Publish 2 Articles a Month in Tech and Startups: AlphaGamma Ongoing Contributor Program (500–2000 Words, Rolling Applications)

You know that weird gap in a writer’s life between “I have opinions” and “people with budgets take my opinions seriously”? This AlphaGamma contributor program sits right in that gap, holding the door open.

AlphaGamma is recruiting ongoing contributors who can write original 500–2000 word pieces at least twice per month on the stuff ambitious readers actually click: startups, venture and funding news, business tech, career strategy, productivity, and the messy reality of building things. It’s not a one-and-done guest post situation. It’s closer to a recurring column relationship—without the guarantees (or paperwork) of a traditional media contract.

Let’s address the elephant tapping its pen on the conference-room table: this opportunity is non-monetary based on the public listing. No promised per-article rate, no “$500 upon publication,” no tidy invoice flow. What you get instead is distribution, visibility, and contributor perks (discounted/free offers and services), plus the possibility of front-page placement.

That trade can be worth it—especially if you’re building a portfolio in tech/business writing, growing a founder-focused audience, testing a newsletter angle, or positioning yourself for paid gigs. But it’s only worth it if you treat it like a professional editorial commitment, not a hobby you squeeze between meetings.

Below is the full, practical guide: who fits, how to pitch yourself, what to submit, and how to avoid the classic “I sound like a LinkedIn post in human skin” trap.

AlphaGamma Contributor Program at a Glance

What This Opportunity Actually Offers (And What It Does Not)

Think of AlphaGamma as a distribution engine with a byline attached. If you’re accepted as a contributor, your biggest “payment” is attention—ideally the kind that compounds. A strong piece can become a calling card you point to when pitching paid publications, applying for content roles, or trying to look credible when you DM someone impressive and ask for 20 minutes.

Here’s what’s meaningfully on the table:

First, an international readership and the potential for your writing to travel farther than it would on your personal blog. That matters because most writers don’t have a traffic problem—they have a distribution problem. Great work in a quiet corner of the internet is still quiet.

Second, brand credibility by association. Editors and hiring managers often use shortcuts (fair, unfair, inevitable). A recognizable outlet on your portfolio can act like a “security badge” that gets you into rooms faster.

Third, contributor perks, described as discounted or free offers/services. The exact value depends on what’s offered and whether you’d actually pay for it otherwise. (If you wouldn’t, it’s not really a perk—it’s marketing confetti.)

Fourth, the chance of front-page visibility. This is the difference between “nice post” and “oh, lots of people read this.” Front-page placement isn’t something you can force, but you can write in a way that makes it more likely.

Now what it does not clearly offer: direct compensation. The public description doesn’t promise payment, so treat this like a visibility-based contributor role unless you learn otherwise during onboarding. If you require paid work (completely valid), you may still apply—but go in with eyes open and ask clear questions if you move forward.

The Real Commitment: Twice a Month Is Not Casual

Two articles per month sounds easy until you do the math like an adult.

A good 1200–1800 word piece with examples, a clear argument, and clean structure often takes 6–12 hours when you include outlining, sourcing, writing, revising, and polishing. Multiply that by two, and you’re looking at a recurring monthly commitment that can rival a part-time gig—especially if you want your work to be memorable rather than merely present.

This is why AlphaGamma is explicitly not looking for “one promotional post about my unreleased product.” They want writers who can show up, repeatedly, with original thinking and a professional rhythm.

Who Should Apply (With Real-World Examples)

You should consider applying if you can bring either (1) writing experience in tech/business or (2) genuine subject-matter expertise plus the discipline to turn that expertise into strong publishable pieces on schedule.

This tends to work especially well for:

Operators who can write. If you’ve worked in product, growth, venture, data, engineering management, rev ops, or recruiting, you’re sitting on a pile of hard-earned lessons. A contributor platform can help you convert those lessons into a public body of work. Example: a former PM writing “What metrics actually mattered in our Series A” with numbers and caveats beats another generic “product is about empathy” essay.

Founders building trust before they sell anything. The smartest founders don’t start with a pitch—they start with proof of brain. If you can write practical pieces about hiring, distribution, pricing, or fundraising realities, you can attract exactly the kind of inbound attention that doesn’t feel like advertising.

Career and productivity writers who hate fluff. AlphaGamma’s topic set includes career trends and productivity, but the bar is higher than “wake up at 5 a.m.” The sweet spot is specific guidance: how to negotiate scope creep, how to pick a niche, how to build a portfolio without unpaid busywork, how to use AI without becoming unreadable.

Writers transitioning into tech/business coverage. If you’ve written elsewhere (culture, sports, education) but you’re pivoting, this can be a structured way to build relevant clips—provided you do the homework and don’t fake expertise.

