Founding Operator - AI-Native Marketplace Startup
4 days ago
Hollywood
Job Description Our Startup is an early-stage marketplace designed to help buyers get better prices by allowing qualified sellers to compete for their business. Instead of buyers searching seller by seller, the platform allows buyers to submit a request and receive competing quotes from sellers. The goal is to create a faster, more transparent, and more competitive buying experience. The founder currently operates an established eCommerce company with over $13M in annual sales, 60 employees, and an 11,000 sq. ft. warehouse. The marketplace concept has been in development for several years, and recent advances in AI have made it possible to move much faster. We already have: • A strong business concept, • A premium domain, • An initial demo built using AI/no-code tools, • An investor pitch deck, • Founder capital available for launch, • Real-world eCommerce and marketplace experience We are now looking for the right person to help turn this from concept/demo into a functioning business. THE ROLE We are looking for a highly intelligent, high-agency, AI-native operator to work directly with the founder and help launch the company. This is not a traditional corporate role. It is a ground-floor startup role for someone who wants real responsibility, broad exposure, and meaningful upside. You will help move the company forward across product, operations, AI tools, vendor management, seller/buyer outreach, and launch execution. You do not need to be a full-time programmer. However, you should be comfortable with technology, AI tools, no-code/low-code platforms, and “vibe coding” workflows. You should be able to work with developers, understand technical tradeoffs, and translate real-world business needs into clear product requirements. WHAT YOU WILL DO Product & Technology • Help manage development of the production platform, • Work with external developers, designers, and technical vendors, • Translate business requirements into product specs, workflows, and user stories, • Use AI tools, no-code tools, and vibe-coding platforms to prototype ideas quickly, • Test the platform from the perspective of buyers, sellers, and internal operators, • Identify bugs, friction points, and missing features before they become major problems AI-Driven Execution • Use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Lovable, Cursor, Bolt, Replit, Bubble, Zapier, Make, Airtable, and other AI/automation tools, • Build simple internal tools, automations, workflows, and prototypes, • Use AI agents to accelerate research, outreach, documentation, testing, and operations, • Look for manual processes that can be automated or semi-automated Marketplace Growth • Help onboard early sellers, • Help attract early buyers, • Run outreach campaigns using email, phone, LinkedIn, AI-assisted research, and other channels, • Help solve the marketplace “chicken-and-egg” problem, • Follow up with sellers to make sure buyers receive quotes, • Help create the early “concierge” process before everything is automated Operations • Solve day-to-day problems as they arise, • Coordinate with developers, marketers, sellers, buyers, and other vendors, • Build simple processes and systems as the company grows, • Track priorities, deadlines, and execution, • Help the founder stay focused on the highest-value decisions Who This Role Is For This role is for someone who wants to help build a company from the ground up. It may be a great fit for: • A recent engineering, math, business, or computer science graduate with unusual initiative, • A young operator who wants more responsibility, • Someone who uses AI tools heavily and wants to apply them in a real startup, • Someone who wants to be close to the founder and learn how a business is built, • Someone who would rather help build something risky and ambitious than take a safe corporate job Who This Role Is Not For This is probably not the right role if: • You need a highly structured job, • You are uncomfortable contacting people directly, • You are only interested in strategy and not execution, • You are not comfortable using AI and technology every day, • You need detailed instructions before taking action, • You are unwilling to do mundane tasks when the business requires it Requirements WHO YOU ARE We are looking for someone with unusual drive, intelligence, and resourcefulness. You are likely a strong fit if: • You are highly analytical and logical, • You performed well in math, engineering, science, economics, or other quantitative subjects, • You enjoy solving messy, real-world problems, • You are comfortable figuring things out without step-by-step instructions, • You use AI tools constantly and are excited by what they make possible, • You are not afraid to contact buyers, sellers, developers, investors, or vendors, • You can switch between strategic thinking and mundane execution, • You are willing to do unglamorous work today in order to build something valuable tomorrow, • You want more responsibility than a normal entry-level or corporate job would give you Requirements • Strong analytical and quantitative ability, • Strong communication skills, • High initiative and ownership, • Comfort with ambiguity and fast-changing priorities, • Familiarity with AI tools, LLMs, AI agents, and/or no-code/low-code tools, • Basic understanding of how software products are built, • Ability to manage external developers and technical vendors, • Willingness to do hands-on operational work, • Interest in startups, marketplaces, eCommerce, pricing, negotiation, or AI Nice to Have • Degree or background in engineering, math, computer science, business, economics, or a related field, • Strong academic performance in math or quantitative subjects, • Experience with either Lovable, Cursor, Bolt, Replit, Bubble, Webflow, Zapier, Make, Airtable, or similar tools, • Experience managing developers or technical projects, • Experience in eCommerce, marketplaces, lead generation, sales, operations, or growth, • Located in South Florida or willing to work in person/hybrid Location South Florida is preferred because we would like the person to be able to work with the founder in person when needed. We are currently located in Pembroke Park, FL (Hollywood). However, we may consider an exceptional remote candidate. Benefits Compensation • Starting salary: $30,000/year. Compensation is expected to increase as the company grows, raises funding, or reaches meaningful revenue milestones, • Equity: 1%–3%, with 4 year vesting. This is an early-stage opportunity. The starting cash compensation is modest, but the role offers significant responsibility, learning, and upside for the right person.