Senior Backend Engineer
Budget: $750 – $1,500 USD
Location: Remote (U.S. preferred)
Type: Contract-to-Partner (Equity Available)
Compensation: Cash + Equity (5–10% with vesting)
Founder: Tina Marie Horttor
⭐ About Have a Seat
Have a Seat is a next‑generation, connection‑first social platform designed to replace the traditional “feed” with tables, rooms, and presence. We are building a multi‑room virtual campus supported by AI emotional architecture, community tools, and a hybrid nonprofit mission (The Table Foundation).
Our goal is to solve loneliness, create belonging, and build the first emotionally intelligent social platform.
We are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer who can architect and build the core foundation of the platform.
⭐ Role Overview
You will be the first technical hire and will build the backend systems that power:
User accounts & authentication
Profiles
Messaging
Groups
Tables (our signature feature)
Feed
Safety systems
Admin dashboard
Cloud infrastructure
APIs for Unity/Unreal rooms
APIs for AI emotional engine
This is a founding-level role with significant influence over architecture, technology choices, and long-term platform direction.
⭐ Key Responsibilities
Platform Architecture
Design and build the backend architecture for a scalable social platform
Create secure authentication, authorization, and user management systems
Build the core “table” and “group” logic that defines the platform
Messaging & Real-Time Systems
Develop real-time messaging (WebSockets or similar)
Build presence tracking for users in virtual rooms
API Development
Build REST or GraphQL APIs for:
Unity/Unreal rooms
AI systems
Frontend web app
Mobile app (future)
Database & Cloud
Design relational + NoSQL database schemas
Deploy and manage cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP)
Implement auto-scaling, load balancing, and security best practices
Safety & Moderation
Build moderation tools and admin dashboards
Integrate AI moderation endpoints for real‑time content review
Ensure data privacy and compliance with U.S. and international standards
Collaboration
Work directly with the founder to translate vision into technical architecture
Coordinate with Unity/Unreal developers for room integration
Collaborate with AI engineer to connect emotional architecture
Document systems for future engineering hires
⭐ Required Skills & Experience
Technical Skills
5+ years backend engineering experience
Strong in Node.js, Python, or Go
Strong in AWS, Azure, or GCP
Strong in SQL + NoSQL
Experience with real-time systems (WebSockets, Pub/Sub, etc.)
Experience building scalable APIs
Experience with authentication systems (OAuth, JWT, etc.)
Experience with microservices or modular architecture
Bonus Skills
(Not required, but extremely valuable)
Experience with social platforms
Experience with Unity/Unreal API integration
Experience with AI/LLM integration
Experience with community or messaging platforms
Experience with startup environments
⭐ Personal Qualities
We are looking for someone who is:
Mission-driven
Emotionally intelligent
Collaborative
Honest
Reliable
Excited about building something meaningful
Comfortable being the first engineer
Interested in long-term partnership
⭐ Equity & Partnership
This role includes the option for equity (5–10%) with a standard vesting schedule:
4-year vesting
1-year cliff
Monthly vesting thereafter
Equity is offered in exchange for:
reduced cash compensation
long-term commitment
building the MVP
becoming a foundational part of the company
⭐ Non‑Compete Clause
All candidates must agree to a standard non‑compete and confidentiality clause, which includes:
You may not build, advise, or contribute to any competing social platform, virtual campus, or emotional‑AI community product for a period of 24 months after the contract ends.
All intellectual property, architecture, code, and platform concepts created during this project belong exclusively to Have a Seat, Inc.
All discussions, documents, and platform details are confidential and may not be shared or reused outside this project.
This protects the integrity of the platform and ensures the vision remains unified.
⭐ Cash Bid Option (If You Do Not Want Equity)
If you prefer cash only, you may submit a standard project bid instead of taking equity.
Two paths are available:
Option A — Contract + Equity (Partner Track)
Reduced cash rate
5–10% equity
Long-term partnership
CTO-track opportunity
Option B — Contract Only (Cash Bid)
No equity
You submit your bid for the full project cost
Standard contractor relationship
You may choose whichever option fits your goals.
⭐ What You Will Build First (90-Day Roadmap)
User accounts & authentication
Profiles
Messaging
Groups
Table system
Admin dashboard
Cloud infrastructure
API for Unity rooms
API for AI emotional engine
This is the foundation of the entire platform.
