Rama — Founders Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site · Full-time Compensation: $120,000–$150,000 + equity (plus up to $30,000 annual bonus)

About the Company

A seed-stage startup building AI agents for electronic component distribution. Distributors still run quoting, sourcing, and supplier workflows on legacy ERPs, producing slow quotes and lost margin; the product sits on top of the systems they already use — connecting ERP, pricing files, inventory, and email — so RFQ response, supplier management, and pricing run through modern AI rather than manual spreadsheet work. Traction is concrete: customers have cut quote turnaround time by 96% and sell 13% more per rep, and a top-10 independent distributor has grown revenue 21%.

Founded 2022 · ~4 people · Industry: AI Tools

The Role

A generalist role sitting directly next to the founder on a small team, splitting across three areas: top-of-funnel and outbound sales (~30–40%), operations and internal systems (~30–40%), and founder-directed special projects (~20–30%). Deliberately unstructured, with no rigid KPI framework — suited to someone comfortable defining the work as much as executing it.

What you'll be doing

• Full-cycle outbound: prospecting, cold outreach, booking meetings, running customer calls and product demos
• The internal operations engine behind the sales team — systems, tooling, and process design that raise output per rep
• Special projects assigned directly by the founder, such as new-market sizing and new-product evaluation
• Research and analysis that feeds go-to-market and product decisions, delivered fast and in a form the team can act on
• Whatever is unowned and important in a small company, without waiting to be told

Tech stack: Not specified.

Requirements

• 1 to 5 YOE
• Early-stage startup experience required
• Full cycle sales plus ops generalist
• SF, 6 days in person
• Must already be working in the US, no relocation

Green Flags

• Student-athletes and others with a sustained record of self-directed pursuit, where success required repeatedly failing and continuing
• Side projects or side hustles that generated real revenue, built independently rather than assigned
• Early-stage startup experience, including short but substantive stints at companies with traction
• Generalists who pair analytical rigor with a willingness to do unglamorous execution work
• Comfort with ambiguity and open-ended mandates, with a preference for defining the problem rather than receiving a fully scoped one

Red Flags

• A pattern of repeated three month stints across multiple companies. A single short tenure is not a concern
• Purely sales background oriented around quota attainment and cold call volume, with no interest or ability in operations
• No early-stage company experience, requiring process and structure to be built around them
• Preference for a structured environment with clearly defined KPIs and a fixed scope
• Seeking remote or hybrid work, or a schedule lighter than six days in person on startup hours

Nice-to-Have

• Experience at a YC-backed or comparably fast-moving early-stage company
• Consulting or analytical training combined with startup operating experience
• Prior exposure to supply chain, distribution, hardware, or industrial B2B markets
• A track record of building internal systems, automations, or tooling that improved a team's throughput

Why Join

• Seat directly next to the founder on a small team, reporting to the CEO and working with him day to day
• Real, measurable traction at seed stage
• A broad, self-defined mandate spanning sales, operations, and founder-directed special projects
• Lunch and dinner provided in the office

Details

• Location — San Francisco, CA
• Work policy — On-site, 6 days/week in person, startup hours
• Compensation — $120,000–$150,000 + equity, plus up to $30,000 annual bonus
• Visa sponsorship — None available; must already be authorized to work in the US
• Employment type — Full-time