Founding Engineer
About this role
About Bota
Bota builds AI hardware products that bring real-world context into AI and agentic workflows.
We are backed by top-tier institutional investors and angels, including Andreessen Horowitz. Our cofounders are repeat founders who previously built and exited a Y Combinator-backed startup together.
We believe the quality of AI is fundamentally limited by the quality of the context it has access to. Today, much of the most valuable real-world context — conversations, environments, interactions, and events happening outside the screen — is still missing from AI systems.
Bota is building the hardware layer that captures and brings this critical real-world context into AI and agentic workflows, enabling AI to understand more of what is happening in the physical world and act on it.
Role: Founding Engineer (Full Stack)
We’re seeking a hands-on founding engineer who can design, build, and ship core components of our platform. You’ll wear many hats, from architecture and implementation to debugging and optimizing, with a focus on delivering delightful, robust software.
What you'll do
Architect and implement the core full-stack product, from backend services to frontend interfaces
-Own and drive end-to-end technical decisions, including technology stack, coding standards, testing strategies, and deployment pipelinesBuild maintainable, scalable APIs and data models; ensure performance, reliability, and security
Collaborate with product, design, and early customers to translate ideas into practical, high-impact features
Establish development processes, CI/CD, and instrumentation to enable rapid, quality software delivery
Mentor and collaborate with future engineers as the team grows
Continuously improve the system with refactors, performance optimizations, and technical debt management
Participate in shaping company culture, recruitment, and long-term technology strategy
What you should bring
Proven full-stack development experience with end-to-end ownership of products or components
Strong backend experience (e.g., API design, databases, scalability, security) and a solid frontend skillset (modern frameworks, responsive UI, accessibility)
Proficiency in at least one modern language for the backend (e.g., Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby) and one for the frontend (e.g., React, Vue, Svelte)
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, containerization, and deployment (e.g., AWS/GCP/Azure, Docker, Kubernetes)
Experience building and operating at startup scale: shipping quickly, iterating based on feedback, and handling ambiguity
Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
A founder mindset: high ownership, bias for action, and comfort in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Nice-to-have
Prior startup or early-stage company experience
Experience with data modeling, analytics, and experimentation
Contributions to open source or side projects demonstrating initiative
Knowledge of security best practices and observability tools
Role benefits and team culture
High-impact, foundational role with significant influence over product and company direction
Equity in a transparent, mission-driven startup
Flexible work environment with a strong emphasis on work-life balance
Opportunities for professional growth, mentorship, and leadership as the team scales
Collaborative, inclusive culture that values curiosity, experimentation, and ownership
Location and time
Location flexible; possibility of remote work with occasional in-person collaboration
Competitive compensation aligned with experience and market norms
Flexible hours with a results-oriented approach
What success looks like after 90 days
A well-architected core stack with key features implemented and a clear plan for next phases
A runnable, well-tested codebase with CI/CD pipelines and basic telemetry
Early adopters engaged, feedback integrated into the roadmap, and a visible contribution to product direction
A collaborative, growing engineering team and a startup-ready engineering culture
If you’re excited to build a foundational platform and shape the future of Bota, we’d love to hear from you.
Originally posted on Himalayas
