About Us
Halfpricesoft 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.
We 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.
Compensation Range: 175k-210k/yr
Equity: 0.6-1.5%
Why This Role Exists
We 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.
You are the right fit if you are:
- A 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.
- Technically Fearless: You are comfortable touching every part of a system, from legacy C# logic to modern Kubernetes deployments.
- Scrappy & Ingenious: Our mission is to provide the most effective software at the best price. We value "smart" solutions over "expensive" ones.
Why Join Us? (The Bootstrapped Advantage)
- Real Equity, No Games: We use a Phantom Stock Plan with a transparent, revenue-based valuation formula.
- No VC Dilution: Phantom equity is calculated against a fixed ownership pool with a transparent, revenue-based formula.
- Dividend Equivalents: As a profitable company, when we distribute profits to owners, you receive a cash bonus equivalent to your stake.
- Proven 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.
- Total 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.
Main Responsibilities
- Lead the 2.0 Transition: Scope, plan, and execute the modernization of our legacy software into a Django + React cloud system.
- Own the Infrastructure: Maintain and scale our Kubernetes cloud deployment.
- Build the Team: As we grow, you will help set the hiring bar and mentor the next generation of Halfpricesoft engineers.
- Product Integration: Architect integrations with modern financial services and API partners.
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years as a full-time software engineer (ideally with "Founding" or early-stage experience).
- Cloud Architecture: Deep experience building and managing Kubernetes/cloud-native deployments.
- Full-Stack Expertise: Proficiency in React and a backend language (ideally Python/Django or C#).
- Leadership DNA: Demonstrated ability to manage open-ended projects and turn vague product needs into clear technical roadmaps.
Bonus Points
- Experience in Fintech (Payroll, Tax, or Banking).
- Experience "strangling" legacy systems (migrating from monolith to modern cloud).
- Previous experience as a technical lead or manager.
Pay: $175,000.00 - $210,000.00 per year
Experience:
- software engineer: 3 years (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- Berkeley, CA 94704: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person
