The Founding Software Engineer will collaborate closely with the founding team to architect, build, and ship core features across the full product stack, while also establishing engineering best ...
The Founding Software Engineer will collaborate closely with the founding team to architect, build, and ship core features across the full product stack, while also establishing engineering best ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$130K - $200K/yr
About the Role A well-funded, seed-stage B2B SaaS startup in the supply chain integrations space is looking for a Founding Software Engineer to help shape the architecture, culture, and product ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$130K - $200K/yr
About the Role A well-funded, seed-stage B2B SaaS startup in the supply chain integrations space is looking for a Founding Software Engineer to help shape the architecture, culture, and product ...
Founding Software Engineer - TruTec About TruTec TruTec is an AI-powered construction takeoff platform that is revolutionizing a $17 billion industry . We automate the tedious, manual process of site ...
Founding Software Engineer - TruTec About TruTec TruTec is an AI-powered construction takeoff platform that is revolutionizing a $17 billion industry . We automate the tedious, manual process of site ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$130K - $200K/yr
About the Role A well-funded, seed-stage B2B SaaS startup in the supply chain integrations space is looking for a Founding Software Engineer to help shape the architecture, culture, and product ...
Quick apply
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$130K - $200K/yr
About the Role A well-funded, seed-stage B2B SaaS startup in the supply chain integrations space is looking for a Founding Software Engineer to help shape the architecture, culture, and product ...
Founding Software Engineer - TruTec About TruTec TruTec is an AI-powered construction takeoff platform that is revolutionizing a $17 billion industry . We automate the tedious, manual process of site ...
Founding Software Engineer - TruTec About TruTec TruTec is an AI-powered construction takeoff platform that is revolutionizing a $17 billion industry . We automate the tedious, manual process of site ...
As a founding software engineer, you will develop advanced AI systems for chip verification, collaborating closely with chip teams and customers to ensure timely delivery of working chips.
As a founding software engineer, you will develop advanced AI systems for chip verification, collaborating closely with chip teams and customers to ensure timely delivery of working chips.
As a Founding Software Engineer, you'll have end-to-end ownership over projects pushing the frontier of AI evaluation. This isn't a narrow role. One week you might prototype a new RL environment from ...
As a Founding Software Engineer, you'll have end-to-end ownership over projects pushing the frontier of AI evaluation. This isn't a narrow role. One week you might prototype a new RL environment from ...
Founding Software Engineer
Los Angeles, CA · On-site
$165K - $270K/yr
About the Role A fast-growing, Y Combinator-backed insurtech startup (Seed stage) is hiring a Founding Software Engineer to take true end-to-end ownership of the core platform powering its AI agents ...
Founding Software Engineer
Los Angeles, CA · On-site
$165K - $270K/yr
About the Role A fast-growing, Y Combinator-backed insurtech startup (Seed stage) is hiring a Founding Software Engineer to take true end-to-end ownership of the core platform powering its AI agents ...
They are seeking a Founding Software Engineer to take on full-stack ownership and contribute to building an impactful AI platform for law firms. Responsibilities : • With high-agency who isn't ...
They are seeking a Founding Software Engineer to take on full-stack ownership and contribute to building an impactful AI platform for law firms. Responsibilities : • With high-agency who isn't ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $200K/yr
About the role As a founding software engineer at Bronco AI, you will be building world-class intelligent reasoning systems for chip verification. You'll own the product from pushing the frontier of ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $200K/yr
About the role As a founding software engineer at Bronco AI, you will be building world-class intelligent reasoning systems for chip verification. You'll own the product from pushing the frontier of ...
Founding Software Engineer
$200K - $250K/yr
... building software that turns what happens inside a cockpit into automated, structured debrief ... Aviation, AI/ML, Defense Technology The Role This is a founding engineering seat on a team of fewer ...
Quick apply
Founding Software Engineer
$200K - $250K/yr
... building software that turns what happens inside a cockpit into automated, structured debrief ... Aviation, AI/ML, Defense Technology The Role This is a founding engineering seat on a team of fewer ...
About the role This is a founding engineering role. You'll own entire systems end to end - the ... About you * 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a track record of ...
About the role This is a founding engineering role. You'll own entire systems end to end - the ... About you * 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a track record of ...
About the Role We're hiring three exceptional Founding Software Engineers to help us scale the computational biology platform that powers our drug discovery pipeline. In this role, you'll collaborate ...
About the Role We're hiring three exceptional Founding Software Engineers to help us scale the computational biology platform that powers our drug discovery pipeline. In this role, you'll collaborate ...
Founding Software Engineer
$160K - $210K/yr
THE ROLE This is a true founding-engineer seat. You'll work directly with therapists, ship real features that land in production, and own problems end-to-end -- from the first line of code through ...
Founding Software Engineer
$160K - $210K/yr
THE ROLE This is a true founding-engineer seat. You'll work directly with therapists, ship real features that land in production, and own problems end-to-end -- from the first line of code through ...
