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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us to build a groundbreaking app that fosters genuine friendships.
- Company: Arou, a fast-growing community focused on meaningful connections.
- Benefits: Equity-only role with full ownership and a voice in decisions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on tackling loneliness and shaping the future of friendship.
- Qualifications: Experience in software engineering and a passion for community building.
- Other info: Work with a dynamic founding team and enjoy flexible hours.
The predicted salary is between 500 - 1500 £ per month.
About Arou
Over the last six months, Arou has grown into a fast-growing community and a new way for adults to make real friends. We’re now turning that into a product. Arou places you straight into a small group chat with three people around you - same age, location and similar interests. It’s an instant friendship group that helps people go from zero to talking, quickly. We then give you the tools to actually keep those friendships going, not just start them.
Think WhatsApp meets Tinder BFF (minus the swiping), built for people who want depth, not endless surface-level connections. So far, everything has grown organically. We now have over 1,500 community members, and 1,200+ TikTok followers, all through word of mouth. We’ve been deliberately testing different audiences and channels - including a 500-person WhatsApp community - to understand what drives genuine connection and sustainable growth before launch. We know our customers.
The Role
We’re building our founding team and looking for a thoughtful, ambitious engineer who wants to ship fast, learn relentlessly, and help shape the future of how people make friends.
Who You Are
- You have a drive to build products that genuinely improve people’s lives.
- You care deeply about community and connection.
- You’re product-minded and commercial - you want to build something people love and that works as a business.
- You use AI as a force multiplier.
- You have a strong bar for quality, but you’re fast - you know when to ship and iterate.
- You’re pragmatic, and curious.
- You’ve got experience as a software engineer (we’re using React Native/Firebase for our MVP, but we value mindset over specific stack).
- You’re calm under pressure, motivated by purpose, and enjoy collaborating with passionate, driven people.
Commitment & Equity
This is an equity-only role. Everyone on the founding team currently has full-time roles, so this is treated as a passion project - we work evenings or weekends (when we can), with weekly syncs to stay aligned and move fast. You’ll have full ownership from day one, a real voice in product and technical decisions, and the opportunity to shape something that will impact millions. You should be excited about building something of your own.
Why Join
- You’ll help build a product that tackles one of the biggest modern challenges: loneliness.
- You’ll join our team at Day 1, right as we launch our MVP - this has the potential to change so many lives.
- You’ll work alongside a founding team who are building at some of the most exciting, fast-growing startups across People, Product, Engineering and Operations.
- You’ll be part of a small, close-knit founding team with ambition, heart, and a bias for action.
If this sounds exciting, drop us a note at hello@arou.app or share your CV - we’ll grab a virtual coffee to chat.
Founding Engineer - Volunteer (Equity Only) in Manchester employer: Arou
Contact Detail:
Arou Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Engineer - Volunteer (Equity Only) in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your field, especially those who are already part of the community you want to join. Use platforms like LinkedIn or even Twitter to connect and engage with them. Remember, personal connections can often lead to opportunities!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or any projects that showcase your engineering prowess, make sure to highlight them. Create a GitHub profile or a personal website where you can display your work. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job postings to pop up. Reach out directly to companies you admire, like Arou, and express your interest in joining their team. A well-crafted message can go a long way in making a memorable impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare for those virtual coffees! When you get the chance to chat with someone from the company, come prepared with questions about their vision and how you can contribute. This shows your genuine interest and helps you stand out as a candidate who’s ready to dive in.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Engineer - Volunteer (Equity Only) in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Yourself: When you're writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to get to know the real you, so don’t be afraid to show your passion for building connections and improving lives.
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects your experience and skills that align with our mission at Arou. Highlight any projects or roles where you've built community-focused products or used tech to foster connections.
Show Your Drive: We love ambitious folks! In your application, share examples of how you've shipped products quickly and iterated based on feedback. Show us your mindset and how you tackle challenges head-on.
Reach Out Directly: Don’t hesitate to drop us a note at hello@arou.app with your application. We’re all about making connections, so let’s grab a virtual coffee and chat about how you can be part of our journey!
How to prepare for a job interview at Arou
✨Know the Product Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you understand Arou's concept and how it aims to foster genuine connections. Familiarise yourself with their community-building approach and think about how your engineering skills can enhance this vision.
✨Show Your Passion for Community
Arou is all about building meaningful friendships, so be ready to share your thoughts on community and connection. Discuss any past experiences where you've contributed to a community or built products that improved people's lives.
✨Demonstrate Your Agile Mindset
Since this role involves shipping fast and iterating, come prepared to discuss how you've approached rapid development in the past. Share examples of when you had to balance quality with speed and how you made those decisions.
✨Ask Thoughtful Questions
Engage with the interviewers by asking insightful questions about Arou's future plans and challenges. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you understand how you can contribute to their mission from day one.
