--- title: 'Full Stack Software Engineer - Open Core Ventures at Open Core Ventures' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-software-engineer-open-core-ventures-open-core-ventures-located-in-wwekxcpcj6n1' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-12' --- # Full Stack Software Engineer - Open Core Ventures at Open Core Ventures - **Company:** Open Core Ventures - **Location:** Located in CA CO NY TX FL GA MA NJ, PA - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2025-04-18 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/opencoreventures/jobs/5518166004 ## Job description Location:  Fully remote, ideally located in CA, CO, NY, TX, FL, GA, MA, NJ, PA Open Core Ventures (OCV) is looking for a Full Stack Software Engineer to build web applications and embed AI capabilities across all our core functions. Your primary responsibility is to improve workflow efficiency and empower the entire business through smart, scalable AI and custom software. The ideal candidate will also participate in sourcing, evaluating, and starting new open source projects that support OCV’s thesis. As a key member of our small but mighty team, you’ll help us achieve our ambitious goal of launching 2,000 new companies per year. From reviewing open source codebases to owning internal systems like domain transfers and access controls, your work will directly support the company formation engine at the heart of OCV. ## What You’ll Do - You will own the custom, internal software that we use to launch and support 2 companies per month currently, and 100+ companies per month in the future. You will use AI to build this software and to automate the various manual workflows. - You will help us find and assess open source projects that we will start companies around. - You will help support our companies, sometimes before we even have founders, by making contributions to the underlying OSS. - You will be the system administrator for OCV. ## Who You Are - A self-starter who thrives in fast-paced environments. - Able to identify automation opportunities and independently bring them to life. - Passionate about AI and systems design, with a strong drive to innovate and improve how work gets done. - Passionate about open source software and love to solve new technical challenges. ## Requirements - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field — or equivalent experience. - Software engineering background, especially in backoffice systems and workflow automation. - Proficiency with LLMs (OpenAI, Claude, etc.), APIs, RAG, and prompt engineering. - Experience with Ruby on Rails is a plus. - Experience with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab, etc.), including testing, containerization, and deployments. - Excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently. ## About Open Core Ventures Founded by Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab co-founder and Executive Chair, Open Core Ventures (OCV) starts companies around promising open source projects. We recruit the founders, often from the OSS project we're commercializing, and help them accelerate growth to raise a Seed round. We’ve started 30+ companies around open source projects, including[Fleet](https://fleetdm.com/),[FlowFuse](https://flowfuse.com/), and[Mermaid Chart](https://www.mermaidchart.com/). At Open Core Ventures, we operate in a transparent environment, with clear terms and open communication, guided by our [public handbook](https://handbook.opencoreventures.com/). The actual offer, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be at the company’s sole discretion and determined by a myriad of factors, including, but not limited to, years of experience, depth of experience, and other relevant business considerations. The company also reserves the right to amend or modify employee perks and benefits at any time. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status. ## About Open Core Ventures ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Open Core Ventures (OCV) is a venture capital firm that starts commercial open source software companies by recruiting founders around promising open source projects and providing initial funding and operational support. - **Entity Type**: Private (Venture Capital Firm) - **Headquarters**: Remote (HQ in the United States) - **Founded**: 2020 - **Founders**: Sid Sijbrandij (Co-Founder and Executive Chair of GitLab) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Venture Capital, Open Source Software, Startup Incubation - **Target customers**: Open source project maintainers and contributors (B2B, Founder-focused) - **Mission or purpose statement**: "To enable more people to become founders" and to make it so "the majority of venture-funded software companies are open core companies." [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) ## Products & Services - **Company Incubation Program**: OCV identifies open source projects with traction, recruits a founding CTO and CEO, incorporates and funds the company with $2M, and provides operational and strategic support until the company raises an external seed round. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/about) - **Catalyst Program**: A program for associates to run the incubation and growth of open source startups. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/about) - **Public Handbook**: An ever-growing handbook of practical advice created specifically for open core companies by experienced open core founders. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (Private firm) - **Key Metric**: OCV companies have raised over $40M in Seed+ investment following OCV’s initial funding. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Sid Sijbrandij (GitLab CEO), Rich Aberman (WePay founder, former YC Visiting Partner), Chris Hubbell (former Fund Strategy Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, former General Partner at ICONIQ Capital) [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/about) - **Growth Signals**: The firm is actively hiring for multiple roles including CTO, Full Stack Engineer, Investor, and Talent Lead, indicating a scaling phase. [boards.greenhouse.io](https://boards.greenhouse.io/opencoreventures) ## Competitive Advantages - **Unique Model**: OCV does not invest in existing companies. Instead, it starts companies from scratch around open source projects, recruiting founders rather than waiting for pitches. This is a "new approach to venture" that turns the traditional model on its head. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) - **Founder Expertise**: Founded by GitLab CEO Sid Sijbrandij, a champion of the open source community and a pioneer in scaling remote organizations. The team includes veterans from WePay, Andreessen Horowitz, and Y Combinator. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/about) - **Proven Playbook**: OCV provides a blueprint and operational support, with 50% of OCV companies closing follow-on funding within 12 months. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/about) ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Identifying open source projects with "massive potential" and recruiting technical founders to launch new OCV companies. The firm is focused on scaling its incubation model and expanding its team across engineering, investing, and talent functions. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) - **Direction for growth**: To make open core the standard business model for venture-funded software companies, creating more open software and enabling more contributors. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) ## Why Work Here - **Culture highlights**: OCV's five core values are Boldness, Transparency, Resourcefulness, Inclusion, and Documentation. The firm operates with a public handbook and a culture of open communication, turning the traditional venture model on its head. [handbook.opencoreventures.com](https://handbook.opencoreventures.com/ocv-employees/culture/values) - **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: Fully remote. The headquarters is listed as "REMOTE" and jobs are open to candidates in CA, CO, NY, TX, FL, GA, MA, NJ, PA (with a strong preference for SF Bay Area for some roles). [boards.greenhouse.io](https://boards.greenhouse.io/opencoreventures) - **Notable perks or engineering culture**: The firm is small (10 employees) and highly specialized, offering the chance to work alongside top-tier investors and operators from GitLab, Andreessen Horowitz, and Y Combinator. The work directly impacts the open source ecosystem by lowering the barrier to entrepreneurship. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-core-ventures) ## Sources 1. [opencoreventures.com](https://www.opencoreventures.com/) 2. [opencoreventures.com/about](https://www.opencoreventures.com/about) 3. [boards.greenhouse.io](https://boards.greenhouse.io/opencoreventures) 4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-core-ventures) 5. [handbook.opencoreventures.com](https://handbook.opencoreventures.com/ocv-employees/culture/values) ## Other roles at Open Core Ventures - [Investor - Open Core Ventures](https://feeny.ai/job/investor-open-core-ventures-open-core-ventures-san-francisco-bay-area-0jm6dcgagjjw) — San Francisco Bay Area - [OCV's Catalyst v2 Application (Summer 2026)](https://feeny.ai/job/ocv-s-catalyst-v2-application-summer-2026-open-core-ventures-united-states-f8hgh3qxmsn5) — United States - [Open Source Software Author/CTO](https://feeny.ai/job/open-source-software-author-cto-open-core-ventures-remote-s0c98rmqnww3)