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Founder Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Zania, Inc

Ex Founder

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

Ex-Founder Why Zania Every enterprise spends millions of dollars on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). It's one of the most critical, yet universally painful, parts of running a business. For ...

Kastle AI Inc

Founder's Office

San Francisco, CA · On-site

About The Role You'll sit in the Founder's Office and act as force-multiplier to the CEO and leadership team. This is not a coordination role - this is an execution role. You'll take ambiguous, cross ...

Kastle AI Inc

Founder's Office

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $210K/yr

About The Role You'll sit in the Founder's Office and act as force-multiplier to the CEO and leadership team. This is not a coordination role - this is an execution role. You'll take ambiguous, cross ...

Svix

Founder associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140K - $175K/yr

About the role Hey, I'm Tom, the founder and CEO of Svix. I'm looking for someone smart and ambitious that wants to operate like a founder at a company that provides critical infrastructure to fast ...

Embedding VC

Founder in Residence

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

We're opening applications for our Founder-in-Residence (FIR) program - a hands-on residency designed for exceptional builders who are ready to start their next AI venture. You'll work side by side ...

Clera

Founder Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

Founder-priority projects: from new market initiatives to strategy and execution * Candidate experience & funnel: improve conversion, quality, and outcomes at scale * Ops & systems: design scalable ...

Nango

Founder's Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

We are hiring a Founder's Associate to work directly with the two founders across all aspects of running and scaling the company. This is a highly transversal role with broad exposure to strategy ...

FlightStory

Founder's Content Creator

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

FOUNDER'S CONTENT CREATOR COMPANY : FLIGHTSTORY REPORTING TO: SHORT-FORM DIRECTOR LOCATION: LOS ANGELES BASED, WITH GLOBAL TRAVEL ABOUT FLIGHTSTORY We are a media and investment company, and we are ...

Clera

Founder Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

Founder-priority projects: from new market initiatives to strategy and execution * Candidate experience & funnel: improve conversion, quality, and outcomes at scale * Ops & systems: design scalable ...

Fictiv

Executive Assistant to Founder

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$75K - $90K/yr

Manage and optimize the Founder's calendars, ensuring alignment across priorities, commitments, and time-sensitive decisions * Coordinate communications on behalf of the Founder, including email ...

Clera

Co-Founder & CTO

San Francisco, CA · On-site

The flywheel is already running -- and the incoming technical co-founder will decide how it evolves. This is not a conventional CTO hire . You will not be executing someone else's roadmap. Several of ...

Flam

Founder's Office -- Strategy & GTM

Hayward, CA · On-site

Work shoulder-to-shoulder with the founder on the sales motion -- deal prep, follow-ups, proposal turnaround, and keeping momentum on every live opportunity * Own pipeline hygiene and CRM discipline ...

Fictiv

Executive Assistant to Founder

Oakland, CA

$75K - $90K/yr

Manage and optimize the Founder's calendars, ensuring alignment across priorities, commitments, and time-sensitive decisions * Coordinate communications on behalf of the Founder, including email ...

Valerie Health

Founder's Office

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $225K/yr

About the role The Founder's Office will operate as a force multiplier across Valerie Health, partnering closely with the founders and leadership team on the company's most important strategic and ...

Wispr Flow

Ex-Founder

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Former founder excited to build a voice assistant * Expertise in either engineering or growth * For engineers: fluency in Typescript, React, and Python, and user-focused design intuition and design ...

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See California salary details

$12

$31

$70

How much do founder jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for founder in California is $31.79, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.36 and $44.02 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founder?

Founders are individuals who start a new business, organization, or venture. They are responsible for developing the initial idea, assembling a team, and securing resources to launch the company. Founders often take on multiple roles in the early stages, such as product development, marketing, and fundraising. Their vision and leadership are critical to shaping the direction and culture of the organization. Over time, founders may continue to lead the company or transition into different roles as the business grows.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a founder, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founder, you need strong business acumen, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of your target market, often supported by experience in entrepreneurship or relevant industry expertise. Familiarity with financial management tools, project management platforms, and digital marketing systems is typically necessary. Exceptional leadership, resilience, and the ability to communicate and inspire teams are vital soft skills for success in this role. These skills and qualities enable Founders to effectively launch, grow, and sustain a business in competitive environments.

