{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"797eae93788f143ced6ffa2b","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/797eae93788f143ced6ffa2b","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/797eae93788f143ced6ffa2b","title":"Founding Engineer","description":"About Us\nHalfpricesoft is a fintech company that has quietly dominated the small business payroll and tax compliance space for 20 years. We aren’t a VC-backed \"moonshot\" burning cash on a third pivot. We are a profitable, revenue-positive engine serving accountants and businesses across all 50 states.\nWe have a massive national customer base and a decades-long track record of stability. Now, we are entering a new era: transitioning our proven solutions into a modern, cloud-native suite of products. While Halfpricesoft is an established company, this role is a founding-level position for our next generation cloud platform. We are looking for a Founding Engineer to serve as our technical partner in this expansion.\nCompensation Range: 175k-210k/yr\nEquity: 0.6-1.5%\nWhy This Role Exists\nWe have the customers, we have the revenue, and we have the vision. What we need is technical leadership. We aren’t looking for a \"cog in the machine\" to close Jira tickets. We need an architect who wants to step into a leadership role and own the technical future of a multi-million dollar company.\nYou are the right fit if you are:\nA Product-First Engineer: You care about why we are building a feature, not just how. You’re excited to speak with customers to understand where the real pain points are.\nTechnically Fearless: You are comfortable touching every part of a system, from legacy C# logic to modern Kubernetes deployments.\nScrappy & Ingenious: Our mission is to provide the most effective software at the best price. We value \"smart\" solutions over \"expensive\" ones.\nWhy Join Us? (The Bootstrapped Advantage)\nReal Equity, No Games: We use a Phantom Stock Plan with a transparent, revenue-based valuation formula.\nNo VC Dilution: Phantom equity is calculated against a fixed ownership pool with a transparent, revenue-based formula.\nDividend Equivalents: As a profitable company, when we distribute profits to owners, you receive a cash bonus equivalent to your stake.\nProven Stability: We’ve been here for 20 years; we’ll be here for 20 more. This isn't a lottery ticket—it's a path to real wealth.\nTotal Autonomy: You report directly to the Founder. You will have high-level ownership over our tech stack (Django/React/K8s) and the authority to ask the questions no one else is asking.\nMain Responsibilities\nLead the 2.0 Transition: Scope, plan, and execute the modernization of our legacy software into a Django + React cloud system.\nOwn the Infrastructure: Maintain and scale our Kubernetes cloud deployment.\nBuild the Team: As we grow, you will help set the hiring bar and mentor the next generation of Halfpricesoft engineers.\nProduct Integration: Architect integrations with modern financial services and API partners.\nRequired Qualifications\n3+ years as a full-time software engineer (ideally with \"Founding\" or early-stage experience).\nCloud Architecture: Deep experience building and managing Kubernetes/cloud-native deployments.\nFull-Stack Expertise: Proficiency in React and a backend language (ideally Python/Django or C#).\nLeadership DNA: Demonstrated ability to manage open-ended projects and turn vague product needs into clear technical roadmaps.\nBonus Points\nExperience in Fintech (Payroll, Tax, or Banking).\nExperience \"strangling\" legacy systems (migrating from monolith to modern cloud).\nPrevious experience as a technical lead or manager.\nPay: $175,000.00 - $210,000.00 per year\nExperience:\nsoftware engineer: 3 years (Required)\nAbility to Relocate:\nBerkeley, CA 94704: Relocate before starting work (Required)\nWork Location: In person","company":"Halfpricesoft","rawCompany":"halfpricesoft","city":"Berkeley","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-04-14T10:54:01.699Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-1252.00","title":"Software Developers","slug":"software-developers"},{"code":"15-1299.08","title":"Computer Systems Engineers/Architects","slug":"computer-systems-engineers-architects"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"}],"industries":[{"code":"513210","title":"Software Publishers","slug":"software-publishers"},{"code":"541511","title":"Custom Computer Programming Services","slug":"custom-computer-programming-services"},{"code":"541512","title":"Computer Systems Design Services","slug":"computer-systems-design-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Founding Engineer","description":"About Us\nHalfpricesoft is a fintech company that has quietly dominated the small business payroll and tax compliance space for 20 years. We aren’t a VC-backed \"moonshot\" burning cash on a third pivot. We are a profitable, revenue-positive engine serving accountants and businesses across all 50 states.\nWe have a massive national customer base and a decades-long track record of stability. Now, we are entering a new era: transitioning our proven solutions into a modern, cloud-native suite of products. While Halfpricesoft is an established company, this role is a founding-level position for our next generation cloud platform. We are looking for a Founding Engineer to serve as our technical partner in this expansion.\nCompensation Range: 175k-210k/yr\nEquity: 0.6-1.5%\nWhy This Role Exists\nWe have the customers, we have the revenue, and we have the vision. What we need is technical leadership. We aren’t looking for a \"cog in the machine\" to close Jira tickets. We need an architect who wants to step into a leadership role and own the technical future of a multi-million dollar company.\nYou are the right fit if you are:\nA Product-First Engineer: You care about why we are building a feature, not just how. You’re excited to speak with customers to understand where the real pain points are.\nTechnically Fearless: You are comfortable touching every part of a system, from legacy C# logic to modern Kubernetes deployments.\nScrappy & Ingenious: Our mission is to provide the most effective software at the best price. We value \"smart\" solutions over \"expensive\" ones.\nWhy Join Us? (The Bootstrapped Advantage)\nReal Equity, No Games: We use a Phantom Stock Plan with a transparent, revenue-based valuation formula.\nNo VC Dilution: Phantom equity is calculated against a fixed ownership pool with a transparent, revenue-based formula.\nDividend Equivalents: As a profitable company, when we distribute profits to owners, you receive a cash bonus equivalent to your stake.\nProven Stability: We’ve been here for 20 years; we’ll be here for 20 more. This isn't a lottery ticket—it's a path to real wealth.\nTotal Autonomy: You report directly to the Founder. You will have high-level ownership over our tech stack (Django/React/K8s) and the authority to ask the questions no one else is asking.\nMain Responsibilities\nLead the 2.0 Transition: Scope, plan, and execute the modernization of our legacy software into a Django + React cloud system.\nOwn the Infrastructure: Maintain and scale our Kubernetes cloud deployment.\nBuild the Team: As we grow, you will help set the hiring bar and mentor the next generation of Halfpricesoft engineers.\nProduct Integration: Architect integrations with modern financial services and API partners.\nRequired Qualifications\n3+ years as a full-time software engineer (ideally with \"Founding\" or early-stage experience).\nCloud Architecture: Deep experience building and managing Kubernetes/cloud-native deployments.\nFull-Stack Expertise: Proficiency in React and a backend language (ideally Python/Django or C#).\nLeadership DNA: Demonstrated ability to manage open-ended projects and turn vague product needs into clear technical roadmaps.\nBonus Points\nExperience in Fintech (Payroll, Tax, or Banking).\nExperience \"strangling\" legacy systems (migrating from monolith to modern cloud).\nPrevious experience as a technical lead or manager.\nPay: $175,000.00 - $210,000.00 per year\nExperience:\nsoftware engineer: 3 years (Required)\nAbility to Relocate:\nBerkeley, CA 94704: Relocate before starting work (Required)\nWork Location: In person","datePosted":"2026-04-14T10:54:01.699Z","dateModified":"2026-04-14T10:54:01.699Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Halfpricesoft","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Berkeley","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"797eae93788f143ced6ffa2b"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/797eae93788f143ced6ffa2b"}}