On the other hand, this is probably a bad fit if you’re an agency trying to place SEO content, if you plan to republish existing posts, or if your only goal is a single announcement post. AlphaGamma is signaling pretty clearly: they’re building a bench, not accepting drive-by marketing.

What to Write About: Topic Lanes That Tend to Perform

The listing mentions startups, venture announcements, business technology, career trends, and productivity. Within that, you’ll stand out fastest if you pick a lane that mixes timeliness with earned insight.

A few angles that typically read like a human wrote them:

• A sharp take on a funding announcement: not “Company X raises $Y,” but “What this round signals about the market—and what it doesn’t.”
• A practical teardown of a business tool trend: “Where AI assistants help and where they quietly waste your week.”
• Career writing with receipts: “How I built a portfolio in 90 days” with the actual process, not motivational posters.
• Startup lessons with constraints: “What worked at 10 people breaks at 50” and why.

You’re not trying to sound smart. You’re trying to be useful and specific. Big difference.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (The Stuff People Skip)

1) Treat the application like a pitch, not a form

Typeforms look casual. They are not casual. Assume someone will skim your answers quickly and decide in minutes whether you seem like a consistent, low-drama, high-signal contributor.

Write with clarity. Short paragraphs. Strong nouns and verbs. No manifesto.

2) Bring two sample ideas that feel inevitable

Don’t say “I can write about startups.” Everyone can say that.

Instead, propose two pieces with working titles and a one-paragraph angle each. The goal is to make an editor think: “Yes, I can see this on the site.”

Example of strong framing: “The Quiet Reason Most Seed Decks Feel the Same: Everyone Copies the Last Winner” plus what you’ll analyze (structure, traction slides, narrative arcs) and what readers will get (a checklist + examples).

3) Prove you can hit cadence without burning out

If they want two posts a month, tell them how you’ll do it.

Maybe you batch outlines on Sundays. Maybe you keep an idea bank tied to your work. Maybe you already publish weekly on LinkedIn/newsletter and can adapt. Whatever your system is, describe it in one or two sentences. Editors love writers who don’t require babysitting.

4) Show original thinking, not summary skills

A lot of applicants will summarize TechCrunch and call it analysis. Don’t.

If you’re writing about a venture announcement, add something: a pattern across similar rounds, a counterintuitive risk, a “here’s what I’d ask if I were investing” section. You don’t need insider info; you need a brain that makes connections.

5) Keep your bio specific and relevant

“Passionate about startups” is not a credential.

Try: “Former growth lead at a B2B SaaS; I’ve run pricing tests, built onboarding funnels, and supported pipeline targets. I write about go-to-market mechanics and why most advice ignores constraints.” Now we’re talking.

6) Make your samples ridiculously easy to review

If you have published clips, link them cleanly. If you don’t, create one or two Google Docs that look like finished articles: title, subheads, tight intro, and a conclusion that actually concludes.

Bonus: include a short note at the top of the doc like “Draft sample for AlphaGamma; original and unpublished.” This signals professionalism and prevents confusion.

7) Signal that you understand the rules: original work only

They explicitly warn against plagiarism and reused content. Say, plainly, that you only submit original writing and that you won’t recycle pieces from your blog or newsletter unless they approve a rewritten/expanded version.

It’s boring—but boring is good when we’re talking about editorial integrity.

Application Timeline (Rolling Deadline, Realistic Prep)

Because this is an ongoing program, you don’t need to panic-apply at midnight. But you do need to be ready to look like someone who can start publishing soon.

A smart timeline looks like this:

Days 1–3: Pick your lane and assemble proof. Choose 2–3 topics you can write about for months without scraping the bottom of the idea barrel. Gather 2–4 links to existing clips. No clips? Draft one strong sample immediately.

Days 4–7: Write one flagship sample (or refresh an existing one). Aim for 1200–1600 words with clear subheads and at least one concrete example. Treat it as portfolio-grade work.

Days 8–10: Draft your second sample or outline two future pieces. You want to show range without looking scattered. Two excellent samples beat five okay ones.

Days 11–14: Submit the Typeform and prep for follow-up. The listing suggests a multi-step process. Be ready to answer questions about cadence, topic fit, and originality. Also be ready to propose a first-month plan: two titles you can deliver.

Required Materials (And How to Prepare Them)

AlphaGamma uses a Typeform application, but you should assume you’ll need the usual contributor essentials:

• Short bio that matches the topics you want to cover. Keep it tight: who you are, what you’ve done, what you write about.
• Writing samples (links) to published work. If you’re light on clips, provide 1–2 original sample drafts via Google Docs or a personal site.
• Topic areas and proposed angles. Don’t just list categories. Give example titles and what the reader will learn.
• Commitment to cadence. They want twice per month. State clearly whether you can meet that, and when you could start.
• Any relevant social or portfolio links. Not as a popularity contest—more as proof you exist and write consistently.

