Why "I Checked Your Website" Isn't Enough
Interviewers can tell immediately when a candidate has done surface-level research. And it costs you — not just in the room, but in the offer.
Deep research signals genuine interest and helps you ask questions that actually differentiate you from other candidates.
The 5-Layer Research Framework
Layer 1: The Public Story (30 min)
- Company website, About page, mission statement
- Recent press releases (last 6 months)
- LinkedIn company page — headcount trends, recent hires
Layer 2: The Financial Reality (15 min)
- For public companies: recent earnings calls (seek alpha transcripts are free)
- For private: Crunchbase — funding history, investors, valuation
- Are they growing, flat, or contracting?
Layer 3: The Product (20 min)
- Sign up for the product if you can
- Read App Store reviews or G2/Trustpilot
- What are customers complaining about? That's the team's roadmap.
Layer 4: The People (20 min)
- LinkedIn profiles of your interviewer and their manager
- What have they written or spoken about publicly?
- Any shared connections who can give you real context?
Layer 5: The Role (15 min)
- Map every line of the job description to a story from your experience
- Find similar job postings from competitors — what do they emphasize?
- Are they hiring multiple people for this role? (A signal about urgency)
The Questions This Research Generates
Good research should give you at least 5 specific questions. Not "What does success look like in this role?" (every candidate asks that). Something like:
"I noticed you've been hiring significantly in the APAC region over the last 18 months — is this role expected to support that expansion?"
That question gets you remembered.