What is the difference between Founder vs Entrepreneur?

AspectFounderEntrepreneur
RoleCreates and establishes a new company or product from scratchIdentifies opportunities and starts new businesses, which may include founding or managing multiple ventures
CredentialsOften has industry knowledge, business skills, and sometimes technical expertiseRequires business acumen, risk management skills, and often industry experience
Work EnvironmentTypically involved in startup development, innovation, and early-stage business activitiesEngages in business planning, funding, and scaling across various industries

While both founders and entrepreneurs are involved in starting new ventures, a founder specifically establishes a company or product, often as the original creator. An entrepreneur may start multiple businesses or pursue opportunities across industries, focusing on growth and innovation. The roles overlap but differ mainly in scope and focus.

What are some common challenges founders face in the early stages of building a company?

Founders often encounter challenges such as securing initial funding, building a reliable team, and finding product-market fit. Balancing multiple responsibilities—from business development to product management—can be overwhelming, especially with limited resources. Additionally, founders must quickly adapt to feedback and pivot strategies as needed, all while maintaining a clear vision and motivating their team. Building strong networks and seeking mentorship can help navigate these hurdles and increase the chances of early success.
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What job categories do people searching Founder jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Founder jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Founder jobs? Cities in California with the most Founder job openings:
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Founder jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founder job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% Internship, 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $66,128 per year, or $31.8 per hour.

Founder's Office, Founder Associate

Decagon

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$170K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

About Decagon Decagon is the leading conversational AI platform empowering every brand to deliver concierge customer experiences. Our technology enables industry-defining enterprises like Avis Budget Group, Block's Cash App and Square, Chime, Oura Health, and Hunter Douglas to deploy AI agents that power personalized, deeply satisfying interactions across voice, chat, email, SMS, and every other channel. We're building a future where customer experiences are being redefined from support tickets and hold music to faster resolutions, richer conversations, and deeper relationships. We're proud to be backed by world-class investors who share that vision, including a16z, Accel, Bain Capital Ventures, Coatue, and Index Ventures, along with many others. We're an in-office company, driven by a shared commitment to excellence and velocity. Our values - Just Get It Done, Invent What Customers Want, Winner's Mindset, and The Polymath Principle - shape how we work and grow as a team. About the Role Calling all founders and future founders - Decagon is building out the Founder's Office. This is a high leverage, high motor, and high impact team of Founder Associates that works directly with our Founders and Execs to scale the business and shape the foundation of a world-class AI company. You will have a front-row seat and a very direct role in tackling our highest-priority strategic and operational challenges as we continue to grow. You will drive strategic initiatives across the company, identify key areas for improvement, build processes, and ultimately get things done. Your background looks something like this
  • Are a past founder, or have ambitions of becoming one in the future
  • Are a killer operator who thrives in fast-paced environments, has extremely high ownership, and enjoys wearing multiple hats to take on new and ambiguous challenges
  • Are comfortable owning projects end-to-end, from identifying the problem to implementing scalable solutions
  • Believe in first-principles thinking: you're extremely good at analyzing problems and using data to inform decisions, optimize processes, and track performance
  • Are an excellent communicator who can partner with cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization
  • Are passionate about building from the ground up, with a strong bias toward action and intensity
Compensation $170k - $250k + equity Benefits We proudly offer the following benefits for our full-time employees:
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits for you and your family
  • Life Insurance and Disability Benefits
  • Retirement Plan (e.g., 401K, pension)
  • Parental Leave
  • Fertility and family building benefits through Carrot
  • Monthly stipend to support your wellness, lifestyle, and work-life balance
  • Daily lunches and snacks in the office to keep you at your best
  • Take what you need vacation policy (subject to local requirements; UK employees receive 25 days of statutory leave)
These benefits are described in more detail in Decagon's policies, may vary by location, and can change at any time according to applicable compensation and benefits plans.

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