How to apply for Staff Software Engineer - Product

About Atticus

Atticus is a platform that connects people in crisis to government benefits and legal aid. It has helped hundreds of thousands of people access over $10 billion in aid and has more than 20,000 five-star reviews. It raised over $100 million from investors including Forerunner, Google Ventures, and True Ventures.

About the role

This is a staff software engineer role in a small cross-functional pod of 4-6 engineers, with a PM and a designer. You will own a piece of the business, lead projects, and have a say in product decisions. The work directly affects whether clients get help.

A typical day

You might start with a pod standup, then spend time coding on a feature that directly affects client outcomes. Later you could join a product discussion with your PM and designer to decide what to build next. The job description does not specify daily routines, so ask about typical schedules and meeting cadence in interviews.

Who Atticus is looking for

• Has experience leading projects and making product decisions, not just implementing specs.
• Can work independently with minimal overhead in a small team.
• Is comfortable in a cross-functional pod and accountable for business outcomes.
• Has a track record of building software that serves real users, ideally in a high-stakes or regulated domain.

Tips for this application

• Read Atticus's case studies or press about the $10 billion in aid and 20,000 five-star reviews, then mention a specific example in your application.
• Show how you have owned a piece of a business or product area, not just written code.
• Explain how you think about product trade-offs, since the job description says engineers are asked to think carefully about product decisions.
• Highlight experience working in small teams or pods where you had high independence and low process.
• If you have worked on benefits, insurance, legal, or government systems, connect that directly to Atticus's mission.

What to cover in your cover letter

['A concrete example of leading a project from idea to outcome, including a product decision you influenced.', 'How you have worked in a small cross-functional team with a PM and designer.', 'Why you want to work on systems that help people access benefits or legal aid.', "Your approach to balancing speed and correctness in a domain where errors affect people's lives."]

Research before applying

• Read Atticus's website and blog to understand the specific benefits and legal aid they provide.
• Look up the investors (Forerunner, Google Ventures, True Ventures) and any public statements about why they invested.
• Find interviews or podcasts with Atticus engineers or founders about how the pods work.
• Check reviews or news about Atticus's client outcomes to understand the impact and any challenges.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have owned a business metric or product area as an engineer.
• A time you disagreed with a PM or designer and how you resolved it.
• How you decide what to build when requirements are unclear.
• Your experience with government benefits, insurance claims, or legal aid systems.
• How you work with minimal process and high independence in a small team.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on technical implementation without showing how you think about product decisions.
• Ignoring the pod structure and implying you prefer working alone or in a large, specialized team.
• Writing a generic cover letter that does not mention Atticus's mission or the $10 billion in aid figure.