Founding Engineer — Product / Full-Stack

Texterra; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity-based compensation

Ownership of product and technical方向

Job summary

Texterra in Portland, OR is seeking a founding engineer to own the technical architecture for our AI-powered creative platform. You will shape how visual signals become structured inputs, define data models, and build scalable systems that power our tools.

This is a true founding role with equity-based compensation and limited cash initially. You’ll move fast, balance speed with durable decisions, and influence both product and technical direction at the company’s early stage.

Qualifications

• Strong full-stack background with systems and data design.
• Experience building scalable architectures in cloud environments.
• Hands-on with Node.js or Python and modern web stacks.
• Ability to balance speed with durable architectural decisions.

Responsibilities

• Design the technical architecture and translate product vision into a scalable system.
• Define how images become structured inputs and how aesthetic signals are modeled.
• Build core app architecture, APIs, and data flows.
• Develop image ingestion, storage, processing pipelines, and data models.

Skills

Full-stack development

System design

Cloud platforms

Node.js

Python

Architectural decision making

Product thinking

Tools

AWS

GCP

Job description

Texterra is building an AI-powered creative platform that interprets visual inspiration and translates it into structured, usable design systems.

We read the signals in your uploaded images and turn intuition into intent. Screenshots, moodboards, and visual worlds become signals of taste, hierarchy, composition, and structure — synthesized into composed systems that give creative direction real form.

Our core capability is Aesthetic Interpretation — the ability to read images as expressions of taste and translate them into usable creative frameworks.

Texterra sits at the intersection of design, technology, and human judgment. We’re early, design-led, and building something ambitious at the foundation of a new creative operating system.

The Role

You’ll design the technical architecture and translate a highly visual, taste-driven product vision into a scalable system.

You’ll define how images become structured inputs, how aesthetic signals are modeled, and how those signals turn into real tools people can use.

This is a true founding role. You won’t just implement — you’ll shape the direction.

What You’ll Be Building

• Core app architecture, APIs, and data flows
• Image ingestion, storage, and processing pipelines
• Data models for structured visual signals and iteration
• Flexible product logic that enables rapid experimentation
• Composable foundations for future verticals and integrations
• Secure, privacy-conscious handling of user uploads and visual data

Technical Expertise

• Strong technical taste — knowing which tools to use, when to build from scratch, and how to architect intelligently
• Strong full-stack background (Node, Python, or similar)
• Thoughtful systems and data design
• Cloud infrastructure experience (AWS, GCP, or equivalent)
• Ability to balance speed with durable architectural decisions

Bonus

• Startup or founding engineer experience
• Interest in creative tooling or AI-native products

What Sets You Apart

• You think in systems and see second-order effects
• You’re pragmatic, decisive, and calm under ambiguity
• You want ownership of outcomes, not just tickets
• You care about building something durable and category-defining

Stage Reality

This is an early-stage, equity-first role. Cash compensation is limited initially.

This role is best suited for someone who wants real ownership, proximity to decision-making, and meaningful long-term upside. Competitive compensation is planned once funding is secured.

• Equity-first compensation
• You’ll shape both product and technical direction

Compensation

• Founder-level equity (standard vesting)
• Limited cash initially, increasing with traction or funding
• Long-term ownership and deep product influence