Start-up offers software developer chance to win space flight

Tech start-ups often have to go out of their way to attract new software developers, typically by offering such perks as signing bonuses or the promise of free food and beer.

Santa Monica company PaeDae, an advertising monetization platform for online and mobile apps, is aiming a bit higher.

In an effort to land a top-notch developer, the start-up is offering a $5,000 cash signing bonus, a charitable donation to a nonprofit -- and the chance to win a trip to space.

“We recognize that the pool of quality candidates is small and it’s hard to attract top talent,” said Rob Emrich, PaeDae’s co-founder and chief executive. “So we thought, ‘What is the coolest thing we could possibly offer to our next hire?’ and low-level orbit sounded pretty ... cool.”

But there’s a catch (well, a couple). First, the developer will be under a three-month probationary period, after which time he or she will be eligible for the Space Flight Challenge.

The challenge involves one hand of single-deck blackjack, with the new employee being dealt two random cards. If a blackjack is hit, he or she will win a trip to space or $200,000, which is the current cost of the trip.

“If not, they still get to keep their job and the $5,000 signing bonus,” the company said.

We crunched the numbers here at The Times, and found that there’s only a 4.83% chance of hitting a natural blackjack. But still, a trip to space!

Developers can apply for the position at the company’s website; top candidates will then be chosen to compete in a programming challenge.

PaeDae was founded in 2011. Besides its Santa Monica headquarters, it also has offices in New York, San Francisco and Columbus, Ohio.

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