"Brilliance can come from anywhere." That’s the hiring philosophy of San Francisco-based AI startup, and it has grabbed the internet's attention. Smallest AI Founder Sudarshan Kamath recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share that his company has always hired based on skills rather than degrees or traditional interviews. His recent job listing for a Bengaluru-based software engineering role, offering ₹40 lakh per year, has sparked discussions in the tech world. But for Kamath, this is nothing new.
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"Just FYI. This is how we have always hired. Not sure why this one blew up. Most of our team doesn’t have a Tier-1 college background. But they’re some of the smartest folks I have ever met. We also have college dropouts and ex-entrepreneurs in the team. Brilliance can come from anywhere," Kamath wrote.
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₹40 lakh job with no resume required
The viral moment stemmed from Smallest AI’s recent job listing, which offers a Bengaluru-based software engineering role with a salary of ₹40 lakh per year. Unlike conventional recruitment processes, this one comes with a single requirement: prove your skills.
{{/usCountry}}The viral moment stemmed from Smallest AI’s recent job listing, which offers a Bengaluru-based software engineering role with a salary of ₹40 lakh per year. Unlike conventional recruitment processes, this one comes with a single requirement: prove your skills.
{{/usCountry}}Applicants are asked to send a 100-word introduction along with links to their best work. If they can demonstrate their capabilities, they get the job—no formal resume, no degree requirement, and no lengthy interviews.
"We are looking to hire a cracked full-stack engineer at Smallest AI… Send a small 100-word text introducing yourself + links to your best work to info@smallest.ai," Kamath wrote in an earlier post. The phrase "cracked full-stack engineer" is an informal way of describing someone exceptionally skilled at both front-end and back-end development.
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Internet reacts
Kamath’s unconventional hiring approach has sparked discussions online, with over 3 lakh views on his post.
One user commented, "This is how hiring should be done everywhere! Skills > Degrees."
Another user wrote, "Finally, a company that understands real talent. Hope more firms follow this approach."
A third user joked, "Imagine showing your skills and getting a job. Wild concept."
Others, however, were sceptical. "Sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?" one person questioned.
Another user pointed out, "This works for engineers, but what about other fields? Some roles still need formal education."