Founding Engineer (Backend)

Location: San Francisco, CA (On-site, 5 days/week)

Role

We're looking for a backend-leaning Founding Engineer (0–7 years experience) who has shipped production software at a pedigreed company — FAANG, high-growth VC-backed startups (Series A+), or equivalent. You'll own projects end-to-end in a fast-moving, early-stage environment and help shape the core infrastructure that AI agents use to communicate and operate in the real world.

What You’ll Do

Build and design APIs and backend infrastructure that AI agents use to communicate, authenticate, and operate
Own 0→1 projects end-to-end — from scoping customer requirements through system design to production rollout (e.g., IMAP integration, usage-based pricing systems)
Work across the full stack (~80% backend, ~20% frontend/other), touching distributed systems, databases, and developer tooling

Proactively pitch ideas — you're expected to bring product and growth thinking, not just execute tickets

Be a frontline point of contact for customer feedback and support enterprise deployments
Write clear, maintainable code and documentation while processing hundreds of thousands of emails per day

What We’re Looking For

Strong proficiency in TypeScript or modern equivalent frameworks
Experience at a FAANG or well-known VC-backed startup (Series A+)
Deep backend fundamentals: REST API design, system design, server-side architecture
Track record of shipping and owning features from 0→1 in production with real users
CS or technical degree from a top engineering school (especially for new grads)
High agency — you bring ideas and drive execution without needing scope handed to you
Strong communicator of tradeoffs, blockers, and technical decisions
Must be based in or willing to relocate to San Francisco (on-site 5 days/week)

Bonus Points

Experience with email, messaging, or protocol-heavy systems (SMTP, IMAP, OAuth)
Exposure to cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, or developer tooling — especially in AI/LLM or agent workflows
Prior founding, fellowship, or 0-to-1 building experience
Evidence of doing hard things outside of engineering — competitive athletics, self-directed projects, anything showing grit and agency

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