Full-Stack Product Engineer (AI-Native, Rigorous) — Hourly, Long-Term

OVERVIEW We're an early-stage venture with a completed product front-end and a defined database schema, looking for a full-stack / product engineer to integrate the two, get the product working end-to-end, and then own back-end and integration work as a core part of the team. This is hourly, starting with a defined first project (the integration below), with real potential to become an ongoing core engineering role. We're using that first project as a paid working trial for both sides. You should be fast with AI-assisted development and have real software-engineering discipline: someone who, given a spec and an existing codebase, makes clean keep-vs-replace calls and sets foundations and architecture up correctly. The product handles sensitive personal information, so a security-first mindset is non-negotiable. FIRST PROJECT (the integration) Implement a provided database schema in the existing back-end; migrate/map current structures to it Repoint existing components (authentication, file/media storage, export pipeline) onto the new schema Build/complete the API for the finished front-end and wire them together end-to-end Implement a provided data-processing pipeline so the app reliably produces its structured output Deploy on company-owned infrastructure (DigitalOcean VPS + MySQL), clean staging/production; tests + handoff docs Harden for launch: migrate MySQL to a managed database service, automated backups, encryption at rest, separated staging/production credentials ONGOING (why this is a long-term seat) Own back-end and integration work as the product grows; ship features against the new schema Strengthen foundations over time: environments, CI, testing, security Work directly and async with the founder and designer, making sound decisions from a spec without heavy hand-holding MUST-HAVES Strong fundamentals: relational data modeling, API design, auth, security, testing, deployment/CI — demonstrated by setting products up properly inside real teams Comfortable extending and integrating with an existing codebase, not just greenfield Fast with AI-assisted development (Cursor/Claude Code/Copilot), and clear on where you deliberately don't rely on it Product sense; security- and privacy-first with sensitive personal data Clear written communication, self-directed, async Nice to have: early-stage / 0-to-1 experience; owned infra end to end; privacy-sensitive or regulated domains. Engagement: Hourly, starting with the first project above; a path to an ongoing core role for the right person. TO APPLY Tell me about a project where you inherited an existing codebase: how you decided what to keep vs. rebuild, and how it turned out. How do you use AI tools in your workflow, and where do you deliberately not rely on them? Rough hour estimate for the first project as described, and 1–2 examples of comparable work you've owned.