REFORGE

You're not broken. The system is.

A community where engineers support each other through job search — and stay to help the next person.

Now accepting first 100 founding members. Free forever.

If You've Ever Been Laid Off
You Know...

Applying to 30 jobs, hearing back from 2
Getting ghosted after a round for no apparent reason
The 2 am anxiety wondering what to do next
Months of "still looking" taking its toll
The sense of isolation that almost breaks you

It's not you.
The system is broken.
We're here to change that.

Job loss can be one of the best times to rebuild yourself.

And you can do it better with a group.

What Is ReForge?

A private community of software engineers supporting each other through job search — and staying to help the next person.

COMMUNITY HUB

Weekly check-ins with people who actually get it

MENTAL HEALTH

The real talk space — 2am anxiety, self-doubt, the hard stuff

MOCK INTERVIEWS

Practice with hiring managers and peers, friends, not strangers

RESOURCES

Curated guides, resume templates, not overwhelming dumps

PRIVATE JOB BOARD

Real jobs only. Employers must respond within 7 days.

WEEKLY EVENTS

Weekly online events, local coffee chats, and community meetups.

VERIFICATION

Every member verified. Everyone here gets it.

SUCCESS STORIES

Celebrate wins, share learnings.

EMPLOYER PORTAL

Where companies prove they're different.

Not another job board with community features.
Not LinkedIn.

A community first, with a private job board.

Who This Is For

This Is For You If:

  • You're a software engineer who was laid off
  • You're actively job searching (not casually browsing)
  • You want to support others while being supported
  • You're tired of doing this alone

This Isn't For:

  • Currently employed engineers (join as a Community Supporter)
  • Recruiters or employers (join as a Hiring Partner)
  • People just looking for job leads (we're community-first)
Brian Zhang, founder of ReForge, software engineer since 2009

Hi, I'm Brian.

Tech since 2009. Laid off April 2024. Rock bottom.

I spent months in a funk. The isolation was brutal. I kept thinking: "I'm an experienced engineer—why do I feel so broken?"

Turns out, I wasn't broken. The system is.

You've sent 200 applications. 4 responses. 0 explanations.

The market decides if you're valuable — not your skills, not your experience.

You KNOW you can deliver value from day one. Yet when the market is cold, you're left fighting for scraps.

ReForge refuses to accept this. We're building a place where employers and recruiters are held equally responsible throughout the hiring process. Where your application gets a response — always. Where community support isn't transactional, it's real.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Gandhi

That's what ReForge is. The change we wish existed.

In the age of AI, we need each other more than ever.
Let's start now.

— Brian Zhang

linkedin.com/in/brianchizhang

How to Join

1

APPLY

Fill out form (2 minutes)

  • → We ask: background, LinkedIn, what you need from the community
2

VERIFY

15-min call with Brian or a community admin

  • → We verify you're actually laid off (LinkedIn + redacted docs)
  • → Not an interview — a conversation
3

JOIN

Get access to all 9 spaces

  • → Post your intro in the community
  • → Get access to our private job board
  • → Show up to your first event
4

ENGAGE

Weekly check-ins in Community Hub

  • → Mock interviews with peers
  • → Help others (especially after you land)

Timeline: Apply → Approved in 24-48 hours

Why ReForge, Not LinkedIn?

Charge unemployed
→ Always free for unemployed
35-67% ghosting rates
→ Accountability enforced
No real community
→ Weekly support & check-ins
Transactional
→ Mission-driven
Disappear after hired
→ Stay to help next person
Ghost jobs everywhere
→ No ghost jobs tolerated
Isolation
→ Humans supporting humans

FAQ

Yes. Unemployed engineers never pay. That's the rule. Employers and community supporters help fund this project.
Because this only works if everyone here is actually going through this. We're not a networking group for employed people. We're a support system for people in crisis.
Celebrate! Then stick around to help others. That's the whole point.
For the founding cohort, yes. We want tight-knit first. We'll expand once we get enough of this group hired.
That's okay. Take what you need. Give when you can.
Employers and recruiters can apply as Hiring Partners. We verify every employer to ensure they meet our accountability standards. Once approved, you'll access our private job board and engaged candidate pool.
We'll open applications for the next cohort. Founding members get priority access to new features and help shape the community's direction.
You're welcome! Events are recorded. Community Hub is async chat.

Your job search doesn't have to be lonely.

We're accepting the first 100 founding members.
Applications close when we hit capacity.

✓ Hear back within 24-48 hours
✓ Weekly events and support
✓ Free forever for unemployed engineers