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Founding Engineer Product / Full-Stack

Posted yesterday

texterraPortland (ME)

SENIORITY

Lead

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About the role

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

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