That said, no matter how much you stress that candidates don't need to master all these skills on day one, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by your requirements. I feel like people with the combination of skills you are looking for might be quite rare (expertise both in web development AND system programming AND security).
Case in hand: I'm a passionate developer with an expertise in Java web development / Javascript (who dabbled a little with Clojure / Scala). I love my craft and keep improving, but I haven't yet gotten around and/or felt the need to learn about Ruby / Python / Objective C / NOSQL and all the system / network programming (assembly, C, kernel drivers, hardware debugging...). Sure, I'd love to do all that stuff, and security fascinates me, but I feel like it'd take YEARS to learn and master all these skills (more if I also want to stay current with the JVM-related stuff).
Would Matasano have any use of a guy like me with expert-knowledge in a relatively specific field (web development and the JVM), but who wants to learn about all the other stuff? Or should I learn about these skills on the side and apply in a few years once I've improved my system programming and read K&R? ;)
Another example could be a python web-app developer who is interested in security, but never really did any systems programming.
[I wasn't sure whether I should comment on HN or send you an e-mail, but I think the answer might interest other people]
Good. If I thought it'd be clear enough, I'd say that the second most important qualification for a role her --- after "ability and enthusiasm with code" --- is being comfortable with being overwhelmed. A typical project in my field is just a few weeks long, with just a few teammates, where by the end of the engagement you need to be standing triumphantly in the smoking crater where a system that took anywhere from 1-8 years to build once stood.
We're not looking for someone who can recite chapter in verse from the GNU Radio documentation or write a compelling essay on category theory or even take the determinant of a 4x4 matrix. We just want people who are comfortable with the idea of becoming able to do those things. With, like, a day's notice. :)
You cannot possibly waste my time by emailing me. Even if we're not a great fit today, I can tell you more about my field and software security in general. Write me anytime.
That said, no matter how much you stress that candidates don't need to master all these skills on day one, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by your requirements. I feel like people with the combination of skills you are looking for might be quite rare (expertise both in web development AND system programming AND security).
Case in hand: I'm a passionate developer with an expertise in Java web development / Javascript (who dabbled a little with Clojure / Scala). I love my craft and keep improving, but I haven't yet gotten around and/or felt the need to learn about Ruby / Python / Objective C / NOSQL and all the system / network programming (assembly, C, kernel drivers, hardware debugging...). Sure, I'd love to do all that stuff, and security fascinates me, but I feel like it'd take YEARS to learn and master all these skills (more if I also want to stay current with the JVM-related stuff).
Would Matasano have any use of a guy like me with expert-knowledge in a relatively specific field (web development and the JVM), but who wants to learn about all the other stuff? Or should I learn about these skills on the side and apply in a few years once I've improved my system programming and read K&R? ;)
Another example could be a python web-app developer who is interested in security, but never really did any systems programming.
[I wasn't sure whether I should comment on HN or send you an e-mail, but I think the answer might interest other people]