The Pragmatic Engineer Being a founding engineer at an AI startup
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Dec 3, 2025 
Michelle Lim, a founding engineer at AI startup Flint and former engineer at Warp, shares her journey from top tech firms like Facebook and Slack to entrepreneurship. She discusses the unique challenges of being an early-stage engineer and the importance of a product-first mindset. Michelle explains negotiating equity, the value of asking founders for references, and the significance of tech stack choices. With insights on building autonomous websites and leveraging AI, she offers practical advice for aspiring engineers aiming to transition into founding roles.
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From Big Tech Intern To First Engineer
- Michelle moved from internships at large companies to smaller startups and felt increasing ownership each step down in company size.
- That progression led her to join Warp as engineer #1 because she wanted direct impact and fast learning.
Prioritize Equity Over Salary Early On
- Negotiate hard for equity when joining an early startup and be willing to trade cash for ownership.
- Show genuine excitement and commitment to the founder to increase your chance of receiving a better equity package.
Ask Founders For References
- Ask founders for references so you can evaluate their management style and how they treat junior talent.
- Use references to confirm whether past colleagues would enthusiastically work with the founder again.