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Founding Software Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Simple AI Lab Company

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200 - $250/hr

We are growing revenue like crazy and looking to hire a couple founding software engineers to help us stay afloat of current customer demand and also build out systems for the future. We are very ...

Simple AI Lab Company

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$130K - $280K/yr

We are growing revenue like crazy and looking to hire a couple founding software engineers to help us stay afloat of current customer demand and also build out systems for the future. We are very ...

HMBL

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

We're seeking a Founding Software Engineer for an early staged AI & LLM startup based in San Francisco. About the Role * Hands on experience developing technology using Python * A builder of business ...

Noso Labs Inc.

Full Stack Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Above market pay The Role As Founding Software Engineer, you will be our first full-time engineer and play a pivotal role in shaping our product and technology stack from the ground up. You will work ...

HMBL

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

We're seeking a Founding Software Engineer for an early staged AI & LLM startup based in San Francisco. About the Role * Hands on experience developing technology using Python * A builder of business ...

Tamarind Bio

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Tamarind Bio is seeking exceptional Founding Software Engineers to scale their computational biology platform that powers drug discovery. In this role, you will design, build, and scale ...

Gradient Robotics

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

About the role We're looking for a Founding Software Engineer to own how Gradient Robotics moves data from AI models to actuators. You'll work close to the hardware, from kernel and firmware up ...

Menlo Ventures

Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$125 - $150/hr

Founding Software Engineer (Mid‑Senior Level) Why Zania Every enterprise spends millions of dollars on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). It is one of the most critical, yet universally ...

Zania, Inc

Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$100K - $200K/yr

Founding Software Engineer (Mid-Senior Level) Why Zania Every enterprise spends millions of dollars on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). It's one of the most critical, yet universally painful ...

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All JobsFounding Software Engineer JobsFounding Software Engineer Jobs in California

Founding Software Engineer information

See California salary details

$62.7K

$145.6K

$202.8K

How much do founding software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 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?

AspectFounding Software EngineerSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; startup experience often preferredBachelor's degree in CS or related field; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startup, high responsibility, flexible rolesEstablished companies or startups, structured teams, defined roles
Employer & Industry UsageFounding teams of startups, tech companiesTech firms, corporations, startups
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding startup roles, early-stage responsibilitiesStandard 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:

Founding Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Software Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 90% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $145,592 per year, or $70 per hour.

Software Engineer

Simple AI Lab Company

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$200 - $250/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision

Re-posted 17 days ago

Job description

About Simple

Simple AI is building state of the art voice AI agents for enterprise. Our realistic agents help iconic businesses like Doordash, xAI, and Omaha Steaks handle all kinds of phone operations, from customer support to order intake to lead qualifications. We are growing revenue like crazy and looking to hire a couple founding software engineers to help us stay afloat of current customer demand and also build out systems for the future. We are very excited about the potential for AI to change the world, and work out of our SF based office.

Simple AI raised $14M from world-class investors and operators like Y Combinator, First Harmonic, Massive Tech Ventures, Michael Seibel, Jared Friedman, Alexandr Wang, Matt Van Horn, Suhail Doshi, and Scott Wu.

The Team

The founders (Catheryn and Zach) met while running software teams at YC, where they shipped tons of new products for YC founders, including YC’s co-founder matching site. Cat previously worked at Instagram and Facebook and earned degrees in math and computer science at MIT. Zach previously studied computer science and statistics at U Chicago and led software at PEAK6.

About the Role

We are looking for founding software engineers to help us build the core systems behind Simple AI’s voice agents. You will work across product to make our agents faster, more reliable, and more capable in real production environments.

This is a high-ownership engineering role. You will ship customer-facing features, improve latency and reliability, build internal tools, debug complex edge cases, and help us scale the platform as customer demand grows.

We are a small team, so engineers here work close to the product and close to customers. You should be excited to move fast, own large parts of the system, and build technology that directly impacts revenue for businesses using Simple.

What We Offer

  • Competitive salary & meaningful equity

  • Employee-friendly equity terms

  • An office located in SF

  • Health, dental & vision insurance

  • Free lunch & dinner at the office

  • Late night Ubers

  • Regular team events & offsites

What You'll Need

  • 4+ years of relevant work experience.

  • Strong problem-solving skills and enthusiasm for addressing technical challenges.

  • A customer-first mindset with strong communication skills and interest in product design and prioritization.

  • Self-motivated and able to work independently.

  • Passion about learning and keeping up with latest AI advancements.

Nice To Have

  • Previous experience with prompt engineering or working with AI/LLM-based platforms.

  • Experience as an early-stage startup engineer or founder.

  • Experience with TypeScript, React, Python, Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, AWS.

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