Ask HN: Are any startups hiring front-end developers, or are they just using AI?
A front-end developer with 4+ years of experience in React and Next.js is struggling to find remote startup roles, as many listings are restricted to the US. They are seeking a founding or early-team position but feel the market is no longer hiring for such roles.
Background
- The poster is a front-end developer with 4+ years in React and Next.js (a popular React framework), struggling to find a job despite having solid experience.
- The post reflects a wider shift in tech hiring since 2022-2023: mass layoffs, tighter venture capital, and startups favoring full-stack generalists or relying on AI coding tools (Cursor, Copilot) over dedicated front-end specialists.
- "Who is hiring?" threads on Hacker News are a monthly ritual where companies post openings. The poster notes most listings now come from large firms and require US-based candidates, squeezing out international remote workers.
- The subtext: front-end development is being devalued as AI code generation improves, and many startups expect one person to handle both front and back end.
- The poster is weighing settling for a safe corporate job versus continuing to hunt for early-stage, high-autonomy roles that drew many to tech in the first place.
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