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- Tasks: Lead backend development, design APIs, and build scalable services with cutting-edge tech.
- Company: Join Affinity Labs, a pioneering AI venture studio in London.
- Benefits: Equity stake, rapid career growth, and hands-on experience in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by launching multiple products quickly with AI-driven workflows.
- Qualifications: 3-6 years of backend experience, strong Python skills, and a startup mindset.
- Other info: Collaborate with experienced builders and creators to shape the future of company creation.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
At Affinity Labs, we’re building the future of company creation, a full-stack AI venture studio that partners with content creators to co-found authentic, scalable software businesses. By combining AI-native development with creator-led distribution, we are pioneering a new model of monetisation to rapidly build, launch, and scale digital ventures aligned with creators and their audiences. We aim to launch ventures 10x faster and cheaper than traditional methods using our internal "AI factory": a multi-agent architecture, reusable component libraries, and a growing knowledge graph that learns from every product we ship.
Why Affinity Labs: Ship at rapid pace with AI-accelerated workflows, see your work distributed to thousands of users at launch, and compound impact across multiple products, not just one.
Role Description: You’ll lead end-to-end backend development across our products: scoping services, designing data models and APIs, building, testing, shipping, and iterating in tight cycles. This is an early-stage, hands-on role with significant autonomy and responsibility to drive backend product development, collaborating closely with founders, creators, and product/design to turn lean specs into reliable, scalable services.
Responsibilities:
- Implement features end-to-end on the backend (APIs → data models → integrations) and maintain quality while moving fast.
- Run tight build, test, iterate, ship loops; provide realistic estimates and surface blockers early.
- Manage tech debt pragmatically; record key decisions as lightweight ADRs/notes in the tooling.
- Participate in daily standups and weekly planning, contribute to technical strategy & execute from Linear tickets.
- Contribute to architecture and product discussions; be heard in debate, align to unified decisions.
- Own operability: set up and maintain CI/CD, monitoring/alerting, performance & error budgets, and safe rollback paths.
- Build and integrate AI features (LLM/agent workflows, RAG/vector DB integration, eval hooks, cost/safety guardrails).
Essential Requirements:
- 3-6+ years building production backends/services, with shipped work and clear ownership.
- Strong Python (FastAPI) and database skills (PostgreSQL/MongoDB); solid API design fundamentals.
- Familiarity with AWS serverless patterns and Docker for bespoke services; basic CI/CD concepts.
- Comfortable with Redis (caching/sessions) and common queue/messaging patterns.
- Startup mindset: high ownership, pace, ambiguity; willing to burn the midnight oil when needed.
- Growth mindset & flexibility: open to feedback; not rigid about stack/tools.
- Clear communicator & collaborator; lean on your experience to guide product decisions.
- Evidence of shipping quickly in small teams (links to repos, case studies, or live services).
Desired:
- Node.js alongside Python for services or integrations.
- Experience with vector databases (e.g., Chroma) and embedding pipelines.
- LangChain or CrewAI for orchestration; MCP servers for integrations.
- Security hygiene (secrets, permissions, least-privilege) and practical data-privacy basics.
- Planning & execution in Linear (or similar).
Tools & Stack:
- Backend/Runtime: Python (FastAPI), Node.js.
- Datastores: PostgreSQL, MongoDB (as appropriate), Redis (caching/sessions).
- Vectors/Embeddings: Chroma (or similar).
- AI Models & APIs: Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google); Amazon Nova Canvas (vision), Deepgram (audio).
- AI Dev Tools: LangChain or CrewAI (orchestration), MCP servers (integration), GitHub Copilot / Claude Code.
- Infrastructure: AWS (serverless functions), Docker (primarily for custom MCPs).
- Frontend (when needed): React/Next.js (for dashboards/admins, used selectively).
Competencies & Behaviours:
- Communicates clearly with technical and non-technical teammates.
- Takes ownership from concept to deploy and through maintenance.
- Balances technical excellence with pragmatic delivery to meet business needs.
- Adapts quickly to changing requirements and emerging tech; applies AI learnings.
- Sets clear goals, tracks progress, and hits commitments; collaborates across disciplines.
Why this role is a career launchpad:
- Own the code & the company. You step in as a Founding Engineer with a meaningful equity stake from day one.
- Ship faster with AI at your side. Our workflow bakes in AI so you spend your time solving real problems—not boilerplate.
- Ride a rocket. Our wider vision is big and the bar is high; we need driven people who can help us achieve an ambitious roadmap.
- Grow like crazy. You’ll architect, build, and launch multiple products each year. The shipping reps you’ll get in 12 months here would take 3–4 years in a typical startup.
- There’s a lot of work, it’s high intensity, and the expectation is to ship extremely quickly.
- Learn from builders, not bosses. Work shoulder-to-shoulder with a team that has scaled VC-backed startups, closed multi-million-pound term sheets, and collaborated with 1,000+ creators across formats and categories.
Founding Engineer (Full Stack / Backend) employer: Antler
Contact Detail:
Antler Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer (Full Stack / Backend)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, tech events, or even online webinars. You never know who might be looking for a Founding Engineer or who can refer you to someone who is!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best projects, especially those involving backend development. Share links to your GitHub repos or any live services you've built. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can do.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and coding challenges. But don’t just stop there—be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they relate to the role at Affinity Labs. We want to see your thought process and problem-solving skills!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team at Affinity Labs. Don’t forget to tailor your application to highlight your fit for the Founding Engineer role!
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer (Full Stack / Backend)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see that you’re genuinely excited about building innovative software and working with creators. Share why this opportunity at Affinity Labs speaks to you.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in backend development, especially with Python and database skills. We love seeing specific examples of your work, so don’t hesitate to link to repos or projects that showcase your abilities!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you a great fit for the Founding Engineer role. Remember, we’re looking for effective communicators!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Antler
✨Know Your Tech Stack Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Python (FastAPI), PostgreSQL, and AWS. Be ready to discuss your past projects where you’ve used these tools, and how you tackled challenges related to them.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share specific examples of how you've implemented features end-to-end in previous roles. Highlight your experience with tight build-test-iterate cycles and how you managed tech debt while maintaining quality.
✨Communicate Clearly and Collaboratively
Since this role involves working closely with founders and creators, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve collaborated in small teams and contributed to technical strategy in the past.
✨Demonstrate Your Startup Mindset
Emphasise your adaptability and willingness to take ownership. Share instances where you thrived in ambiguous situations or had to pivot quickly due to changing requirements. This will show that you’re a great fit for the fast-paced environment at Affinity Labs.
