Job Description
Job Description
San Francisco, CA · On-site · Full-time Compensation: $175,000–$250,000 + 1%–6% equity
About the Company
Our client is building a real-time AI companion product aimed at young women — operating at the frontier of human-AI interaction, designing realistic real-time interfaces that feel present and proactive rather than sterile and turn-based. It's currently in market with 130 paying customers, day-one retention above 80%, and week-two retention around 70%, and was founded by a repeat founder with a prior exit.
Founded 2026 · 1–10 people (Seed) · Industry: Consumer Tech
The Role
This is engineer number one — working directly with the founder on the most technically interesting problems in real-time AI interaction, from memory systems and latency optimization to voice and video interfaces that feel delightful at scale.
Tech stack: Backend (Python, Go, Rust, TypeScript, or similar) + distributed systems; full-stack with ML model integration; real-time / latency-sensitive infrastructure; voice/video systems.
Requirements
- 3+ years of backend + full-stack shipping experience (excluding internships)
- Raw intelligence and the ability to move fast (the founder's priority over seniority)
- In person in San Francisco, high-intensity culture
- A former founder or early-stage engineer preferred
Nice to Haves
- A former founder or founding engineer
- A top-school background with high raw intelligence
- Taste and judgment on AI-generated outputs
- Deep technical taste that predates AI tools
- Genuine fascination with real-time, latency-sensitive, or voice-first systems
Why Join
- Engineer #1, direct to founder: the first engineering hire, working hand-in-hand with a repeat founder on the hardest problems in real-time AI
- Proven traction, complexity about to explode: 130 paying customers with strong retention, joining right as the technical surface expands into voice and video
- Full ownership across the stack: backend infra, ML integration, in-house memory systems, latency, and voice interfaces — plus setting the engineering bar and helping recruit the team
Details
- Location — San Francisco, CA
- Work policy — On-site, high-intensity
- Compensation — $175,000–$250,000 + 1%–6% equity
- Visa sponsorship — Available (H-1B, O-1)
- Employment type — Full-time