I'm partnering with an exceptional, well‑funded AI startup that is redefining how people make decisions in their everyday lives. This is an opportunity for an elite engineer who wants to step into a founding‑level role and help architect a platform used daily by high‑performing founders, executives, and athletes.
If you’re motivated by impact, velocity, and solving genuinely hard problems—this role is built for you.
You’ll join at the foundational stage, working directly with world‑class engineers and product leaders to build the backend systems behind a next‑generation AI lifestyle platform. This product is already in the hands of deeply engaged early users, with engagement metrics far above industry norms.
You will play a central role in scaling the platform’s intelligence, infrastructure, reliability, and performance.
As a Founding Backend Engineer, you will:
* Design and build backend services + APIs using Python and Django.
* Own end‑to‑end delivery of key features—from design to production rollout.
* Develop background processing systems, task queues, and agent orchestration.
* Work hands‑on with LLM integrations, RAG pipelines, and AI‑driven systems.
* Enhance system performance across SQL queries, APIs, and distributed jobs.
* Build and operate cloud infrastructure on GCP.
* Lead debugging and incident resolution in a high‑usage environment.
* Collaborate closely with product, curators, and frontend/mobile engineers to deliver high‑impact outcomes.
This is a deeply hands‑on role with huge autonomy and the chance to shape the entire technical foundation of the product.
What We're Looking For
* 5+ years of production backend engineering experience.
* Deep expertise with Python, Django, and Django REST Framework.
* Strong SQL knowledge and performance tuning experience.
* Practical experience with Celery or background job systems.
* Exposure to LLMs, AI infrastructure, or agentic systems.
* Experience building reliable, observable distributed systems.
* Cloud-native experience (ideally GCP).
* Someone who thinks in terms of trade‑offs, reliability, and user impact.
* Clear communication and a founder‑mindset: ownership, speed, precision.
Why This Role Is Exceptional
* Founding‑level influence on architecture, culture, and product direction.
* Work with a team focused on quality, velocity, and shipping high‑polish features.
* A product with high engagement, a premium user base, and a massive market gap.
* Ideal for engineers who want to found a company one day—this is a launchpad.
* A rare opportunity to build something users genuinely love from day zero.
If you're an exceptional backend engineer who wants to build something meaningful—and you thrive in high‑ownership, fast‑moving environments—I'd love to hear from you.