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Technical Founder Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Anthropic

Applied AI Architect, Startups

San Francisco, CA

$74.25 - $97.75/hr

Strong builder credibility through experience as a software engineer or technical founder; you speak the language of builders and have the presence to earn the trust of technical founders and startup ...

Ramp

Technical Program Manager

$132K - $170K/yr

Preferred : • Experience building programs at high-rigor, fast-moving companies • Background as a software engineer or technical founder • Familiarity with how LLM-based systems are built and ...

Reka

Member of Technical Staff (Applied AI)

Background as a technical founder or in a similar capacity. * Practical experience working with transformer models and LLMs. * An exceptional ability to communicate and work effectively with cross ...

Pear VC

AI / ML Engineer - Known

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

Technical Founder For Machine Learning And AI You'll be the technical founder driving the machine learning and AI backbone behind Known -- an intelligent, compatibility-driven dating platform that ...

Pear VC

Fullstack Engineer - Known

Austin, TX

Known Technical Founder Role You'll be a core technical founder building the entire product surface of Known -- from the mobile app users fall in love with, to the backend systems that power matching ...

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Technical Founder information

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How much do technical founder jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for technical founder in the United States is $44,267.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $37,500.00 and $44,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Technical Founder, you need deep expertise in software development, product design, and systems architecture, often demonstrated by a degree in computer science or extensive industry experience. Familiarity with programming languages, cloud platforms, and agile project management tools is essential, along with a strong understanding of startup and product lifecycle processes. Exceptional problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills help drive vision, build teams, and attract investors. These skills and qualities are crucial for building scalable products, leading a technical team, and driving the company toward sustainable growth.

What is a Technical Founder?

A Technical Founder is an entrepreneur who establishes a startup or company and brings significant technical expertise to the founding team. They are typically responsible for developing the core product, overseeing technology strategy, and building the initial technology infrastructure. Technical Founders often have backgrounds in software engineering, product development, or related technical fields. Their role is crucial in ensuring the startup’s product is viable, scalable, and innovative. They may also participate in fundraising, hiring, and overall business strategy.

What is the difference between Technical Founder vs Product Manager?

AspectTechnical FounderProduct Manager
Required credentialsTechnical degree, coding skills, startup experienceBackground in business, marketing, or product design
Work environmentFounding team, startup, early-stage companyEstablished companies, tech firms, product teams
Industry usageStartup ecosystem, tech industryTech, software, digital products

The Technical Founder typically has technical expertise and plays a key role in building the product from inception, often founding the company. In contrast, a Product Manager focuses on guiding product development, strategy, and user experience within an existing organization. While both roles require understanding of technology and product development, the Technical Founder is more involved in technical creation and startup leadership, whereas the Product Manager emphasizes product strategy and market fit.

What are some common challenges Technical Founders face when transitioning from product development to team leadership?

Technical Founders often excel at building the initial product but may find it challenging to shift their focus to hiring, managing, and leading a growing team. As the company scales, responsibilities move from hands-on coding to mentoring engineers, setting technical direction, and aligning with business goals. Balancing technical debt, product vision, and team dynamics requires new skills in delegation and communication. Embracing this transition is crucial for both personal growth and the company's long-term success.
What job categories do people searching Technical Founder jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Technical Founder jobs are:
Technical Founder jobs near you
Infographic showing various Technical Founder job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 96% Full Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $44,267 per year, or $21.3 per hour.

Technical Co-Founder / CTO MentalHealth Platform

Mind Friend

San Francisco, CA • Remote

Full-time

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

Please include cover letter

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindfriend/

Location: Ability to travel or relocate within Europe and/or the US if required by the business

Compensation: Equity + monthly stipend (transitioning to full salary post-funding)

Stage: Pre-launch / launch preparation

Role type: Founder-level technical leadership

MindFriend is a mental health technology company building a trusted marketplace platform connecting clients with verified mental health professionals, including psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, counsellors, and other licensed practitioners across Sweden, the EU, the UK, and the US.