Before you submit, open every link in an incognito window. If your samples are behind paywalls or private permissions, the reviewer will bounce.

What Makes an Application Stand Out (How They Likely Evaluate You)

Even without a published scoring rubric, contributor programs tend to select for a few predictable things.

Reliability. Can you actually deliver two original pieces per month without excuses, drama, or disappearing? A history of consistent publishing is gold.

Fit with readership. AlphaGamma’s themes are business, tech, startups, careers, productivity. If your samples are thoughtful but unrelated (say, poetry or film reviews), you’ll need to show how you’ll pivot successfully.

Originality and integrity. They explicitly warn against plagiarism. Editors can smell recycled content fast—especially if it’s been lightly rewritten from somewhere else.

Clarity of writing. You don’t need to sound academic. You do need structure: strong openings, useful subheads, clean logic, and a point of view that doesn’t wobble.

Quality of ideas. Not “I’ll write about AI.” More like “I’ll write about where AI workflows break in small teams—and how to patch them.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Submitting without samples because you are confident

Confidence is lovely. Editors can’t publish confidence.

Fix: write one sample draft this week. Make it sharp. Make it specific. Link it.

Mistake 2: Pitching yourself as a marketer first, writer second

Nobody wants a contributor program that reads like a sponsored content farm.

Fix: lead with your insight and your writing. If you have a product or service, keep it secondary and don’t make your pieces one long sales pregame.

Mistake 3: Vague topic promises

“I’ll write about startups and productivity” tells them nothing about what you’ll actually deliver.

Fix: propose two concrete article titles and include a short paragraph on the argument, examples, and takeaway.

Mistake 4: Reusing old posts (or getting too close)

If they’re warning about plagiarism, they’ve been burned before.

Fix: create original work. If you want to revisit an old idea, rewrite it completely with new structure, new examples, and new phrasing—and be transparent about it.

Mistake 5: Overcommitting to cadence

Two posts a month is the floor. Don’t promise eight if you can’t sustain it.

Fix: commit to what you can deliver consistently for six months. Consistency beats enthusiasm.

Mistake 6: Writing like you are trying to impress a panel

Tech/business readers don’t need more jargon soup.

Fix: write like a smart person explaining something to another smart person who’s busy. Concrete examples. Plain English. No fog machine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this paid writing?

Based on the public description, payment is not clearly offered. The benefits described are exposure/distribution, perks (discounted/free offers/services), and possible front-page opportunities. If compensation is essential for you, apply—but ask directly if you progress to onboarding.

How long do articles need to be?

They’re looking for 500–2000 word original pieces. That range is wide on purpose. A tight 800-word analysis can beat a meandering 1800-word essay. Aim for the length your idea requires, not the length that fills the page.

How often do I need to publish?

The listing points to at least two articles per month. If you can’t reliably do that, it’s better to wait until your schedule changes than to apply and vanish after one post.

Can I apply if I do not have published clips?

Yes, but you need proof you can write. Draft 1–2 portfolio-quality samples and share them as viewable links (Google Docs works). Make sure permissions allow anyone with the link to read.

Can agencies apply?

The public description indicates this is not meant for agencies selling writing services. It’s designed for individual contributors with consistent output and original work.

Can I republish posts from my blog or newsletter?

The program emphasizes originality and warns against plagiarism/reuse. Assume they want original content written for their platform unless they explicitly approve a rewritten adaptation. When in doubt, ask.

What topics perform best?

Usually the pieces that combine specific experience + clear takeaway: practical startup lessons, thoughtful commentary on funding and market trends, business tech used in real workflows, and career advice that includes constraints and examples.

How long does it take to hear back?

The listing doesn’t promise a response time. Because it’s rolling, timelines can vary. Submit strong materials, then be ready to follow up politely after a reasonable wait (think 1–2 weeks).

How to Apply (And What to Do Right After You Hit Submit)

Plan to spend an hour on the application, plus whatever time you need to assemble samples. Don’t rush it; this is your audition.

1. Prepare your best links (published clips or 1–2 original sample drafts). Make sure they’re accessible without logins.
2. Decide your core topics (2–3) and draft two concrete article ideas you can deliver in your first month.
3. State your cadence plainly: you can deliver two original pieces per month, and when you can start.
4. Submit via the official Typeform and keep a copy of your responses somewhere. If they follow up, you’ll want to remember what you promised.

Apply Now and Full Details

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page here: https://alphagamma.typeform.com/to/uHJEoU?utm_campaign=Contributing%20writers&utm_medium=Typeform&utm_source=TopBar

If you want the simplest competitive move: attach (or link) one excellent sample that sounds like it belongs on AlphaGamma tomorrow. Make the editor’s decision easy. That’s the whole game.