Founding Engineer - Growl

📋 Description

• • Join Growl as a Founding Engineer and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of advertising within the rapidly evolving landscape of consumer AI applications. This is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of a company that is revolutionizing how advertisers connect with users in AI-driven experiences, from chat interfaces to emergent AI platforms. Growl has achieved remarkable traction, scaling its publisher network to XXM users in just 45 days, demonstrating a clear market need and rapid adoption.
• • As AI becomes the primary interaction surface for internet users, the integration of digital advertising into these experiences is not just probable, but inevitable. Growl is strategically positioned to aggregate supply across a diverse range of consumer AI applications, enabling them to monetize their user base effectively. Simultaneously, we empower advertisers to reach their target audiences with unparalleled precision and timeliness, delivering ads at the opportune moment within the user's AI journey.
• • We are backed by prestigious venture capital firms, including PearVC and Audacious Ventures, whose portfolios boast billion-dollar successes like DoorDash and WorkOS. Our mission is further strengthened by advisors from leading mobile ad-tech companies and major consumer AI organizations. The founder, Sahil Manocha, is a published researcher with a distinguished background in building ad infrastructure at Google, bringing a wealth of expertise and vision to Growl.
• • Having successfully navigated the most challenging aspect of ad networks – the cold start problem of onboarding both advertisers and publishers – Growl is now poised for significant growth. Our immediate focus is on building and enhancing the core infrastructure required to deliver highly contextual and relevant ads with exceptional speed and efficiency. This role is critical to that mission, offering significant equity and a competitive salary range of $170K-$220K.
• • In this role, you will be instrumental in designing and implementing the engine for ad delivery within AI experiences, alongside the supporting infrastructure. We are already processing millions of requests per minute, a volume projected to increase dramatically in the coming months. Your contributions will directly impact our ability to scale and meet this demand.
• • Key areas of your work will include:
• • **Ad Decisioning Pipeline:** You will architect and optimize the complex process of candidate retrieval, scoring, filtering, and final ad ranking. This demands a deep understanding of low-latency systems and the ability to meet stringent Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for ad delivery speed.
• • **Publisher SDK Development:** You will build and refine a lightweight, easy-to-integrate Software Development Kit (SDK) for AI app developers. The goal is to enable seamless integration within hours, not days, fostering rapid adoption and expanding our publisher network.
• • **Delivery Infrastructure:** You will develop and manage the robust infrastructure responsible for ad delivery, encompassing critical functions such as pacing, frequency capping, budget management, and campaign throttling. This ensures efficient ad spend and optimal campaign performance.
• • **Observability Stack:** You will design and implement a comprehensive observability stack, providing real-time dashboards and insights into key performance metrics. This includes tracking auction win rates, fill rates, revenue generation, and latency percentiles, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• • We are seeking individuals who demonstrate exceptional technical excellence and a passion for building high-impact systems. If you have experience in any of the following areas, we strongly encourage you to apply:
• • Developing your own AI agent harnesses or multi-agent workflows for tackling complex tasks.
• • Engineering low-latency network infrastructure and data pipelines capable of serving millions of requests per second.
• • Building scalable, self-healing infrastructure that dynamically manages thousands of compute workers based on variable demand.
• • Designing and implementing high-frequency trading systems, showcasing expertise in real-time data processing and ultra-low latency.
• • Any other experience that reflects a high caliber of engineering design, deep understanding of low-level systems, and a proven ability to deliver robust solutions under demanding conditions.
• • Beyond technical prowess, we value individuals who embody a strong work ethic and a collaborative spirit. You should be someone who:
• • Cares deeply about the quality and craftsmanship of your work, operating with the highest ethical standards.
• • Takes extreme ownership of outcomes, seeing projects through from conception to successful completion.
• • Thrives in an independent work environment, capable of driving initiatives forward with minimal supervision.
• • Possesses a strong bias for action, shipping code rapidly and effectively leveraging AI to amplify your impact.
• • Enjoys operating within a fun, social, and dynamic work environment where collaboration and innovation are celebrated.
• • Apply today and expect to hear back from us in less than a day, reflecting our commitment to a swift and efficient hiring process.