CTO/Technical Co-Founder (equity-based)

About the job About LinqiApp LinqiApp is an AI-powered mobile app that teaches English with AI-agents, enables speaking practice by intelligent peer-matching, real-time audio calls, socializing with real people from 198 countries and predicts international language proficiency exam scores with its advanced AI-tech predictive analysis tool. Key Highlights: Fast-growing EdTech startup company based in Istanbul, Türkiye 500,000+ download and built a global community across 198+ countries Generated early-stage revenue and created a scalable foundation for global growth Developed AI-powered speaking apps, analysis and assessment systems 3 apps are live on App/Play Store: LinqiApp, Speaka AI, IELTSpeak #1 daily ranking in the Philippines on App Store (surpassing Duolingo & Google Classroom) 95% of users improve speaking confidence within 3 weeks B2B partnership with Pluxee & ISIC (60M users globally) Now, we are entering the next stage. As we expand our product portfolio, launch new AI-powered solutions, and build white-label products for institutions and partners, we are looking for an exceptional CTO / Technical Co-Founder to lead the technological future of LinqiApp. Who We Are Looking For We are not looking for a corporate executive. We are looking for a builder. Someone who enjoys creating products from scratch, solving difficult technical challenges, making architectural decisions, and helping shape the future of the company. As our CTO / Technical Co-Founder, you will work hand in hand with our existing Full-Stack Mobile Developer and Product Designer to transform ideas into world-class products. This role combines: Technical leadership Software architecture Product development Team management AI innovation Infrastructure and scalability If your mindset is “I only manage teams and attend meetings,” this role is probably not for you. If your mindset is “I’ll design the architecture, jump into production issues when necessary, and help build a global company,” we’d love to talk. Responsibilities: Define and execute the company’s long-term technology vision Lead technical decision-making across all products Own and evolve our TypeScript-based backend architecture Design scalable APIs and distributed systems Oversee integrations with third-party services and internal systems Lead the technical strategy for our Flutter-based mobile applications Support React Native and web-based initiatives where needed Design scalable multi-product and white-label architectures Ensure a high-quality user experience across all platforms Lead AWS infrastructure strategy and optimization Build scalable CI/CD pipelines Improve observability, monitoring, and incident management processes Drive automation across development and deployment workflows Lead integrations with LLMs and AI orchestration systems Build scalable real-time voice and multimedia systems Improve streaming, communication, and low-latency architectures Qualifications & Preferred Tech Stack: 5+ years of experience in Software Engineering & Development Strong proficiency in TypeScript, Node.js, and modern backend architectures Experience building and maintaining REST APIs, WebSockets, and scalable distributed systems Hands-on experience with Flutter for cross-platform mobile development Solid understanding of AWS cloud services and cloud-native application design Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, GitOps, and modern CI/CD pipelines Experience designing microservices and scalable infrastructure Knowledge of AI/LLM integrations, including tools such as OpenAI or similar platforms Experience with real-time communication technologies such as WebRTC, audio streaming, or event-driven architectures Startup experience and an ownership mindset are strong pluses Benefits: Founding-level equity. Equity only right now (no cash before we close funding); cash salary plus additional equity once funding closes Fully remote & flexible working hours (create anytime, anywhere) Real ownership in the company you help build Key person shaping the future of the company, product, and tech Work at a fast-growing EdTech startup High dedication, fast pace — we're racing to funding and market 🎯 You Are a Good Fit If You are a 100x engineer. Razor sharp. Able to solve difficult problems fast You have deep product sense. You build for users, not for code's sake You love mobile and care about clean, maintainable code You have experience building AI products, ideally mobile & web apps You are fascinated by the new coding paradigms. Claude Code, Cursor, coding agents. You're already using them You know how to scale yourself to an insane degree through automation You have great code taste and can review PRs at speed without sacrificing quality You are versatile. Backend-heavy but not allergic to frontend and design You thrive in ambiguity. You don't need a PM to tell you what to build You have built something from scratch before. A startup, a side project, a feature that shipped AI research background is a plus. Experience at an AI coding startup is a plus. But what matters most is that you're exceptional and hungry. 🚫 This role is not for you if You want well-defined requirements and rigid processes You avoid responsibility for production systems You prefer specialization over ownership You’re optimizing for comfort instead of impact What to expect from us? Reply within 48 hours of application First-round founder conversation within 7 days of qualification Full process: max 2 weeks We tell you yes or no. We do not ghost! How to apply? Fill in the form We will review and shortlist candidates Shortlisted ones will be invited to a first-round founder meeting