Gallery: The 10 San Francisco Tech Companies You Wish You Worked For
01jawbone
As a veteran Silicon Valley investor on the faculty of Stanford business school, [Andy Rachleff](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/business/2012/10/youre-young-youre-rich-now-what-10-questions-with-wealthfront-ceo-andy-rachleff/) spends much of his time counseling young tech workers on how to manage their money and careers. His company, [Wealthfront](https://www.wealthfront.com/), offers software-driven money management, as well as [tools for mulling your best next move](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/business/2012/09/nsfw-new-online-tool-offers-startup-salary-porn/) as you consider the arc of your tech career. More Companies You Wish You Worked For:[<noscript></noscript>](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/business/2012/11/best-silicon-valley-tech-companies/) [The 10 Silicon Valley Companies You Wish You Worked For (Or Started)](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/business/2012/11/best-silicon-valley-tech-companies/) Into this mix, Rachleff has just added a note of heresy. In a recent blog post, Rachleff says he tells students eager to jump into the glamorized world of tech startups to just say no. To build the best career, he says you should go to work for an up-and-coming midsize company that's growing fast and has momentum to spare. "You get more credit than you deserve for being part of a successful company, and less credit than you deserve for being part of an unsuccessful company," Rachleff says. And since most startups fail, he says, the risk-reward calculation doesn't add up. Investing in your career is just like investing in companies, he says: "You want the highest possible return for the least amount of risk." Rachleff's advice isn't just abstract. He's compiled a [list](https://blog.wealthfront.com/hot-mid-size-silicon-valley-companies/) of what he believes are the 48 best tech companies to work for now. If you want to get in on tech's latest Gold Rush, here are 10 of the hottest midsize San Francisco companies that Rachleff sees as the best places to send your résumé. Above: Jawbone -------------- The makers of Jambox portable speakers, Jawbone Bluetooth headsets, and Up fitness-tracking wristbands take a design-y attitude toward hardware in a way that's definitively San Franciscan. [Jawbone](http://www.jawbone.com) has been around for more than a decade and has more than $200 million in funding from the biggest names in venture capital. *Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired*
02dropbox
Dropbox ------- Drew Houston (right) and Arash Ferdowsi started [Dropbox](http://www.dropbox.com) in 2007. With a relentless focus on simplicity and usability, they've become the most visible brand in consumer cloud storage and file-syncing. They're backed by more than $257 million in VC funding, and the company says it has more than 50 million users. Its elaborate annual [scavenger hunt](https://blog.dropbox.com/2012/05/dropquest-ii-the-future-is-now/) for free storage involves spending much time trying to solve riddles based on the profiles of [potential future co-workers](https://www.dropbox.com/about). *Photo: Dropbox*
03eventbrite
Eventbrite ---------- PayPal mafioso [Kevin Hartz](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/business/2012/05/angel-no-more-why-one-of-silicon-valleys-savviest-investors-has-shut-his-wallet/) (above) has raised $80 million to fund the ticketing company he co-founded in 2006. But he's sat on much of that money as he's built [Eventbrite](http://www.eventbrite.com) up to a respectable 200 people who enjoy [perks](http://www.eventbrite.com/jobs/) such as catered meals and a fitness stipend. *Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired*
04new-relic
New Relic --------- New Relic founder and CEO and former Apple software engineer Lew Cirne has succeeded in the world of cloud computing by keeping an [Apple-like focus on product](http://gigaom.com/cloud/startup-strategies-how-lew-cirne-made-new-relic-a-saas-success/). [New Relic's](http://newrelic.com/) web-application performance-management service may sound esoteric, but other cloud companies have lined up to partner with New Relic to help keep their customers' sites speedy. *Photo: [stephenyeargin](http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenyeargin/7466608812/in/photostream/)/Flickr*
05one-kings-lane
One Kings Lane -------------- The "flash sales" site co-founded by Alison Pincus (above) offers deep discounts on home decor to its members. [One Kings Lane's](https://www.onekingslane.com/) serious sales growth has led VCs to pour more than $60 million into the company. (Zynga, the floundering company headed by Pincus' husband, was one San Francisco company conspicuously absent from Rachleff's list.) *Photo: [Fortune Live Media](http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortunelivemedia/5958608292/)/Flickr*
06quantcast
Quantcast --------- In the six years since it was founded, Quantcast has become one of the most recognized names in measuring web traffic. Co-founded by CEO Konrad Feldman (above) in 2006, [Quantcast](http://www.quantcast.com) says it often processes more than 10 petabytes of data daily in the hunt to connect advertisers with audiences most likely to buy what they're selling. *Photo: [iabuk](http://www.flickr.com/photos/iabuk/6308505863/)/Flickr*
07square
Square ------ The mobile-payment service co-founded by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey just announced it is planning to more than double in size over the next year. [Square's new headquarters](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/business/2012/10/square-san-francisco/) will sit just a block from Twitter, and coffee drinkers across the country will soon know what [Square](http://www.square.com) is when the service begins to process all of Starbucks' credit and debit card transactions starting next month. *Photo: Square*
08stella-and-dot
Stella and Dot -------------- Think Avon for the social-media age. Stella and Dot is one of several direct-sales companies that are exploiting new technologies for interconnectedness to reinvigorate an old business model. [Stella & Dot](http://www.stelladot.com/) says it has more than 13,000 people on the ground selling its lines of jewelry and accessories at house parties. Though technically in San Bruno, a suburb just south of the city, the company's vibe — and high-profile VC backing — place it in the close orbit of San Francisco's tech scene. *Photo: [Cupcake Luv](http://www.flickr.com/photos/cupcakeluv/7671671220/)/Flickr*
09sugar-inc
Sugar Inc. ---------- Lisa Sugar says she started her celebrity gossip site [POPSUGAR](http://www.popsugar.com/) as a hobby. But as a veteran of the marketing and media worlds, Sugar was unable to resist turning her pastime into a thriving online brand. Seven years after launching, Sugar now oversees a staff of 60 editors across 18 sites covering entertainment, fashion, shopping, and other lifestyle-friendly topics. The company has $46 million in funding from Institutional Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital. *This post was updated from the original to correct the sources of Sugar Inc.'s funding. NBC Universal no longer has a stake in the company. (October 30, 6:30 p.m. ET)* *Image: Sugar Inc.*