The Role

This is not just a salary-based role. We are looking for someone who wants to build, own, and scale a meaningful company.

We need a heavy-hitting Technical Co-Founder / CTO who can step in, cut through the noise, reverse-engineer best practices from competitors, and aggressively prepare us for a secure global launch.

We are looking for a Technical Co-Founder to take full ownership of MindFriend's technology and lead it from platform to scale. You will set the technical vision, lead the engineering and AI work, and drive the platform to a confident, compliant launch and beyond.

Because we want a true partner who believes in the mission and wants to build immense value, this role offers a basic survival salary paired with a equity package. We want skin in the game, passion, and long-term vision.

Requirements

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who has already helped build and launch a successful startup, marketplace, SaaS platform, health-tech platform, fintech platform, or transaction-based digital business.

You should have direct experience with:

  • Taking a platform from development to launch and revenue
  • Managing developers and technical delivery
  • Building or scaling a marketplace, booking platform, SaaS product, or transactional platform
  • Payment systems, checkout, payouts, refunds, and multi-currency flows
  • Security, privacy, data protection, and technical, legal & governance compliance
  • AI implementation or AI product strategy
  • Cloud architecture, APIs, databases, testing, QA, monitoring, and DevOps
  • Writing or reviewing technical documentation
  • Making clear build-versus-buy decisions
  • Working in a fast-moving startup where resources are limited and decisions matter

You must be comfortable taking ownership. This role is for someone who sees problems, solves them, and makes sure the platform is ready for users, revenue, investors, and regulators.

International Scaling

Prepare the technology for expansion across Sweden, the EU, the UK, and the US. This includes multi-currency payments, country-specific therapist verification, localisation, scalable infrastructure, privacy-by-design, and adaptable compliance workflows.

The platform may also fall within broader online platform or marketplace obligations depending on its structure and markets; the EU Digital Services Act applies rules to online services including marketplaces and online platforms.

Who You Are

Previous experience as a CTO, technical co-founder, VP Engineering, senior engineering lead, or founding engineer

  • You've been a technical founder or early technical leader at a startup that successfully launched a platform or marketplace - ideally one that reached real transaction volume and revenue. You've done this before and can point to it.
  • Strong full-stack and systems-architecture background; comfortable owning everything from infrastructure to product.
  • Hands-on with modern AI/ML in production, or able to direct it credibly.
  • Solid grasp of data privacy and regulated environments (GDPR essential; familiarity with healthcare-data, telehealth and cross-border payments rules across the EU/UK/US is a strong plus).
  • A leader who sets clear direction and holds a high quality bar.
  • Willing and able to relocate within Europe or to the US as the business requires.

Nice to Have

  • Experience in one or more of the following would be especially valuable:
    • Mental health, healthcare, telehealth, medtech, or regulated marketplace experience
    • GDPR / UK GDPR / HIPAA technical implementation experience
    • AI governance, AI safety, or responsible AI implementation
    • Therapist, clinician, or professional-services marketplace experience
    • Stripe Connect or similar payment/payout infrastructure
    • Identity verification, licence verification, KYC/KYB, or credential-checking systems
    • Cross-border platform scaling
    • Investor due diligence and technical audit preparation

Benefits

What We Offer
  • A co-founder status with a direct say in the strategic future of the company.
  • Equity alignment + a basic salary to cover living expenses initially until our next round of funding
  • The chance to solve a massive global problem in the mental health space.
  • A culturally diverse network of therapists and clients stretching across the EU, UK, and US.
Who This Role Is Not For

This role is not for someone who only wants a standard developer job.

It is not for someone who waits for others to define every task.

It is not for someone who avoids responsibility for launch, quality, documentation, security, privacy, or commercial outcomes.

It is not for someone who wants salary only without founder-level commitment.

Apply