Tool 31 · Networking & Follow-up
Company Research Summary Builder
A 7-source research template. Walk through each source, paste what you find, and get a structured summary you can use in interviews and the "why this company" answer.
The 7 sources, ranked by leverage
- The job description itself — read every word. The hiring manager wrote it. The verbs ("build", "own", "drive") tell you what they actually need.
- The company's engineering / product blog — Stripe, Spotify, and most NYC tech employers publish technical decisions publicly. This is the highest-signal source for tech roles.
- Recent earnings calls (public companies) — listen for what they say vs. what they don't. The "we're investing in X" line tells you where the hiring will follow.
- LinkedIn (current employees) — look at the team you'll join. What schools? What prior roles? How long have they been there?
- Glassdoor — read 5-10 reviews from people in similar roles. Look for patterns, not single complaints.
- News (last 90 days) — Google "[company name] news" filtered to recent. Layoffs, acquisitions, leadership changes, new products.
- The hiring manager's LinkedIn — what they post, what they engage with. Often the best signal of what they care about.