I unfortunately have to be vague with details here, but I am two interviews into the process with a startup company that is still very small but well-known. They have been growing steadily for several years and have already reached profitability, but based on the nature of the business, there is a ceiling for growth. I discussed this with my latest interviewer.

The role I am interviewing for would support a new product the company is launching, which does seem interesting, but is nowhere near as interesting as their main offering. Still, I’d be pretty stoked to get the role and support it.

With this in mind, I am intimately connected with a niche community that still makes up a larger portion of the population than the company’s target audience. This community is vastly underserved and the company’s primary offering aligns perfectly with the needs of this community. Current market offerings are 10 years out of date in technology and the one or two newer entrants to the market don’t offer what this company could offer.

What’s more, it seems to me like it would be fairly easy to adapt the company’s current offering to include this community, from a technology perspective. Being intimately involved with this community, I am confident it would take off extremely quickly. What’s more, I think it could also tie in nicely with the new product they are launching.

The reason I wouldn’t go about just making this product myself is that brand equity plays a big role in it. There’s nothing particularly complicated or novel about the tech, but the business model and implementation that surrounds it which has garnered trust in the market. This company is perfectly positioned to offer it in a way that no one else can.

Should I mention this to those interviewing me? Or should I wait to get hired first? If I do bring it up, should I be open about what this subset of the market is, or is there a way I could use it as a bargaining chip? What I don’t want to do is give them the idea and then they give the job to someone else. Especially because the market itself is not immediately obvious and members of this community keep themselves relatively hidden, even from family and close friends.

It’s probably worth mentioning that I haven’t been actively looking for a new job. I’m quite happy and on a pretty good career trajectory where I’m at. The main reason I applied is because I see this potential, sought the company out deliberately, and they happened to have an opening for a role that I am well qualified for.

Also, the company size is < 100 people. So it’s a place where the idea isn’t likely to get muddled in corporate noise and red tape. I know it would be considered if I put it forward. At the same time, maybe it’d carry more weight if I get in and prove myself for a few months first? I’m really torn on what to do and how to approach this.