Please send your
Resume
GitHub or portfolio
Short message about why this mission matters to you
Type: Contract-to-Partner (Equity Available)
Compensation: Cash + Equity (5–10% with vesting)
Founder: Tina Marie Horttor
⭐ About Have a Seat
Have a Seat is a next‑generation, connection‑first social platform designed to replace the traditional “feed” with tables, rooms, and presence. We are building a multi‑room virtual campus supported by AI emotional architecture, community tools, and a hybrid nonprofit mission (The Table Foundation).
Our goal is to solve loneliness, create belonging, and build the first emotionally intelligent social platform.
We are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer who can architect and build the core foundation of the platform.
⭐ Role Overview
You will be the first technical hire and will build the backend systems that power:
User accounts & authentication
Profiles
Messaging
Groups
Tables (our signature feature)
Feed
Safety systems
Admin dashboard
Cloud infrastructure
APIs for Unity/Unreal rooms
APIs for AI emotional engine
This is a founding-level role with significant influence over architecture, technology choices, and long-term platform direction.
⭐ Key Responsibilities
Platform Architecture
Design and build the backend architecture for a scalable social platform
Create secure authentication, authorization, and user management systems
Build the core “table” and “group” logic that defines the platform
Messaging & Real-Time Systems
Develop real-time messaging (WebSockets or similar)
Build presence tracking for users in virtual rooms
API Development
Build REST or GraphQL APIs for:
Unity/Unreal rooms
AI systems
Frontend web app
Mobile app (future)
Database & Cloud
Design relational + NoSQL database schemas
Deploy and manage cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP)
Implement auto-scaling, load balancing, and security best practices
Safety & Moderation
Build moderation tools and admin dashboards
Integrate AI moderation endpoints for real‑time content review
Ensure data privacy and compliance with U.S. and international standards
Collaboration
Work directly with the founder to translate vision into technical architecture
Coordinate with Unity/Unreal developers for room integration
Collaborate with AI engineer to connect emotional architecture
Document systems for future engineering hires
⭐ Required Skills & Experience
Technical Skills
5+ years backend engineering experience
Strong in Node.js, Python, or Go
Strong in AWS, Azure, or GCP
Strong in SQL + NoSQL
Experience with real-time systems (WebSockets, Pub/Sub, etc.)
Experience building scalable APIs
Experience with authentication systems (OAuth, JWT, etc.)
Experience with microservices or modular architecture
Bonus Skills
(Not required, but extremely valuable)
Experience with social platforms
Experience with Unity/Unreal API integration
Experience with AI/LLM integration
Experience with community or messaging platforms
Experience with startup environments
⭐ Personal Qualities
We are looking for someone who is:
Mission-driven
Emotionally intelligent
Collaborative
Honest
Reliable
Excited about building something meaningful
Comfortable being the first engineer
Interested in long-term partnership
⭐ Equity & Partnership
This role includes the option for equity (5–10%) with a standard vesting schedule:
4-year vesting
1-year cliff
Monthly vesting thereafter
Equity is offered in exchange for:
reduced cash compensation
long-term commitment
building the MVP
becoming a foundational part of the company
⭐ Non‑Compete Clause
All candidates must agree to a standard non‑compete and confidentiality clause, which includes:
You may not build, advise, or contribute to any competing social platform, virtual campus, or emotional‑AI community product for a period of 24 months after the contract ends.
All intellectual property, architecture, code, and platform concepts created during this project belong exclusively to Have a Seat, Inc.
All discussions, documents, and platform details are confidential and may not be shared or reused outside this project.
This protects the integrity of the platform and ensures the vision remains unified.
⭐ Cash Bid Option (If You Do Not Want Equity)
If you prefer cash only, you may submit a standard project bid instead of taking equity.
Two paths are available:
Option A — Contract + Equity (Partner Track)
Reduced cash rate
5–10% equity
Long-term partnership
CTO-track opportunity
Option B — Contract Only (Cash Bid)
No equity
You submit your bid for the full project cost
Standard contractor relationship
You may choose whichever option fits your goals.
⭐ What You Will Build First (90-Day Roadmap)
User accounts & authentication
Profiles
Messaging
Groups
Table system
Admin dashboard
Cloud infrastructure
API for Unity rooms
API for AI emotional engine
This is the foundation of the entire platform.
Please send your
Resume
GitHub or portfolio
Short message about why this mission matters to you