Hi Xin, both.

I knew they were hiring because:

1. They had a careers page
2. I reached out (cold) to an employee there

The thing is, having a careers page doesn’t necessarily mean a company is hiring. Sometimes, they keep it up there, even though there’s no immediate need, just to keep the pipeline full.

The unwritten question in “Did you just go ahead and do it?” is… “Should I still do this even if it weren’t a sure thing?”

I say yes, it’s worth it even if it weren’t a sure thing, because…

1. They will want to talk to you, even if they’re not hiring — meaning, you’ll be top of mind when there’s an opening
2. They might create an opening for you — I was hired by an American startup (that I didn’t even know was hiring) because of this post: http://chiaracokieng.com/ignored/ (inspired by an essay the founder wrote)
3. And if there is an opening, you have superior positioning. They want you more than you want them.
4. The interview will be much more meaningful because you can make this your conversation piece.
5. If they’re a startup, this is A LOT of value you’re bringing to the table — figuring out WHAT is worth doing is a big part of the job (unlike in big companies were roles and tasks are defined)
6. There’s a chance some other company will see it and will want to hire you.

To mitigate the risk of spending a lot of time that could potentially go nowhere:

1. Pick a company you really want to work for, whose mission you believe in, so the thinking and writing are easier and more enjoyable
2. Reach out to an employee to ask about openings — companies are STARVING for good people who take initiative (you)

Here’s a good case study on UX Design — http://charliehoehn.com/2016/04/07/how-do-i-add-value-like-this/