I feel I need to comment on a couple topics that really stand out from First Round Capital's approach, but no one appears to be touching on:
Firstly, this is an application to be matched with a company in an investor's portfolio. What makes this is essentially different from just a common app is that interviews and work you do for any of these companies on this list may be shared with the entire community/portfolio, and there will be opportunities to move to a place to a better fit or position after establishing yourself (I have seen this done before, an acquaintance of mine worked for a startup in SF this summer, and at the end of the summer he was offered a full-time position at a different company in the same portfolio after hearing about his prowess as a web developer/designer).
Secondly, this is a beautifully put together application. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but the questions give a lot of hints to the applicant about what qualities a startup is looking for in a future worker. For a first time applicant, this is particularly helpful.
I definitely support this approach. It has been done already by KPCB Fellows (a bit like a common app, but with less questions; they ask for a portfolio still, but also ask for the applicant to complete a programming or design problem depending on the iteration of the application), and by a16z (Andreessen Horowitz takes a similar approach where you apply with them and are matched with a company in their portfolio based on fit and need), and by Sequoia Capital, just as feniv mentioned. On a similar note, it's been a particularly hot year for recruitment websites like Readyforce, which did Hacker Tour, and Seelio, a portfolio site that just launched a jobs posting section.
Firstly, this is an application to be matched with a company in an investor's portfolio. What makes this is essentially different from just a common app is that interviews and work you do for any of these companies on this list may be shared with the entire community/portfolio, and there will be opportunities to move to a place to a better fit or position after establishing yourself (I have seen this done before, an acquaintance of mine worked for a startup in SF this summer, and at the end of the summer he was offered a full-time position at a different company in the same portfolio after hearing about his prowess as a web developer/designer).
Secondly, this is a beautifully put together application. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but the questions give a lot of hints to the applicant about what qualities a startup is looking for in a future worker. For a first time applicant, this is particularly helpful.
I definitely support this approach. It has been done already by KPCB Fellows (a bit like a common app, but with less questions; they ask for a portfolio still, but also ask for the applicant to complete a programming or design problem depending on the iteration of the application), and by a16z (Andreessen Horowitz takes a similar approach where you apply with them and are matched with a company in their portfolio based on fit and need), and by Sequoia Capital, just as feniv mentioned. On a similar note, it's been a particularly hot year for recruitment websites like Readyforce, which did Hacker Tour, and Seelio, a portfolio site that just launched a jobs posting section.