January 9, 2026
Hot dogs vs hot takes
IcePanel (YC W23) is hiring full-stack engineers in Vancouver
Vancouver cash, office days, and hot dog perks ignite comment chaos
TLDR: IcePanel is hiring in North Vancouver with $170k CAD, profit share, and hybrid office days. Comments erupted over cost of living, the 1% equity claim, anti-AI screening, and meme-worthy perks, splitting the crowd between “great offer, real team” and “nice perks, wrong location/remote policy.”
IcePanel, a startup from the Y Combinator crew, dropped a spicy job post: $170k CAD salary, quarterly profit share, 1% equity, hybrid schedule (Tue–Thu in-office), and perks like “Hot dog Wednesdays” and free ice cubes. The internet didn’t just react—it exploded. The loudest chorus? The salary vs. Vancouver cost of living cage match. Some said $170k CAD plus bonuses is solid; others clapped back that North Van rent eats salaries for breakfast. The 1% equity claim sparked a full-blown cap table detective saga—optimists cheered, skeptics yelled “marketing math!”
The hybrid requirement lit up the remote vs. in-office battlefield. Remote diehards called three days in the office a deal-breaker, while local fans said face time and mountains beat Zoom fatigue. Then came the line heard ’round the comments: “AI answers are insta-deleted.” Cue the AI culture war—cheers for “real humans,” jeers for “anti-tool purism.” Meanwhile, perks turned into memes: “Free ice cubes… in Canada?” and “Will code for hot dogs.”
Tech stack banter—Vue vs. React, canvas fanboys flexing Pixi—added extra seasoning. Folks loved the profitability over fundraising, name-dropping $4M ARR as a green flag. Others side-eyed a 2-hour onsite whiteboard, asking if “No BS” includes “No fizzbuzz.” In short: money, mountains, and mustard-fueled drama.
Key Points
- •IcePanel is hiring full‑stack engineers for a hybrid role in North Vancouver, BC (in‑office Tue–Thu).
- •Compensation includes CAD $170,000 salary, quarterly profit‑share (last year ~CAD $30k–$40k each), ~1% equity, unlimited holiday, and health benefits.
- •Responsibilities span end‑to‑end product work: frontend UI/UX, backend API/data design, data migrations/infrastructure changes, and bug fixing/iterations.
- •Tech stack: TypeScript, Node.js, Vue.js, Pixi.js, Tailwind CSS, Cloud Run, WebSockets, and Firestore.
- •Company background: YC W23 alum, ~CAD $4M ARR, values profitability, transparency, simplicity, humility, and a fun culture; multi‑stage interview process with screening, calls, onsite white‑boarding, references, and offer.