×
How to Actually Get Hired
Who reads applications, which channel gets a reply, and what they screen for.
Don't make these mistakes
Reaching out with prediction market enthusiasm that doesn't go deep. Pravesh has a maths background and is building a financial derivative product. Generic "I love Polymarket" messages will get ignored. Engage the technical problem: the correlation structure of multi-leg parlays, the liquidity mechanics, the settlement risk. That's what gets a response.
What gets their attention
Private beta live, Demo Day complete, two founders, zero public job listings. This is day one of the hiring window. Pravesh's X bio (@ImTheBigP) is the clearest public signal: he is active, direct about what he's building, and the kind of founder who responds to people who have actually engaged with the product and the market thesis. The YC standard deal plus any additional funding raised gives the team runway to make one or two key founding hires before the Series A conversation starts. In the prediction market space, the critical early hires are usually a protocol/product engineer who understands how to build the derivative mechanics, and a growth person who can reach prediction market power users, degens, and serious sports bettors.
Why applying the normal way doesn't work
TOTALIS runs an applicant tracking system (bamboohr), but hiring managers still work referrals first. A cold application to TOTALIS isn't dead, it's just fourth in line behind internal referrals, sourced candidates and recruiter pipelines.
Who to contact at TOTALIS
What to show them
Building custom parlays across prediction market categories requires solving a non-trivial derivative pricing problem: how do you price a correlated multi-leg parlay across events that may have dependencies, different liquidity depths, and different resolution timelines? On top of that, the UX needs to be intuitive enough for a mainstream user to understand they're stacking outcomes, not just clicking yes/no. This is both a smart contract or settlement protocol problem and a product design problem. Core skills: TypeScript or Python, smart contracts (Solidity or otherwise) if building on-chain, prediction market mechanics, derivative pricing concepts, API integration with prediction market platforms (Kalshi, Polymarket, Polybase), product engineering for consumer finance. Proof of work: Design a parlay pricing model on paper for three correlated prediction market events. Write up the correlation problem and how you'd handle it. Even a back-of-napkin pricing sketch that shows you've thought about the derivative mechanics is more impressive than a CV for this role.
A cold email that works at TOTALIS
What TOTALIS screens for
Screening signal: Private beta live, Demo Day complete, two founders, zero public job listings. This is day one of the hiring window. Pravesh's X bio (@ImTheBigP) is the clearest public signal: he is active, direct about what he's building, and the kind of founder who responds to people who have actually engaged with the product and the market thesis. The YC standard deal plus any additional funding raised gives the team runway to make one or two key founding hires before the Series A conversation starts. In the prediction market space, the critical early hires are usually a protocol/product engineer who understands how to build the derivative mechanics, and a growth person who can reach prediction market power users, degens, and serious sports bettors.
Customize your CV for the TOTALIS role. Matching the job description language helps clear ATS filters.
Mistakes that kill applications
Generic CVs stand out at a -person company — and not in a good way. Fastest path to rejection.
Skip 'I'm looking for...' — start with Prediction markets are in a structural growth moment and your specific angle on solving it.
The wait-and-hope strategy fails. Follow up on day five — response rates roughly double.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply to TOTALIS?
Through the roles on our TOTALIS jobs page, or directly to the hiring manager if you can reach them. At null people, direct outreach outperforms the form.
Does TOTALIS respond to cold emails?
Response rate data for TOTALIS not yet confirmed.
Who is the hiring manager at TOTALIS?
At this size, hiring is usually run by the hiring manager.
What ATS does TOTALIS use?
TOTALIS uses bamboohr.
How competitive is it to get hired at TOTALIS?
Typical applicant count for Fintech, Consumer Finance roles ( people): 100-250 in two weeks. Apply fast.
Have your application sent for you
We spot TOTALIS-type roles within 48 hours and get your tailored application in before the crowd.
Get early access →