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Founding Engineer

San Francisco / New York / Remote
$150k - $200k + 1-2% Equity
Full-time

Hiring Companies

The following companies are hiring for this role right now. Take a single OnMerit interview and top performers are shared with companies hiring now. Get offers from multiple companies from one interview.

Exa
Exa
Tavily
Tavily
Turso
Turso
Neon
Neon
Astral
Astral

About the Role

This is not a 9-to-5. We are looking for builders who want to be owners. You will be the first or second engineer at a high-potential startup, working directly with the founders to build the MVP and find product-market fit. You won't just write code; you will shape the product, the culture, and the future of the company. If you want to start your own company one day, this is the best training ground.

What You'll Do

  • Build and ship the initial version of the product (0 to 1).
  • Talk directly to users to understand their pain points.
  • Make architectural decisions that balance speed and scalability.
  • Help hire the next 5 engineers.
  • Operate with complete autonomy.

Requirements

  • Extreme product velocity (you ship multiple times a day).
  • Full-stack capability (you can build a feature from DB to UI).
  • Strong product intuition (you know what to build, not just how).
  • High tolerance for ambiguity and changing requirements.
  • A portfolio of side projects or previous startup experience.

The Interview

This track requires just one 30-minute interview. Here's what you can expect:

  • Resume Deep Dive: Detailed walkthrough of your past experience.
  • Technical Case Study: Short case study on a technical topic.
  • Operating Case Study: Short case study on an operating topic.

Application Process

01

Upload Resume

Create your secure candidate profile and upload your resume

02

Take Interview

Complete a single 30-minute AI technical interview session

03

Get Offers

Top performers get connected with hiring managers

04

Get Feedback

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