Compare/Head to head

DMtheFounder vs Work at a Startup

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

DMtheFounder

Free Free tier

Free job board for early engineering roles at startups. It gathers the hiring posts founders write on X and Hacker News, has a person check each one, and lists it with a direct line to the founder. Founders can submit a role free; engineers apply by email or on X with no form in between. It launched in October 2026.

Where DMtheFounder fits

  • Founders hiring a first or founding engineer
  • Pre-seed to Series A startups with no recruiting budget
  • Founders who already post roles on X and want more reach
  • Engineers who want to join a startup early

Work at a Startup

Free Free tier

Work at a Startup is Y Combinator's own job platform for the companies it has funded. YC publishes no employer price and lists it as a founder benefit. It only fits YC portfolio companies hiring engineers and early team members.

Where Work at a Startup fits

  • YC-funded startups
  • Founders hiring early engineers
  • Startups willing to show salary and equity
  • Teams hiring founding or first employees

At a glance

DetailDMtheFounderWork at a Startup
Starting priceFreeFree
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underJob boards, SourcingJob boards, Sourcing

Where they pull apart

DMtheFounder

Stands out: Every role is written by a founder or early employee, not a recruiter, and a person checks it before it goes live. Engineers skip the application form and write straight to the founder, and each listing shows the company's stage and recent funding.

Watch out: It is very new, launched in October 2026, so it has no track record or outside reviews yet. It only covers engineering roles at early-stage startups, and much of the list is re-posted from public X and Hacker News threads rather than submitted directly.

Not the right fit for

  • Non-engineering roles such as sales, ops or design
  • Agencies and recruiters, who are excluded
  • Larger companies hiring at volume

Work at a Startup

Stands out: Every employer on the site is a YC company, and listings show salary and equity ranges alongside the YC batch. Candidates use one profile across hundreds of startups, and founders can reach out to them directly. YC also promotes roles through its own events and expos.

Watch out: You must be a YC-funded company to post, so it is not an option for most employers. YC publishes no employer pricing page or feature list, so details of the recruiter tools are not public.

Not the right fit for

  • Companies outside the YC portfolio
  • Enterprise or high-volume hiring
  • Non-startup employers

Pros and cons

DMtheFounder

  • Free for founders to post and for engineers to use
  • Every role is checked by a person and comes from the company itself
  • Direct contact with the founder, no application form
  • Launched in October 2026, no track record yet
  • Engineering roles at early-stage startups only
  • No applicant tracking or candidate management for founders

Work at a Startup

  • No published cost for YC companies
  • Salary and equity shown on listings
  • Candidates choose startups on purpose
  • Closed to non-YC companies
  • No public employer feature or pricing page
  • Audience skews to startup-minded candidates

What each one costs

DMtheFounder

Free

Listing a role is free for founders, and the site states this on its post-a-job page. Engineers browse and apply for free, and can sign up for a weekly email of new roles every Monday. No paid plans or promoted listings are published. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Oct 2026

Work at a Startup

Free

Y Combinator does not publish a price for employers. Work at a Startup is listed among the benefits YC founders receive, and access is limited to YC-funded companies, so there is no plan a non-YC company can buy. Candidates join for free. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 26 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try DMtheFounder or Work at a Startup for free?
DMtheFounder and Work at a Startup carry a free tier on our listing.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?