June 12, 2026
Deploy fast, answer faster
Hazel (YC W24) Is Hiring a Full Stack Engineer
Build AI for the government... if you can survive the lie detector energy
TLDR: Hazel is hiring an engineer to build artificial intelligence tools for government purchasing, but the huge catch is a Top Secret clearance and lie-detector screening. Commenters were split between calling it meaningful public-service work and joking that the applicant pool is basically "one guy in D.C. with React and spy credentials."
Hazel’s job post looks like a normal startup hiring pitch right up until the record scratch: you must be a U.S. citizen able to get a Top Secret clearance and pass a full-scope polygraph. That one line instantly became the main character. The company says it wants a full stack engineer in Washington, D.C. to help government buyers move faster using artificial intelligence, tackling a jaw-dropping $2.7 trillion public purchasing mess. In plain English: Hazel wants to help agencies buy stuff more quickly and cheaply, and it needs someone to help deploy the software inside highly restricted government systems.
But the community reaction? Absolute popcorn material. One camp was impressed, calling it a rare chance to work on something that actually matters, with commenters basically saying, “finally, AI that does more than generate marketing sludge.” The other camp zoomed in on the all-caps vibes of the requirements and asked who, exactly, is both startup-fast and willing to sign up for the spy-movie hiring process. The biggest debate was whether this is an exciting public-service moonshot or a hilariously tiny hiring funnel disguised as a startup role.
The jokes wrote themselves: people compared the listing to “LinkedIn meets Jason Bourne,” imagined debugging code in a windowless bunker, and laughed at the idea of shipping features every week while also dealing with classified networks and lie detectors. Even people who admired the mission couldn’t resist the meme: this is not your average ‘we’re hiring’ post.
Key Points
- •Hazel is hiring a full stack engineer for a role focused on building, deploying, and scaling its AI procurement platform for government customers.
- •The company says it uses AI to improve U.S. government procurement and describes the market problem as worth $2.7 trillion annually.
- •This specific position supports Hazel’s largest contract with a major U.S. government agency and includes customization, security accreditation, and deployment in a classified environment.
- •The role requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with full-scope polygraph, with onsite work in Washington, D.C.
- •Required skills include AWS, Python, TypeScript, React/Next.js, PostgreSQL, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, authentication systems, Docker, and AI coding tools.