Mindfeeder

Compensation

Full Description

Mindfeeder — Part-time to start, full-time soon (scaling fast) Mindfeeder is a 1-year startup building practical, production-grade software across WordPress/WooCommerce, Next.js, and GCP—with heavy use of AI endpoints and structured outputs. We’re small, moving fast, and we care about craftsmanship, systems thinking, and shipping. This role is for a developer who can live in both worlds: • WordPress + WooCommerce (PHP) realities • Modern cloud + AI + web app systems on GCP • Python for scripts, APIs, automation, and MCP server work You’ll work directly with the founder and help shape our engineering foundation as we scale. What you’ll build • WordPress/WooCommerce plugins and integrations (clean, maintainable PHP) • Next.js frontends (dashboards, internal tools, customer-facing experiences) • GCP services on Cloud Run (autoscaling APIs, workers, webhook receivers) • AI integrations using structured outputs (JSON schema/function calling patterns, validations, retries, observability) • Python services + scripts (APIs, CLI tools, automation, data utilities, MCP servers) • Firebase / Firestore / Cloud Storage patterns for app data + files • BigQuery pipelines for analytics, reporting, and “what’s actually happening?” truth Responsibilities • Design and implement features end-to-end (frontend → API → storage → deployment) • Build/maintain WordPress plugins with good architecture (hooks, REST endpoints, admin UI, security) • Create Cloud Run services that are observable, secure, and scalable • Work with AI endpoints safely (structured outputs, tool calling, error handling, cost controls) • Use Python for automation, integrations, lightweight services, and tool servers (MCP) • Participate in lightweight planning, estimation, and clear communication • Leave things better than you found them (docs, tests, refactors when needed) • (Plus) if you've worked with sites that use elementor / ACF / standard stand / and know normal managed hosting type work. Must-have skills (you can be stronger in some than others) • Strong PHP and real WordPress/WooCommerce experience (hooks/actions/filters, REST API, plugin structure, WP security practices) • Solid JavaScript/TypeScript fundamentals; comfortable in Next.js • Comfortable building APIs/services and deploying to GCP Cloud Run • Practical experience with Firebase/Firestore and/or similar document DB patterns • Familiarity with AI integrations (calling endpoints, structured outputs, schemas, validation, rate limits, logging) • Python proficiency for scripts, API work, automation, and/or tool servers • You can read docs, debug production issues, and explain tradeoffs like a grownup Nice-to-haves (big bonus) • MCP servers (building or consuming tool servers / agent tooling patterns) • BigQuery experience (modeling, queries, scheduled jobs, event tracking) • CI/CD familiarity (GitHub Actions, Cloud Build, container workflows) • IaC (Terraform) or solid “repeatable deploy” discipline • Experience hardening webhooks, OAuth, secrets management, and multi-tenant setups • Located within Missouri/Kansas area - we are remote first but get together once a month as a team. Tooling + collaboration expectations You don’t need to be a fanatic about tools, but you do need to operate in a modern dev workflow: • GitHub (PRs, reviews, branching, issues) • Jira or Linear (or similar) for task tracking • Notion (or similar) for documentation and specs • Comfortable writing clear updates, keeping tickets moving, and documenting decisions How we work • Small team, high trust, direct communication • Nerd-friendly, human, and curious (we like people who build cool things for fun) • We care about: speed + correctness, not “move fast and break everything” • AI is a tool here—not a substitute for understanding Contract details • Starts part-time (paid), expected to become full-time shortly as fit is proven and workload expands • Remote-friendly (or add your preference: “US only / Central time overlap / onsite in Missouri, etc.”) • Compensation depends on skill + scope (add your range if you want more qualified applicants) Anti-bullshit application (read carefully — we actually enforce this) We’re seeing a lot of AI-generated applications. If you want to stand out, prove you can think and build. To apply, send the following (no exceptions): A short note (max 200 words): what kind of systems you like building and why. Two links: • One to code you’ve written (GitHub / repo / gist) • One to something you shipped (site/plugin/app) and what you owned Answer these 5 questions (each max 150 words, direct + specific): • A) Describe a time you debugged a production issue. What was the root cause? • B) If Cloud Run is autoscaling, what are 2 failure modes you still design for? • C) In WordPress, what’s your default approach to security for a REST endpoint? • D) When using AI structured outputs, what do you validate, and where? • E) What’s one opinionated engineering practice you follow that improves quality? Important: Start your message with the word “ABym@lNothingN3SS” so we know you read the posting. Applications that ignore the above (or feel copy/pasted/generic) will be rejected. Hiring process (transparent) • Screen (your answers + links) • Interview #1 (30–45 min): fit, communication, how you think • Interview #2 (60 min): technical deep dive (we’ll discuss your code) • Simulation (take-home, 48 hours): realistic mini-project (details below) • Final conversation + offer