As a founding engineer, you will work across product, infrastructure, and AI to deliver a customer-first product you can be proud of. You will collaborate directly with a founding team from leading ...
As a founding engineer, you will work across product, infrastructure, and AI to deliver a customer-first product you can be proud of. You will collaborate directly with a founding team from leading ...
As a Founding Software Engineer, you will design and build features for these robots, ensuring stability and performance while directly interfacing with customers to identify opportunities for ...
As a Founding Software Engineer, you will design and build features for these robots, ensuring stability and performance while directly interfacing with customers to identify opportunities for ...
Founding Backend Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $300K/yr
We are hiring a Founding Software Engineer in San Francisco. We are building a small, talent-dense team. This role will define the engineering archetype at Unsiloed AI and set the ceiling for the ...
Quick apply
Founding Backend Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $300K/yr
We are hiring a Founding Software Engineer in San Francisco. We are building a small, talent-dense team. This role will define the engineering archetype at Unsiloed AI and set the ceiling for the ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $250K/yr
They are hiring a full-stack software engineer to help shape the future of healthcare. This engineer will be on the front lines of the most ambitious product bets-owning development of core features ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $250K/yr
They are hiring a full-stack software engineer to help shape the future of healthcare. This engineer will be on the front lines of the most ambitious product bets-owning development of core features ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · Remote
$150K - $250K/yr
They are hiring a full-stack software engineer to help shape the future of healthcare. This engineer will be on the front lines of the most ambitious product bets-owning development of core features ...
Founding Software Engineer
San Francisco, CA · Remote
$150K - $250K/yr
They are hiring a full-stack software engineer to help shape the future of healthcare. This engineer will be on the front lines of the most ambitious product bets-owning development of core features ...
Founding Software Engineer - Vimes
San Francisco, CA · On-site +1
Founding Software Engineer - Vimes ABOUT US Vimes is building the universal operating system for government welfare, starting with child protection: our cross‑platform crisis‑intervention ...
Founding Software Engineer - Vimes
San Francisco, CA · On-site +1
Founding Software Engineer - Vimes ABOUT US Vimes is building the universal operating system for government welfare, starting with child protection: our cross‑platform crisis‑intervention ...
Founding Software Engineer information
See California salary details
$62.7K - $75.4K
2% of jobs
$75.4K - $88.1K
4% of jobs
$88.1K - $100.9K
6% of jobs
$100.9K - $113.6K
8% of jobs
$120.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$113.6K - $126.4K
7% of jobs
$126.4K - $139.1K
18% of jobs
The median wage is $142.1K / yr.
$139.1K - $151.8K
16% of jobs
$151.8K - $164.6K
2% of jobs
$169.8K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$164.6K - $177.3K
26% of jobs
$177.3K - $190.1K
1% of jobs
$190.1K - $202.8K
8% of jobs
$62.7K
$145.6K
$202.8K
How much do founding software engineer jobs pay per year?
As of Aug 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding software engineer in California is $145,592.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $170,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.
What is a founding software engineer?
Founding Software Engineers are among the first technical hires at a startup or newly formed company. They play a critical role in building the initial product, setting up the technical foundation, and often shaping the company's engineering culture and processes. In addition to coding, they may also be involved in architecture decisions, hiring, and even strategic business discussions. This role typically requires broad technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a founding software engineer?
To thrive as a Founding Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, full-stack development, and problem-solving, often demonstrated by a strong technical background and relevant degrees. Familiarity with cloud platforms, version control systems (like Git), and modern programming languages or frameworks is essential, along with startup exposure or experience. Initiative, adaptability, and outstanding communication are crucial soft skills for shaping the product vision and collaborating in a small, fast-moving team. These capabilities are vital for efficiently building robust products from scratch and driving early-stage company growth.
What are some unique challenges faced by founding software engineers in an early-stage startup environment?
Founding Software Engineers in early-stage startups often navigate rapidly shifting priorities and must wear multiple hats, from architecting core systems to handling on-call troubleshooting. The role typically requires balancing the need for quick feature delivery with building scalable, maintainable code. Close collaboration with co-founders and other early team members is essential, as decisions made at this stage have a lasting impact on the product and company culture. Adaptability, strong communication, and ownership are key, as resource constraints and ambiguity are common.
What is the difference between Founding Software Engineer vs Software Engineer?
| Aspect | Founding Software Engineer | Software Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| Required Credentials | Bachelor's or higher in CS or related field; startup experience often preferred | Bachelor's degree in CS or related field; entry to mid-level experience |
| Work Environment | Early-stage startup, high responsibility, flexible roles | Established companies or startups, structured teams, defined roles |
| Employer & Industry Usage | Founding teams of startups, tech companies | Tech firms, corporations, startups |
| Search & Comparison Intent | Understanding startup roles, early-stage responsibilities | Standard software development roles, career progression |
The main difference is that a Founding Software Engineer is an early team member in a startup, often taking on broader responsibilities and helping shape the company's technical foundation. A Software Engineer typically works within established teams on specific projects, with more defined roles and responsibilities.
