Temper — Founding Engineer

• →2–5 years of experience as a full-stack or backend engineer [Required]

• VC-backed startup experience (seed to Series B) [Must have]
• Shipped and owned complex software products end-to-end, with at least one tenure at a standout startup [Required]
• Former founder, or founding/early engineer who built 01 at a fast-growing, high-caliber startup [Strongly preferred]

• Undergrad in CS or engineering (flexible when work pedigree is strong) [Required]
• Top-50 technical school or clear academic spike: tradeable against startup pedigree [Strongly preferred]

• Proficient in TypeScript and modern full-stack product development [Must have]
• Agent-native: hands-on building with AI agents/LLMs using current, cutting-edge patterns [Required]
• High-agency side projects (agentic tools, launched products) that show craft and initiative [Strongly preferred]

• High degree of autonomy and ability to build from scratch [Must have]

• Requires significant direction or structured tasks to be productive
• Career exclusively at big tech, enterprise, or non-tech companies
• Outside the experience band: internship-only / under ~2 years, or 8+ years / management-only focus

• Salary | $150K–$300K |
• Equity | 0.4–0.8% |
• On-site policy | In-office in San Francisco, CA, 5 days/week |
• Visa sponsorship | No new H-1B; transfers (OPT, H-1B transfer, O-1, TN) fine; case-by-case for exceptional candidates |
• Employment type | Full-time |
• Location | San Francisco, CA |

1. Can you be on-site in SF? If not, are you willing to relocate?
2. What is your salary expectation?
3. How actively are you exploring new opportunities?

Updated Apr 4, 2026

• Prioritize candidates with 2–5 years full-time experience at a VC-backed startup (seed–Series B) — internships or big-tech-only paths must be ruled out.
• Focus on those who demonstrate end-to-end, founding-engineer / 01 experience in full-stack/backend roles using TypeScript and modern AI agent frameworks.
• Screen for clear motivation and on-site SF availability, with willingness to embrace an intense, high-autonomy startup environment (no new H-1B sponsorship).
• Ensure candidates exhibit deep technical excellence and concrete production results, not just side projects or academic prototypes.

• Headcount is now 1 (they hired 2 through Paraform); the bar is higher and precision matters more than volume.
• Hard must-have: 2–5 years full-time as a full-stack/backend engineer at a VC-backed startup (seed–Series B), with at least one "stellar" startup on the resume. Internship-only, new-grad, or big-tech-only profiles are rejected regardless of school.
• Ideals: former founders or founding/early engineers who built 01; agent-native engineers using the latest AI/LLM patterns; high-agency side projects; strong TypeScript.
• Trade-offs OK: top-50 school is no longer a hard filter. Strong startup pedigree can fully substitute for school pedigree (and vice versa).
• Screen before submitting: clear motivation for an intense seed-stage environment, strong communication, SF onsite 5 days/week, and no new H-1B sponsorship (transfers/O-1/TN fine). Each of these has killed multiple candidates at interview stage.