Respell Looking for Software Engineer at San Francisco, CA Full Time

Who We Are

I’m Matt, ex-Atmos cofounder and AI enthusiast. I learned machine learning in 2014, data scienced at NASA, got a little distracted, built a homebuilding company, then realized I have a gravitational attraction towards AI and it can’t wait.

And there’s others just like me; experts in multiple domains and radically hungry.

• We build fast and carefully, we think in systems, and we’re empathetic + deeply rational. If you like to optimistically logic things out with a clear end goal, we’ll have fun.
• We care about the team. We’re not family, but we’re comrades on a quest to build something that makes people say “holy shit” all the while keeping each other sane. We’ll have your back.
• We expect results, and we’ll show you how to get them. We also expect you to challenge us. If a student isn’t learning, the teacher must change.

Who You Are

• You’re a self-starter. You make things happen, and you’re excited when they do. You’re fixed on the high of users raving about the feature you just pushed.
• You’re smart because you learn fast and adapt. Problems are puzzles to you, and you’re in it for the journey.
• You’re not an asshole. You can get passionate, but it doesn’t boil over. You might have a disdain for company politics, or at the least dislike them. You treat people with respect.
• You believe AI is the future. Maybe not in a SkyNet type of way, nor an Ex Machina type of way, but in a trend-analyzed, first principles deduction type of way. Ideally you have some generative AI/LLM experience or strong insights.

The Perils You’ll Face

Startups are hard. Sometimes they do this funny thing called “running out of money” with unfortunate frequency. My past startups have not done this so far, and I feel much more confident that Respell will not experience this fate. Nonetheless, danger lies ahead.

• There will be times when you feel like we’re building the wrong thing. This could be anything from a single feature to the whole company. We’ll figure it out together.
• You will work hard. If you’ve been nodding your head and smiling so far, you can weather it. Victory feels better when your sweat is on the ground.
• You will disagree with us. Our promise is to listen to your concerns and change our minds when you’re right (and this will happen regularly, in my experience).
• You will struggle to solve hard problems. We will have many, and they will appear at the most misfortunate times.

The Treasure You’ll Find

Startups are rewarding. Sometimes it’s what you’d expect, oftentimes in places you don’t expect.

• You’ll be paid in cash and equity. We all have to eat, and starving teammates make hangry teammates. I don’t want to deal with that. Plus, you could be rich! (standard disclaimers apply)
• You’ll learn a ton. Everything after Respell will seem much easier.
• You’ll have fun. Shipping is inherently fun, winning is even more fun, and when all else fails I have an unlimited supply of absolutely terrible jokes.
• I’ll train you however I can to be an entrepreneur, then help you start your company. I can’t expect you to stay forever, though I’d love a few years at least. When we do part ways, I’ll bake an embarrassing goodbye cake and set you up with capital, connections, advice, and more.

Include this as your first sentence in your first question in the application: “I WANT TO MAKE MAGIC”

We’re excited to hear from you 🙂