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Founding Full Stack Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Clera

Founding Full-Stack iOS Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K/yr

As the Founding Full-Stack iOS Engineer , you will own the companion iOS app end-to-end - the primary surface through which users experience and act on their emotional data. This is a high-ownership ...

Gauge

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Founding Full-Stack Engineer to work on various components of their system, improving the product and scalability while delivering features that enhance customer experience.

Clera

Founding Full-Stack iOS Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K/yr

As the Founding Full-Stack iOS Engineer , you will own the companion iOS app end-to-end -- the primary surface through which users experience and act on their emotional data. This is a high-ownership ...

Nexusflow.ai, Inc.

Full-Stack Engineer

Palo Alto, CA

Full-Stack Engineer Nexusflow is currently adding Full-Stack Engineers to our team. Our full-stack engineers are responsible for packaging up our technology in models and last-mile quality toolings ...

Satori Digital

Full Stack Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$175K - $220K/yr

We're looking for a product minded Full Stack Software Engineer who thrives at the intersection of ... Either as one of three profiles: a) joined early and seen scale over 3-5+ years, b) founding ...

Sol

Full Stack Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

The Full Stack Engineer will be responsible for developing the product from backend services to user interfaces, working closely with the founding team to deliver features that integrate data ...

Purple Unicorn

Full-Stack Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $150K/yr

Purple Unicorn, on behalf of SalesPatriot , is hiring an Full Stack Engineer . Non-negotiable: ALL ROLES ARE ON-SITE IN SAN FRANCISCO. IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED YOU MUST BE LOCAL OR WILLING TO MOVE

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Founding Full Stack Engineer information

What is a Founding Full Stack Engineer?

A Founding Full Stack Engineer is an early, core technical team member at a startup who is responsible for building both the front-end and back-end of the company's product. This role goes beyond typical engineering, often involving product decisions, architecture design, and collaborating directly with the founders. Founding Full Stack Engineers help shape the company's culture, technical direction, and can have significant equity stake. Their work is crucial in taking the business from idea to launch, often in a fast-paced, resource-limited environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Founding Full Stack Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founding Full Stack Engineer, you need expertise in both front-end and back-end development, deep knowledge of programming languages like JavaScript, Python, or Ruby, and experience with scalable architectures, often backed by a degree in computer science or equivalent experience. Familiarity with frameworks (React, Node.js, Django), version control systems (Git), cloud platforms (AWS, GCP), and DevOps practices is typically required. Strong problem-solving, initiative, adaptability, and excellent communication distinguish successful candidates, enabling effective collaboration in a startup environment. These skills and qualities are crucial for building robust products rapidly and influencing the company's technical direction from its early stages.

What is the difference between Founding Full Stack Engineer vs Full Stack Engineer?

AspectFounding Full Stack EngineerFull Stack Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires proven full stack development experience, sometimes with startup or early-stage company involvementRequires relevant full stack development skills, often with formal education or certifications
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startups or founding teams, often wearing multiple hatsEstablished companies or startups, focused on project delivery
Employer & Industry UsageFounding teams, startups, tech entrepreneursTech companies, agencies, startups, corporate IT teams

Founding Full Stack Engineers are key players in early-stage startups, often involved in building core products from scratch and shaping company technology. Full Stack Engineers work across various company sizes, focusing on developing and maintaining applications. The main difference lies in the startup environment and level of involvement in founding the company.

What unique challenges might a Founding Full Stack Engineer face when joining an early-stage startup?

As a Founding Full Stack Engineer at an early-stage startup, you'll often balance building core product features with setting up foundational technical infrastructure. This role typically requires wearing multiple hats, from architecting systems and writing code to making critical technology decisions and collaborating closely with non-technical founders. You may encounter challenges such as ambiguous requirements, shifting priorities, and limited resources, but you'll also have significant influence over the company's technical direction. The dynamic environment encourages rapid learning and offers accelerated career growth, particularly for those who thrive in fast-paced, collaborative settings.
What are popular job titles related to Founding Full Stack Engineer jobs in California? For Founding Full Stack Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Founding Full Stack Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Founding Full Stack Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Founding Full Stack Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Founding Full Stack Engineer job openings:
Founding Full Stack Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Full Stack Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution.

Founding Full-Stack iOS Engineer

Clera

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$150K/yr

Full-time

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

About the Role
This is a founding engineering opportunity at a Y Combinator Spring 2026 consumer wearable startup operating at the intersection of emotional intelligence and computational neuroscience. The company is building a wearable device that measures and surfaces real-time emotional-state data - think energy, mood, and focus - derived from a proprietary inference model processing over 150 audio and biometric signals. Prototypes are already on users' wrists.
As the Founding Full-Stack iOS Engineer, you will own the companion iOS app end-to-end - the primary surface through which users experience and act on their emotional data. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role with a direct line to the founding team and a clear path to leading the engineering org as the company scales.
What You'll Do
  • Own the companion iOS app from architecture through to polished, consumer-grade delivery
  • Integrate and surface real-time emotional-state outputs (e.g. energy, mood, focus scores) from the backend inference model into the app experience
  • Build and iterate on UI/UX that makes complex neuroscience outputs intuitive and actionable for everyday users
  • Collaborate closely with research and hardware to shape the full product experience
  • Lay the technical foundations and engineering culture as an early founding hire
What We're Looking For
Required
  • Strong, proven experience shipping consumer iOS apps (Swift) - a few years minimum; not a role for recent graduates
  • Full-stack capability: comfortable owning both the mobile layer and relevant backend/API integration
  • Track record of building polished, high-quality consumer-grade mobile experiences
  • Ability to move fast and operate with high autonomy in an early-stage environment

Nice to Have
  • Experience with health, fitness, or wearable app ecosystems (HealthKit, CoreMotion, Bluetooth LE, etc.)
  • Interest in biometrics, emotional intelligence, or computational neuroscience
  • Prior founding or very early-stage startup experience
Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary: ~$150,000 USD (San Francisco) / ~£75,000 GBP (London)
  • Equity: Up to 1-2% - meaningful founding-level ownership
  • Seed-stage company with angel and strategic investment; recently completed a funding round
  • Visa sponsorship: Not available for new sponsorships; visa transfers are welcome
Location
Primary location is San Francisco, CA, with flexibility for London, UK or remote candidates depending on experience and fit. The team is small (5 people) and moves quickly - proximity to the founding team is valued.

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