USD per year
Founder-in-Residence
$160K - $250K•San Francisco, CA, US Job type Full-time Role Operations Experience 3+ years Visa US citizen/visa only
About the role
About Wefunder
We've raised over a billion dollars for thousands of founders in all 50 states, from ostrich farms to unicorns like Substack, Replit, & Mercury. We're a Public Benefit Corporation with a mission to keep the American dream alive. We're fighting to keep America defined by optimism, innovation, and opportunity—the best place for the ambitious to turn ideas into reality. We believe America is full of untapped talent, and that helping more founders get off the ground leads to a better future. Our goal is to help 20,000 more founders get off the ground. We're just getting started. We're a team of founder types: enjoy autonomy, responsibility, the opportunity to learn, and no red tape. Just make it happen.
Dream Candidate
Our dream candidate is a restless founder between startups, willing to commit a year. You likely finished a grueling grind and need to recover before jumping back into the next adventure. You know - like us - that the job of an investor is so much easier than a founder. But you also know - eventually - the siren call of another startup will beckon. The success or failure of your prior startup doesn't matter. What does matter is empathy for founders. The perfect candidate commands respect from founders: you've been in the trenches... and your advice proves to be true, more often than not. In addition to empathy, we're also looking for intellectual curiosity and humbleness. One of the most fun parts of this job is to help founders in very different industries - not just tech. Are you the kind of person that would be excited to learn about the economics of ostrich farms? We're your people. We believe founders who "have been there and done that" make the best early-stage investors. That's why we're hiring a Founder-in-Residence.
Location & Culture
Must be based in San Francisco or willing to relocate. We're strong believers in an in-person culture. Our HQ is in San Francisco — we have two offices, one in the Mission and one in Seacliff with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We're tight-knit enough to spend 10 days on a train together without killing each other. Four times over the years, we've all taken the Amtrak coast to coast, stopping in 12 cities. We're a team of doers and thinkers who are insatiably curious — not just about work, but about kickboxing, mountaineering, chess, and everything in between.
Things You Could Do
You will work directly with Wefunder's founder & CEO, and we will design the role for your unique superpowers and interests. Read our Charter, and tell us how you'd like to help. Here are some options:
- Help a founder with the pitch.
Most founders can't pitch their company. They often use jargon and fancy words. You understand that a 10 year old has to grok what they are doing in 5 seconds. You know what gets investors excited. Channel pg.
- Discover formidable early founders.
You often spot founders - with no external stamps of credibility - before they have succeeded. You don't follow the herd. You can sense founders who "have what it takes" after a half hour... not after a16z backs them.
- Be a connector.
You enjoy matching founders with the people who can help them. It could be a potential customer, a co-founder, key investor, or a domain expert — you're the person who makes the right connection at the right time.
- Fix America, not just SF.
We've taken multiple train trips across the country to meet local founders. You would be offended if you knew how the local "angels" operate. We aim to give more power to the smart investors in these cities, so they outcompete those that lead founders astray with horrible advice.
- Run the fellowship.
You'll co-design and run our fellowships. This includes selecting companies, mentoring founders, running weekly programming, and preparing them for Demo Day and fundraising.
- Product / Design Feedback.
We're big believers of the YC ethos: build quickly, talk to users, repeat fast. We favor product thinkers who guide founders in this direction.
- Help focus the founder.
In the moment, everything seems like a hair on fire / cluster-fuck dumpster fire emergency. But you have the experience and perspective to guide founders on what is truly important.
Skills
You are a founder. You get shit done. You know how to create something from nothing through sheer force of will, despite the naysayers, obstacles be damned. And you can inspire others to do that too.
Benefits
- Market-rate salary plus equity
- Earn carry from early-stage investments you source or mentor
- Unlimited vacation days (mandatory 3 weeks off)
- Medical dental & vision insurance
- We'll invest in your next startup
- Unlimited AI tokens & tool budget — Cursor Claude Codex you name it
- Apple equipment — whatever you want
- Lots of free food and drinks
- Reimbursement for classes and conferences