How much do founding software engineers make?
Founding software engineers often receive higher compensation than standard engineers, including equity or stock options, as they help establish the company's technology. Salaries typically range from $100,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on the company's size, funding stage, and location, with early-stage startups sometimes offering lower salaries but greater equity potential.
What does a founding software engineer do?
A founding software engineer is a key early team member responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the core software products of a startup or new project. They often work closely with founders to establish technical architecture, write code, and set development standards, typically using programming languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript. This role requires strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
What are popular job titles related to Founding Software Engineer jobs in California?
For Founding Software Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Founding Software Engineer jobs in California look for?
The top searched job categories for Founding Software Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Founding Software Engineer jobs?
Cities in California with the most Founding Software Engineer job openings:
Full-time
Re-posted 26 days ago
Job description
Job Summary:
Recruiting from Scratch is representing a dynamic early-stage company that is building a next-generation customer research platform. The Founding Software Engineer will collaborate closely with the founding team to architect, build, and ship core features across the full product stack, while also establishing engineering best practices and engaging directly with users to translate needs into scalable solutions.
Responsibilities:
• Collaborate closely with the founding team to architect, build, and ship core features across the full product stack.
• Design and develop systems that enable AI-driven conversational interviews, focusing on real-time dialogue management and adaptive questioning.
• Build and maintain infrastructure for the entire research lifecycle, including research plan generation, participant recruitment, and insight synthesis.
• Contribute to technical architecture decisions, tooling, and engineering processes as a foundational team member.
• Engage directly with users and stakeholders to translate research and product needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Establish engineering best practices, code quality standards, and development workflows that will grow with the team.
• Own features end-to-end, from initial design through deployment and iteration, with a high degree of autonomy.
Qualifications:
Required:
• Proven experience in building and shipping production software, ideally in a startup or fast-paced environment.
• Strong proficiency across the full stack, with hands-on experience in frontend and backend systems.
• Familiarity with integrating large language models, AI agents, or conversational AI systems.
• Demonstrated product instincts, with a focus on user experience alongside technical implementation.
• Ability to work autonomously and make sound decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving situations.
Preferred:
• Prior experience at an early-stage or seed-stage startup, particularly in a founding or first-engineer role.
• Knowledge of NLP pipelines, prompt engineering, or frameworks for LLM orchestration.
• Experience in building real-time or streaming systems, especially those involving audio or live conversation interfaces.
Company:
A recruiting agency working with technology companies to help them hire software engineers, data roles, product managers, and hardware. Founded in 2021, the company is headquartered in Albany, USA, with a team of 11-50 employees. The company is currently Early Stage.
Recruiting from Scratch is representing a dynamic early-stage company that is building a next-generation customer research platform. The Founding Software Engineer will collaborate closely with the founding team to architect, build, and ship core features across the full product stack, while also establishing engineering best practices and engaging directly with users to translate needs into scalable solutions.
Responsibilities:
• Collaborate closely with the founding team to architect, build, and ship core features across the full product stack.
• Design and develop systems that enable AI-driven conversational interviews, focusing on real-time dialogue management and adaptive questioning.
• Build and maintain infrastructure for the entire research lifecycle, including research plan generation, participant recruitment, and insight synthesis.
• Contribute to technical architecture decisions, tooling, and engineering processes as a foundational team member.
• Engage directly with users and stakeholders to translate research and product needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Establish engineering best practices, code quality standards, and development workflows that will grow with the team.
• Own features end-to-end, from initial design through deployment and iteration, with a high degree of autonomy.
Qualifications:
Required:
• Proven experience in building and shipping production software, ideally in a startup or fast-paced environment.
• Strong proficiency across the full stack, with hands-on experience in frontend and backend systems.
• Familiarity with integrating large language models, AI agents, or conversational AI systems.
• Demonstrated product instincts, with a focus on user experience alongside technical implementation.
• Ability to work autonomously and make sound decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving situations.
Preferred:
• Prior experience at an early-stage or seed-stage startup, particularly in a founding or first-engineer role.
• Knowledge of NLP pipelines, prompt engineering, or frameworks for LLM orchestration.
• Experience in building real-time or streaming systems, especially those involving audio or live conversation interfaces.
Company:
A recruiting agency working with technology companies to help them hire software engineers, data roles, product managers, and hardware. Founded in 2021, the company is headquartered in Albany, USA, with a team of 11-50 employees. The company is currently Early Stage.
About Recruiting from Scratch
Sourced by ZipRecruiter
Recruiting from Scratch is a premier talent firm that focuses on placing the best product managers, software, and hardware talent at innovative companies. Our team is 100% remote and we work with teams across the United States to help them hire. We work with companies funded by the best investors including Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Ventures, Tiger Global Management, A16Z, Accel, DFJ, and more.
Industry
Recruiting and staffing services
Company size
11 - 50 Employees
Headquarters location
New York, NY, US
Year founded
2021