Founding engineers for early-stage startups

Your first engineers
set the bar.

Founding engineers and founding technical leads for VC-backed startups. Owners who build whole systems from zero, from New York to San Francisco and Austin.

Book a 15-min callSee founding placements
What we hire

Builders who own the whole system.

Your first hires write the code everyone else builds on. We find people who have done it before.

GeneralistsFounding engineersEngineers who ship across the stack from day one.
LeadsFounding technical leadsHands-on leads on a path to CTO, who build first and manage later.
AIFounding AI engineersFirst engineers who can put LLMs and agents into production.
SystemsFounding backend and infraEngineers who design the systems, data and cloud you will run on.
ProductFounding full-stackProduct-minded engineers who build and iterate with users every day.
PartnersTechnical co-foundersBuilders ready for equity and real ownership of the technology.
How we assess

We hire for ownership, not just skill.

  1. 01Track record
    Built from zeroWe look for people who have shipped a product with no team or codebase behind them.
  2. 02Range
    Comfortable everywhereFounding engineers move between backend, front end, data and infrastructure in a week.
  3. 03Fit
    Founder fitThey will work side by side with you. We test how they think, not just what they know.
  4. 04Week 1
    Your shortlist3 to 5 builders who fit, each with our honest notes.
Results

Early hires who grew the company.

Seed · Enterprise AI · $5M raisedLead front-end engineer
12 monthsfrom new hire to Head of Engineering
2 promotionsin the first year
Full stacknow owned end to end
Rebuiltrefactored from the ground up
Read the full story
The approachLooked for builders who had shipped 0 to 1 products at very early startups.Shortlisted engineers who could lead the front end and grow beyond it.Stayed close to both sides through offer, notice and start date.
A year laterPromoted to lead developer, then Head of Engineering.Took ownership of the entire stack.Refactored and rebuilt it end to end.

Recent founding placements

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Hiring now

Founding roles we're working on.

See all open roles
Questions

Hiring founding engineers, answered.

When should a startup hire its first engineer?

Usually once you have funding and a clear first product to build. That first hire shapes how fast you ship for years, so it pays to get it right rather than fast.

How long does it take to hire a founding engineer?

Most searches reach a shortlist within a week. A signed offer usually takes 3 to 4 weeks, depending on how quickly your interview process runs.

Should I hire a founding engineer or a CTO?

Most early startups need a hands-on builder first. We often reframe a CTO brief into a founding lead on a path to CTO. It's faster to hire and a better fit at this stage.

Do founding engineers expect equity?

Yes. Equity is a core part of almost every founding offer. We help you shape the package and close the candidate.

Where do you hire?

Mainly New York, San Francisco, Austin and Boston, plus remote roles across the US. On-site, hybrid or remote.

Matt Geppert, founder of Open Select
Matt GeppertFounder, since 2011
Why Open Select exists

Most recruiters optimize for speed. I optimize for the hire you're still happy with two years later.

I've recruited engineers for startups since 2011. By the end of our first call I usually already have people in mind, because I've spent years talking to engineers long before your role existed.

  • 01You deal with me. No account managers. No handoffs.
  • 02Straight answers. On candidates, comp and your process, even when it's not what you want to hear.
  • 03I build with AI every day. When an engineer explains their work, I can follow it.
Email MattLinkedIn

Let's build your team.

Pick a time that suits you. A 15-minute call, a search strategy memo, and a decision in 48 hours.

Prefer email? hello@osrecruit.com
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