February 18, 2026
Founders or free labor?
Weave (YC W25) Is Hiring ML, Design, and Product Engineers
YC newbie wants “founding” hires—on‑site only, comments explode
TLDR: Weave, a new Y Combinator startup, is hiring on‑site “founding” engineers and sales at its HQ. The community split fast: some see rare ground‑floor impact, others blast the on‑site rule and missing pay details, sparking fresh remote‑versus‑office wars and debates over whether “founding” means real upside or just more work.
Weave, a fresh Y Combinator (YC) Winter 2025 startup, just dropped an on‑site hiring blast for “Founding” Design, ML (machine learning), and Product Engineers—plus Sales—at HQ link. And the internet did what it does best: fight. The remote‑work diehards called the on‑site requirement “a museum exhibit from 2019,” while office loyalists cheered for whiteboards, hallway chats, and “actual human faces.”
The hottest debate? The word “Founding.” Some folks swear it’s marketing for “do three jobs for one salary,” demanding pay and equity numbers up front. Others argue it’s legit early‑team opportunity: build the product, shape the culture, own a big slice. One skeptic quipped that “Founding ML Engineer” means “make the slide deck look AI‑ish,” while optimists say YC backing means speed, coaching, and a real shot at rocket‑ship upside.
Memes flew fast: “Weave you at HQ 5 days a week,” “Founding Everything Engineer,” and a loom joke—“the only thing looming is my commute.” There’s also classic startup FOMO: a chorus urging brave souls to jump in now for resume glory later, clashing with veterans warning about burnout, relocation headaches, and “mystery comp.”
Bottom line: a simple jobs post turned into Remote vs Office Round 97, with equity, titles, and hustle culture all woven into one very loud thread.
Key Points
- •Weave is hiring multiple full-time, on-site roles at its headquarters.
- •Open engineering roles include Founding Design Engineer, Founding ML Engineer, and Founding Product Engineer.
- •A Sales position is also listed alongside engineering roles.
- •All listed positions are categorized under Engineering except Sales.
- •The posting emphasizes founding-level hires for core team building.