Founding Engineer
$160K - $210K/yr
Has been a technical founder, founding engineer, or early engineering hire at a startup. Healthcare or insurance domain experience.
Quick apply
Founding Engineer
$160K - $210K/yr
Has been a technical founder, founding engineer, or early engineering hire at a startup. Healthcare or insurance domain experience.
This opportunity hire is specifically for ex-founder or ex-founding engineer! What you must have * previous startup founding team (founder or founding engineer) experiences * previous big enterprise ...
This opportunity hire is specifically for ex-founder or ex-founding engineer! What you must have * previous startup founding team (founder or founding engineer) experiences * previous big enterprise ...
Founding Engineer
Bodega Bay, CA · On-site
Comfortable working in early-stage startups or autonomous roles, prior experience as a founder, founding engineer, or a 0-1 pre-seed startup is a big plus Mindset: * Comfortable with ambiguity, eager ...
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Founding Engineer
Bodega Bay, CA · On-site
Comfortable working in early-stage startups or autonomous roles, prior experience as a founder, founding engineer, or a 0-1 pre-seed startup is a big plus Mindset: * Comfortable with ambiguity, eager ...
Forward Deployed Engineer
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
Comfortable in a small founding team environment reporting directly to the founder. * Public ... Has been the early/engineer at a previous startup.
Forward Deployed Engineer
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
Comfortable in a small founding team environment reporting directly to the founder. * Public ... Has been the early/engineer at a previous startup.
Founding Engineer
New York, NY · Hybrid
$120K - $180K/yr
Founding Engineer Package: $120k - $180k + equity Location: New York City (3 days per week in ... This is a true 0→1, founder-mentality role - ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, owns ...
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Founding Engineer
New York, NY · Hybrid
$120K - $180K/yr
Founding Engineer Package: $120k - $180k + equity Location: New York City (3 days per week in ... This is a true 0→1, founder-mentality role - ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, owns ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join an early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer - a rare 1-of-1 role ... Build across the full application, collaborating closely with the founder, design team, and other ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join an early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer - a rare 1-of-1 role ... Build across the full application, collaborating closely with the founder, design team, and other ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join an early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer -- a rare 1-of-1 role ... Build across the full application, collaborating closely with the founder, design team, and other ...
Quick apply
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join an early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer -- a rare 1-of-1 role ... Build across the full application, collaborating closely with the founder, design team, and other ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join a fast-moving, early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer -- a rare ... Build across the full application stack alongside the founder, design team, and other engineers.
Quick apply
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join a fast-moving, early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer -- a rare ... Build across the full application stack alongside the founder, design team, and other engineers.
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join a fast-moving, early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer - a rare ... Build across the full application stack alongside the founder, design team, and other engineers.
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$175K - $225K/yr
About the Role Join a fast-moving, early-stage consumer AI startup as a Founding Engineer - a rare ... Build across the full application stack alongside the founder, design team, and other engineers.
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
Previous experience as a founder or early-stage engineer at a startup. * Familiarity with ... Equity participation as a founding team member. Location * San Francisco, CA -- fully on-site, 5 ...
Quick apply
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
Previous experience as a founder or early-stage engineer at a startup. * Familiarity with ... Equity participation as a founding team member. Location * San Francisco, CA -- fully on-site, 5 ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
Previous experience as a founder or early-stage engineer at a startup. * Familiarity with ... Equity participation as a founding team member. Location * San Francisco, CA - fully on-site, 5 ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
Previous experience as a founder or early-stage engineer at a startup. * Familiarity with ... Equity participation as a founding team member. Location * San Francisco, CA - fully on-site, 5 ...
Founding Engineer
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$90K - $121K/yr
The Opportunity As a Founding Engineer, you will architect and build the core systems that power ... Partner directly with the founder to prioritize initiatives and run experiments * Continuously ...
Founding Engineer
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$90K - $121K/yr
The Opportunity As a Founding Engineer, you will architect and build the core systems that power ... Partner directly with the founder to prioritize initiatives and run experiments * Continuously ...
Founding Engineer
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$90K - $121K/yr
The Opportunity As a Founding Engineer, you will architect and build the core systems that power ... Partner directly with the founder to prioritize initiatives and run experiments * Continuously ...
Founding Engineer
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$90K - $121K/yr
The Opportunity As a Founding Engineer, you will architect and build the core systems that power ... Partner directly with the founder to prioritize initiatives and run experiments * Continuously ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
... Founding Engineer with 1+ years of professional experience shipping to production. This is a ... Ideal for a high-agency, first-principles thinker who thrives in ambiguity and has founder ...
Quick apply
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
... Founding Engineer with 1+ years of professional experience shipping to production. This is a ... Ideal for a high-agency, first-principles thinker who thrives in ambiguity and has founder ...
Founding Engineer
$97K - $129K/yr
... Co-founder of Ramp, the CEO of PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM), the CEO of Bito AI, and industry leaders from Google, Atlassian, Qualcomm, and Crusoe. Role Description As a Founding Engineer, you'll help ...
Founding Engineer
$97K - $129K/yr
... Co-founder of Ramp, the CEO of PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM), the CEO of Bito AI, and industry leaders from Google, Atlassian, Qualcomm, and Crusoe. Role Description As a Founding Engineer, you'll help ...
Founding Engineer
New York, NY · On-site
Founding Engineer - Lava (NYC) About Lava: Be on the ground floor of how the world builds and ... Collaborate closely with the founder, product, and sales to set the technical direction and ...
