Boundary Verified
Software, Cybersecurity, DevOps, Cloud Infrastructure
Engineers that enjoy hard things (like compilers)
Seattle, Washington, United StatesOnsiteFull Time$100,000–$180,000 /yrPosted 2 months agoHidden Gem · YC Startup
Role summary
BoundaryML is building BAML, a new programming language designed for creating AI-powered applications, aiming to address the challenges of non-determinism in AI. They are seeking engineers who enjoy complex problems, particularly in compiler design and AI workflow reliability. The role involves designing and implementing tooling for a superior developer experience, including features for their LLM observability platform. While prior knowledge of Rust or compilers is not required, a strong aptitude for learning and problem-solving is essential. The company values curiosity, fearlessness, and strong communication skills, seeking individuals who can contribute to building the next generation of foundational programming languages.
We are building [BAML](https://github.com/BoundaryML/baml) -- a new programming language to build AI powered applications.
What does the code look like when 50% of the business decisions is decided by an AI agent / prompts? How do you test these AI components? What tools should we build?
Every computing paradigm, brought with a new language
* Desktop Computer → Holepunching and ASM were far too inaccessible → C
* Multiple OSs → Why write 3 variants of C → Java
* A computer on every desk → Lets make software more readable → Python
* Web browsers → Event driven / async native → JS
* AI / Graphics → We need to do a lot of math, and fast → Cuda
* Interactive Website → HTML + Logic is hard to do at scale → React
* **Non-determinism → My software is isn’t predictable because AI → ?????**
BAML is our answer, and it will let more developers than ever write AI pipelines without having to think about AI model reliability.
### Why you should join us
Most startups die quietly. Most programming languages never leave a compiler talk.
But every once in a generation, someone builds the next C, Java, Python, JS, React or Cuda.\
We’re trying to build that: a language for reasoning with AI.
We might fail spectacularly.\
But if we don’t, it’ll be because a small group of curious, fearless builders decided to bet on **beauty and correctness** in an age of chaos.
If that excites you, then Boundary is your place.\
But don’t take our word for it, [try BAML first](https://github.com/boundaryml/baml).
### Responsibilities
* Since we’re building a compiler, you’ll be able to solve some of the hardest and most interesting problems — e.g. how to suspend/resume AI workflows, how to support calling BAML functions from any language, how to create a graph visualization from BAML code users or AI agents write, and exploring unique syntaxes.
* Design and implement tooling to give users the best developer experience — this includes adding features to our LLM observability platform and scaling it to support handling billions of logs.
* Answer community questions and learn how they leverage BAML so we can make it even better
### To apply:
The best words that describe the kinds of people we’ve hired to date are: Curious and Fearless
* Curious - never assume you already know, and challenge the status quo
* Fearless - build anything. Its just bits on a machine, make them do what you want
Send a message through Work-At-A-Startup with Subject: “**Why I’m awesome**” with **3** of your most incredible achievements in life (technical and/or personal achievements). E.g. “I ran an ultramarathon in XYZ hours” or “I wrote a Rust crate used by millions of devs each month”. Brag about yourself, and articulate what about it was hard and what outcome came from it. \
\
**This isn’t a trick question, we’re building a programming language, and communication is the most important trait for us.**
> Past Examples from candidates we’ve hired. READ THESE so you know what we might look for. **The best emails include metrics + links.**
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFXmqQVnMmCdxdpcuF9Zwk6SRCMgJglL/view?usp=drive_link
### Our Tech Stack
BAML - Rust + FFI bindings to each language we interface with
BAML LSP / Editor Extensions (VSCode, Jetbrains, Zed, …) - Typescript/Nextjs, Rust + WASM
Boundary Cloud - Rust backend, Typescript / Nextjs frontend
## FAQ
Do I need to know Rust? No, but you should be able to learn it, and learn it fast.
Do I need to know about programming languages / compilers? No, we don’t need to hire language experts. We train language experts.
Generally speaking, no prior knowledge needed, but you should be able to take any problem, and solve it. If graph / tree problems are stressful, Boundary is probably not a good fit. If questions like the following seem fun, this is gonna be a heck of ride.
* what syntax ergonomics can make AI better at grepping for code?
* how does LLVM work?
* how does react’s re-rendering work?
* how do I design a package manager?
What does the code look like when 50% of the business decisions is decided by an AI agent / prompts? How do you test these AI components? What tools should we build?
Every computing paradigm, brought with a new language
* Desktop Computer → Holepunching and ASM were far too inaccessible → C
* Multiple OSs → Why write 3 variants of C → Java
* A computer on every desk → Lets make software more readable → Python
* Web browsers → Event driven / async native → JS
* AI / Graphics → We need to do a lot of math, and fast → Cuda
* Interactive Website → HTML + Logic is hard to do at scale → React
* **Non-determinism → My software is isn’t predictable because AI → ?????**
BAML is our answer, and it will let more developers than ever write AI pipelines without having to think about AI model reliability.
### Why you should join us
Most startups die quietly. Most programming languages never leave a compiler talk.
But every once in a generation, someone builds the next C, Java, Python, JS, React or Cuda.\
We’re trying to build that: a language for reasoning with AI.
We might fail spectacularly.\
But if we don’t, it’ll be because a small group of curious, fearless builders decided to bet on **beauty and correctness** in an age of chaos.
If that excites you, then Boundary is your place.\
But don’t take our word for it, [try BAML first](https://github.com/boundaryml/baml).
### Responsibilities
* Since we’re building a compiler, you’ll be able to solve some of the hardest and most interesting problems — e.g. how to suspend/resume AI workflows, how to support calling BAML functions from any language, how to create a graph visualization from BAML code users or AI agents write, and exploring unique syntaxes.
* Design and implement tooling to give users the best developer experience — this includes adding features to our LLM observability platform and scaling it to support handling billions of logs.
* Answer community questions and learn how they leverage BAML so we can make it even better
### To apply:
The best words that describe the kinds of people we’ve hired to date are: Curious and Fearless
* Curious - never assume you already know, and challenge the status quo
* Fearless - build anything. Its just bits on a machine, make them do what you want
Send a message through Work-At-A-Startup with Subject: “**Why I’m awesome**” with **3** of your most incredible achievements in life (technical and/or personal achievements). E.g. “I ran an ultramarathon in XYZ hours” or “I wrote a Rust crate used by millions of devs each month”. Brag about yourself, and articulate what about it was hard and what outcome came from it. \
\
**This isn’t a trick question, we’re building a programming language, and communication is the most important trait for us.**
> Past Examples from candidates we’ve hired. READ THESE so you know what we might look for. **The best emails include metrics + links.**
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFXmqQVnMmCdxdpcuF9Zwk6SRCMgJglL/view?usp=drive_link
### Our Tech Stack
BAML - Rust + FFI bindings to each language we interface with
BAML LSP / Editor Extensions (VSCode, Jetbrains, Zed, …) - Typescript/Nextjs, Rust + WASM
Boundary Cloud - Rust backend, Typescript / Nextjs frontend
## FAQ
Do I need to know Rust? No, but you should be able to learn it, and learn it fast.
Do I need to know about programming languages / compilers? No, we don’t need to hire language experts. We train language experts.
Generally speaking, no prior knowledge needed, but you should be able to take any problem, and solve it. If graph / tree problems are stressful, Boundary is probably not a good fit. If questions like the following seem fun, this is gonna be a heck of ride.
* what syntax ergonomics can make AI better at grepping for code?
* how does LLVM work?
* how does react’s re-rendering work?
* how do I design a package manager?