI: What It Actually Takes to Land a Role at a High-Growth Startup
The AI hiring landscape has shifted dramatically. With the explosion of foundation models, agentic systems, and AI-native companies, the roles being created today look nothing like traditional ML engineering postings from even two years ago. But what do companies actually look for when hiring? What does day-to-day work at an AI startup really involve? And how do you position yourself — whether you're a new grad, a career switcher, or a seasoned engineer — to stand out?
Join Sushant Vema, Member of Technical Staff at Harper — a YC W25 AI-native commercial insurance brokerage that recently raised $47M — for a practical, no-fluff session on how to break into AI. Sushant will share firsthand what it's like building AI systems at an early-stage startup, what hiring managers and founding teams are actually screening for, and how the interview process works at companies moving fast in applied AI. He'll also cover the spectrum of AI roles today — from research and ML engineering to forward-deployed and GTM engineering — and what skills matter most for each.
Whether you're actively job hunting, exploring a pivot into AI, or just curious about what's happening on the ground floor of the AI boom, this session will give you concrete, actionable takeaways. Come with questions — this will be interactive.