Founding Product Engineer
About the Role
This is a founding product engineering role at an early-stage AI startup transforming how the construction industry handles blueprint analysis, material takeoffs, and cost estimation. You'll sit on a small, impact-driven product team, owning features end-to-end and working directly with customers to ship software that helps builders move faster and with less waste.
What You'll Do
Own features from discovery to production - interview customers weekly and ship useful iterations quickly.
Build intuitive UIs that make complex blueprint and hardware data approachable for users coming from paper-based workflows.
Contribute across the full stack: React frontend, Python backend, and supporting infrastructure.
Act as a 0-to-1 architect, taking raw ideas and turning them into production-ready products.
Translate messy domain knowledge gathered from customers into clear, well-scoped product decisions.
Shape product direction - not just implementation - bringing strong product taste to how things look, feel, and work.
Handle the operational and "schlep" work that keeps a seed-stage team moving forward.
What We're Looking For
Demonstrated ability to build and ship software across the full stack - open to all experience levels, including new grads.
Hands-on experience with React for customer-facing UIs and Python for backend services and infrastructure.
Track record of owning features end-to-end with direct customer engagement.
Comfort designing architecture and building products from scratch (0-to-1 experience a strong plus).
Strong product taste and user-focused design sensibility.
Excellent communication skills, empathy, and a growth mindset.
Bonus: previously built and shipped something customers used or paid for (founder or early-startup background).
Bonus: familiarity with construction, blueprints, or related domain knowledge.
Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship and able to work on-site in San Francisco.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $120,000 - $180,000 USD annually. Equity participation expected at this stage. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location
On-site in San Francisco, CA. Relocation welcome; in-office presence is required.