We've been transparent about how many applications we get, which is quite a lot from what I've heard other founders say when I've mentioned the numbers: http://open.bufferapp.com/hiring-at-buffer-in-february-2024-... (we probably get at least 100 emails from HN if we end up near the top).
We're lucky to have a lot of interest and so in some ways I guess it ends up like a lottery. At the same time, we try and share as much as we can around the culture and when it is a good fit. Here's a post about that: http://open.bufferapp.com/how-we-hire/
Let me know if you have any questions :-)
Edit: To answer your question about getting a reply - we reply to every single email, even though it can be tough and can take a couple of weeks or so for us to get to them all.
We're lucky to have a lot of interest and so in some ways I guess it ends up like a lottery. At the same time, we try and share as much as we can around the culture and when it is a good fit. Here's a post about that: http://open.bufferapp.com/how-we-hire/
Let me know if you have any questions :-)
Edit: To answer your question about getting a reply - we reply to every single email, even though it can be tough and can take a couple of weeks or so for us to get to them all.