InstantDB, a Y Combinator (S22) startup building a serverless, relational database designed for web developers, is seeking a founding TypeScript engineer. This role will be instrumental in shaping the product's future, requiring expertise in TypeScript, Node.js, and ideally, experience with databases like PostgreSQL. The engineer will contribute heavily to the core platform, API design, and overall developer experience. This is a fully remote, equity-heavy position offering the opportunity to join a small, passionate team at the ground floor and build something impactful.
InstantDB, a startup recently graduated from Y Combinator's Summer 2022 batch, is actively seeking a Founding TypeScript Engineer to join their nascent team. They are building a database designed for utmost simplicity and speed, targeted primarily at developers building front-end applications. The ideal candidate will be instrumental in shaping the future of the product and its technical direction, possessing a significant degree of influence over the architecture and implementation of the client-side TypeScript SDK. This SDK is crucial, serving as the primary interface through which developers will interact with the InstantDB database.
InstantDB emphasizes a modern, serverless architecture. The backend, already developed in Rust, is designed to handle the complexities of database management, allowing the front-end developer to focus solely on building their applications. The company champions a declarative approach to data modeling and querying, promising a simplified development experience compared to traditional database interactions. The future TypeScript engineer will be responsible for translating this declarative paradigm into a user-friendly and intuitive API within the TypeScript SDK.
This role is not just about writing code; it's about founding a core component of the technology stack. The engineer will be involved in designing the public API, crafting the underlying architecture, and implementing the functionality of the SDK. Experience with TypeScript is essential, as is a strong understanding of front-end development principles. A passion for developer tools and a desire to build elegant and efficient solutions are highly valued. The position offers an opportunity to work closely with the founding team, have a significant impact on the product's trajectory, and contribute to a rapidly evolving project within the exciting landscape of serverless database technology. While specific compensation details are not provided, the opportunity to join at such an early stage implies significant equity and growth potential within the company. The role is fully remote, offering flexibility in location.
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https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43897138
Hacker News users discuss Instant's TypeScript engineer job posting, expressing skepticism about the "founding engineer" title for a role seemingly focused on building a dashboard. Several commenters question the startup's direction, suggesting the description sounds more like standard frontend work than a foundational technical role. Others debate the meaning and value of the "founding engineer" title itself, with some arguing it's overused and others pointing out the potential equity and impact associated with early-stage roles. A few commenters also discuss InstantDB's YC association and express mild interest in the role, though the majority seem unconvinced by the framing of the position.
The Hacker News post discussing Instant's hiring of a Founding TypeScript Engineer generated several comments, largely focusing on the compensation and equity offered, the ambiguity of the "Founding" title, and the company's use of a coding challenge as part of their hiring process.
Several commenters questioned the relatively low equity (0.5% - 1.5%) offered for a "Founding" engineer, particularly given the already established nature of the company and the existing team size. They argued that the title seemed misleading and potentially exploitative, suggesting "early stage" would be more accurate. This sparked a discussion on the varying interpretations of "Founding Engineer" across different startups and its potential misuse. One commenter even suggested the term "Founding" should be reserved for the actual founders of the company.
Another thread of discussion revolved around the coding challenge presented to candidates, which involved building a URL shortener. Some commenters considered it a reasonable and relevant task, while others critiqued its open-endedness and lack of specified constraints, leading to concerns about the time investment required and the potential for unfair evaluation. This led to a broader discussion about the effectiveness and fairness of coding challenges in technical hiring.
The remote work policy, specifically its limitation to US and Canadian residents, also drew attention, with some users inquiring about the rationale behind this geographical restriction.
Finally, several commenters pointed out the apparent mismatch between the listed salary range ($140k - $240k) and the 0.5% - 1.5% equity for a "Founding" role, arguing that the equity should be significantly higher given the lower end of the salary range. They suggested that a higher equity stake would be a more compelling incentive for a candidate taking on a foundational role in a relatively early-stage company.
In summary, the comments express a mixed sentiment towards Instant's hiring post, with skepticism directed towards the "Founding Engineer" title, concerns about the coding challenge, and a general feeling that the compensation package might not be sufficiently attractive for the level of responsibility and risk associated with the position.