Proven experience in small, fast-paced teams where individuals own large parts of the product Strong command of at least one major backend-focused stack: TypeScript, Python, Go, or Java Bonus points for TypeScript proficiency Background as a product engineer, platform engineer, or ML engineer who has built real systems Ability to independently break down complex technical problems, debug unfamiliar systems Solid fundamentals in software engineering and confidence to work inside large, unfamiliar codebases on short timelines