Founding Engineer
New York, NY · On-site
Founding Engineer - Lava (NYC) About Lava: Be on the ground floor of how the world builds and ... Collaborate closely with the founder, product, and sales to set the technical direction and ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$152K/yr
The role We're hiring a Founding FullStack Engineer to build V1 products end to end. You'll work in ... Early startup or founder experience. * Scaled an engineering team to 10+ with a strong culture.
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$152K/yr
The role We're hiring a Founding FullStack Engineer to build V1 products end to end. You'll work in ... Early startup or founder experience. * Scaled an engineering team to 10+ with a strong culture.
Founding Engineer - Lava (NYC) About Lava: Be on the ground floor of how the world builds and ... Collaborate closely with the founder, product, and sales to set the technical direction and ...
Founding Engineer - Lava (NYC) About Lava: Be on the ground floor of how the world builds and ... Collaborate closely with the founder, product, and sales to set the technical direction and ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
... and Brex. CEO is a 2x founder with prior successful exits and owned cloud infrastructure at ... Role As a founding engineer, you'll help invent and build the core product and systems from the ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
... and Brex. CEO is a 2x founder with prior successful exits and owned cloud infrastructure at ... Role As a founding engineer, you'll help invent and build the core product and systems from the ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
... Founding Engineer with 1+ years of professional experience shipping to production. This is a ... Ideal for a high-agency, first-principles thinker who thrives in ambiguity and has founder ...
Founding Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $220K/yr
... Founding Engineer with 1+ years of professional experience shipping to production. This is a ... Ideal for a high-agency, first-principles thinker who thrives in ambiguity and has founder ...
Founder Founding Engineer information
See salary details
$17.07 - $20.80
3% of jobs
$20.80 - $24.54
7% of jobs
$24.54 - $28.28
13% of jobs
$28.65 is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$28.28 - $32.01
16% of jobs
The median wage is $35.41 / hr.
$32.01 - $35.75
12% of jobs
$35.75 - $39.49
14% of jobs
$42.72 is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$39.49 - $43.23
12% of jobs
$43.23 - $46.96
7% of jobs
$46.96 - $50.70
9% of jobs
$50.70 - $54.44
5% of jobs
$54.44 - $58.17
2% of jobs
$17
$37
$58
How much do founder founding engineer jobs pay per hour?
As of Jun 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for founder founding engineer in the United States is $37.14, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $28.61 and $44.47 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.
What are Founder Founding Engineers?
Founder Founding Engineers are technical professionals who join a startup at its earliest stages, often as co-founders or first hires, and play a critical role in building the company's initial product and technical foundation. They are responsible for designing, developing, and scaling the core technology while also contributing to the overall business strategy. These roles require a mix of technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and adaptability, as they help shape the company's direction and culture from the ground up.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Founder or Founding Engineer, and why are they important?
To thrive as a Founder or Founding Engineer, you need a strong background in software development, product architecture, and startup operations, often supported by experience in launching or scaling technology products. Familiarity with cloud platforms, version control systems, programming frameworks, and sometimes startup accelerators or entrepreneurial coursework is highly beneficial. Exceptional problem-solving, adaptability, resilience, and leadership set standout candidates apart in this position. These skills and qualities are crucial for building innovative products, driving early-stage growth, and navigating the uncertainty of startup environments.
What is the difference between Founder Founding Engineer vs CTO?
| Aspect | Founder Founding Engineer | CTO |
|---|---|---|
| Required credentials | Technical expertise, startup experience | Technical background, leadership skills |
| Work environment | Early-stage startup, hands-on role | Growing company, strategic leadership |
| Employer and industry usage | Startup founders, tech companies | Established companies, tech industry |
| Common search intent | Understanding startup technical roles | Leadership in tech companies |
The Founder Founding Engineer is typically a technical co-founder involved in building the product from the ground up in a startup environment. In contrast, a CTO often holds a leadership role overseeing technology strategy in more established or growing companies. While both roles require strong technical skills, the Founding Engineer is more hands-on and involved in daily development, whereas the CTO focuses on strategic planning and team management.
What are some common challenges faced by Founder Founding Engineers when balancing technical development with strategic business goals?
Founder Founding Engineers often juggle building the core product while shaping the startup’s overall vision and direction. One of the main challenges is allocating time between hands-on coding, setting up scalable systems, and addressing business priorities like fundraising or customer acquisition. It requires clear communication with co-founders, adaptability to shifting priorities, and the ability to make technical decisions that support long-term business objectives. Successful Founding Engineers thrive by being proactive, embracing ambiguity, and collaborating closely with both technical and non-technical team members.
$160K - $210K/yr
Full-time
Posted 6 days ago
Job description
About this role
We are looking for Founding Engineers to join our small team in San Francisco. We need a product-minded builder who is passionate about speed, simplicity, and solving real-world problems for therapists and children. This is a unique opportunity to shape our product, stack, and culture from the ground up.
What you'll do
- Ship constantly, prioritizing speed and learning over perfection.
- Own problems end-to-end, from idea through to shipping and user adoption.
- Talk to therapists and observe their work to deeply understand their needs.
- Make critical product decisions, not just technical ones, and decide what we build.
- Use AI aggressively to accelerate development and enhance our product.
Tech stack
TypeScript, React, Langchain
Seniority
2+ years of experience as a software engineer, with experience building AI agents.
Work experience
Experience building AI agents, either in a professional setting or through a meaningful side project.
Has been a technical founder, founding engineer, or early engineering hire at a startup.
Healthcare or insurance domain experience.