What do we do?

For most people in America, access to credit is necessary for opportunity and mobility. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people in this country do not have access to affordable credit, and getting credit can be complicated.

Upstart aims to change that. Our mission is to “enable effortless credit based on true risk,” and we do this by using machine learning and automation to more accurately identify creditworthy borrowers and create a seamless application experience. In doing so, we’re helping people achieve their financial goals and reduce their financial stress by offering affordable personal loans used to pay off high-interest credit card debt and cover large unexpected expenses like medical bills. We have also launched a complimentary SaaS business to partner with banks, called Powered By Upstart (PBU) that further allows us to expand affordable access to loans.

We're a passionate team of people committed to helping people achieve financial fitness. We're looking for talented, passionate people to help us build a great company and improve millions of lives in the process. If you care about challenging work, great company culture, and meaningful impact, then check us out!

What else should I know?

• Founded in 2012 by Dave Girouard (former President of Google Enterprise), Anna Counselman (previously led Consumer Ops for Gmail), and Paul Gu (Thiel Fellow)
• 130+ full-time employees
• One office based in San Carlos, CA
• $1.9B+ in loans originated helping more than 145K borrowers
• 4X growth in revenue in 2017
• Top-rated personal lender on Credit Karma
• First lender to receive a “no-action letter” from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, attesting that our novel approach is nondiscriminatory and improves fairness in lending

What are our values?

• Do the right thing even when it’s hard. Our borrowers and institutional clients are our number one focus, and our main priority is to help them accomplish their financial goals. As an Upstarter, you are expected to act with integrity and make decisions that will keep the user in mind.
• Make clever use of numbers. Data and technology are at the core of what we do, and all of our teams use to it make strategic decisions. As an Upstarter, you would make clever use of numbers to deliver the best product for our users.
• Be smart, but know you might be wrong. At Upstart, we respect the opinions of others and are encouraged to let go of ego to pursue the best solution. We aim for rigorous thinking and dialogue to arrive at the best decisions. When we debate, we do so diplomatically and always keep an open mind, acknowledging that we might be wrong.
• Don’t assume it can’t be done. Upstart was born out of a demonstrated need for innovation in the lending industry. Our curiosity leads us to constantly look for new solutions to problems previously thought unsolvable. As an Upstarter, you will find novel ways to improve our product.
• Make every second count. Our CEO, Dave Girouard, published an article called Speed As A Habit, which is an accurate reflection of life here at Upstart. We expect you to move and iterate quickly with a strong sense of urgency to maximize our impact on our borrowers.

What's our interview process?

We move fast here at Upstart and our interview process is no different! We interview candidates with various levels of experience and timelines and can work within your timelines. Here’s what you can expect as an Upstart candidate:

• 30-minute phone screen with a member of the People team. We want to understand your experience, what you’re looking for in your next role, and make sure you would fit well in our Upstart family.
• Take-home test. To assess your technical skills, you may be invited to complete a take-home test. This step varies by role.
• 60-minute virtual technical interviews. Through knowledge-based questions and virtual exercises, we will assess your technical skills to make sure they add new expertise to the team. There can be one or two technical interviews prior to your onsite visit.
• Full day of onsite interviews. We want to meet you in person and continue to assess your fit with our community. You will meet with a panel of team members, a Team Lead, and at least one co-founder through a series of technical interviews.