Everyone's Applying to the Same 10 Remote Companies

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• This week's hot & vetted remote job picks

• Why the "best" remote companies are the worst to apply to

• The overlooked remote job sources nobody's using

• How to find companies before they hit the job boards

• Where the actual remote opportunities are hiding

Hi Freedom Seekers,

GitLab. Buffer. Zapier. Automattic. Basecamp.

Everyone applies to these companies. Every single remote job seeker knows these names. They're on every "best remote companies" list.

Which means each posting gets 3,000-5,000 applications.

Your odds? About 0.02%.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of companies hiring remotely that you've never heard of. Companies getting 50 applications per role instead of 5,000. Companies where you actually have a shot.

Below, I'm sharing 18+ under-the-radar companies actively hiring remote workers right now. These are the companies my Premium members get first access to - before they blow up and everyone starts applying.

🚀 Weekly Vetted Remote Job Picks

Sponsor: Magic Bookifier — A Writing Coach Built by a Writer

A quick note from this week’s sponsor — and honestly, it’s one that might speak to a lot of side hustlers and freelancers here.

Victor Varnado, a New Yorker cartoonist and writer, built an AI tool called Magic Bookifier to help people finally finish the book or project they’ve been sitting on.

It’s not another “AI that writes for you” thing — it’s more like a creative partner. You talk through your ideas, and it helps you organize your thoughts until you’ve got a real draft.

Victor built it for himself after years of creative blocks, and now it’s helping other writers — including neurodivergent and first-time authors — get unstuck.

If you’ve ever wanted to turn your story, expertise, or creative idea into something real, it’s worth a look.

Use code NOTSO95 for 30% off lifetime access.

(Sponsored — helps keep NotSo9to5 free and ad-light.)

WHY EVERYONE APPLIES TO THE SAME COMPANIES

👉 THE VISIBILITY TRAP 
Famous remote companies dominate search results, listicles, and social media. They're easy to find, so everyone finds them.

👉 THE SAFETY BIAS 
"If everyone's applying there, it must be legitimate." You feel safer applying to recognized names.

👉 THE LAZY RESEARCH PROBLEM 
It's easier to apply to companies on "Top 50 Remote Employers" lists than to actually research who's hiring.

👉 THE PRESTIGE FACTOR 
Working for a famous remote company looks good on LinkedIn. But you have to get hired first.

OVERLOOKED REMOTE-FIRST COMPANIES

These companies hire remotely but don't show up on every listicle:

• Doist (productivity tools) - fully remote since 2007

• Help Scout (customer service software) - 140+ remote employees

• Toggl (time tracking) - distributed across 40+ countries

• ConvertKit (email marketing) - remote-first with 70+ team members

• Hanno (design agency) - fully distributed

• Close (sales CRM) - 100% remote team

• Almanac (collaboration software) - async-first remote

• Oyster (HR platform) - 500+ employees, fully remote

TRADITIONAL COMPANIES NOW HIRING REMOTE

Established companies quietly going remote for specific roles:

• Shopify - "digital by default" since 2020

• Salesforce - hybrid/remote for many positions

• American Express - thousands of remote roles

• UnitedHealth Group - large remote workforce

• CVS Health - customer service and corporate roles remote

INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES AMERICANS IGNORE

Non-US companies with global remote positions:

• Personio (Germany) - HR software

• Miro (Netherlands) - collaboration platform

• UiPath (Romania/US) - automation software

• Wise (UK) - international payments

• Pitch (Germany) - presentation software

• N26 (Germany) - digital banking

THE SIMPLE SEARCH STRATEGY

Instead of fighting 5,000 people for GitLab positions, try this:

WEEK 1: Apply to 5 companies from the "overlooked" list above
WEEK 2: Search "Series A startup + [your role] + remote" on AngelList
WEEK 3: Check LinkedIn for "[your industry] companies + remote policy"
WEEK 4: Browse Euro/UK companies on Landing.jobs or Remote.co

Rotate through these sources monthly. You'll find hundreds of companies with 50-200 applicants instead of 5,000.

STOP FIGHTING 5,000 PEOPLE FOR THE SAME JOB

The "best" remote companies aren't the best for your job search. They're just the most visible.

Your competition is ignoring 90% of remote opportunities because they're not on the famous lists. That's your advantage.

NotSo9to5 Premium Membership 
Get exclusive access to hand-vetted remote opportunities weekly from companies you've never heard of. I find the under-the-radar companies before they hit the major job boards, so you're applying when there's actually a chance.

Premium includes:
✅ Weekly curated opportunities from overlooked companies
✅ Early access before public posting
✅ Professional Application Support

Ready to stop competing against thousands? Reply with "YES" for Premium access.

Get in now while competition is low.

Until next week,
Sami

Interested in getting your product/ remote job offering in front of highly engaged remote workers?

Advertise With Us