Back End Developer

Founding Backend Engineer About the RoleWe're a small, founder-led team building a taste-driven social curation platform — think highly visual, found-media collections rather than content creation. We're pre-launch, going to market this summer, with a dedicated beta community already behind us.We're looking for our foundational technical hire to own the backend and systems architecture end-to-end alongside the founders. Frontend and design are well covered today; what we need is someone who can ship heavy backend, think in systems, and set the architectural foundation this product is built on.You'll walk in on day one and assume real technical ownership over a bleeding-edge web product. What You'll Own • Backend architecture and the core systems behind it — data models, APIs, deployment, observability • Designing scalable patterns for real-time feeds, search, and browsing • Applied AI product capabilities, including: • Semantic search and retrieval • Embedding pipelines and vector indexing • Automated tagging / classification using off-the-shelf models • Pragmatic tradeoffs between speed, quality, and scalability in a live product • Establishing technical standards, patterns, and conventions as the codebase and team grow • Collaborating directly with founders on technical strategy and product direction • Identifying technical risk early and proposing concrete mitigations As the company grows, you'll help hire and mentor future engineers and shape engineering culture — this role is on a leadership track for the right person. Who You Are • Backend and systems first. You've owned production-grade systems end-to-end — databases, APIs, system boundaries — and you reach for architecture instinctively. Comfortable across the full stack, but backend is your center of gravity. • Blue-chip foundation. You've done standout work at a top-tier company or a well-known startup, and/or have a strong CS background. Pedigree matters here. • Early-career but already operating above your title. Roughly 1–3 years in, ready to take far more ownership than your current role allows. Genuinely exceptional new grads with a serious body of side projects are welcome too. • TypeScript-primary. This is a TS-heavy stack; deep comfort here matters more than breadth across languages. • Applied AI, in production. You've shipped ML/AI product features — not research, not data science. You know how to put models to work. • Culturally tapped in. You have a real point of view on pop culture, creative tools, digital communities, and where the social web is going. This is a consumer product made by people who care about taste. • High agency, strong bias for action. You don't wait to be told. You see what's broken or missing and you fix it. Our StackYou don't need every tool below, but you should ramp fast and hold opinionated development philosophies. • TypeScript • Serverless Postgres (Neon) • React Router v7 • Drizzle ORM • Cloudflare R2 • Fly.io deployment • Modern AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex...) Logistics & Compensation • On-site in Bushwick, NYC, 4–5 days/week. NYC-based or relocation-ready. • Base salary $150,000–$200,000 depending on experience, skillset, and fit, plus a meaningful founding equity stake.