This is the first in a 5-part series on how to choose your next company. One of the most common questions from software engineers is: given the abundance of opportunities, how do I know which will enhance my career the most?

There are a multitude of factors that play into it, including financial health, company size, engineering standards, your team and culture, and your manager. Over the next five days, we'll explore ways to evaluate the potential of a company as an employer and your probability of success there.

Today's focus is on arguably the most important indicator of whether you should join a company: is it making enough money to support your cost of living, run the rest of its operations, and still have cash to go around? In other words, profitability, or at least the path towards profitability.