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Businesses can now hire startup founders through Foundations Design and Engineering, a service launched on October 6, 2026, that connects companies with members of the Seattle- and San Francisco-based startup community to plan and build AI systems. The work is described as project-priced, but launch pricing, contract terms and Foundations’ share were not standardized.
What Foundations Design and Engineering does
Foundations describes the service as a way for businesses to find community members for AI planning, development and implementation. Rather than assigning work to a standing team of hourly consultants, it routes a request to a relevant person or company in its founder network. GeekWire reported the launch and service model on October 6, 2026.
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Co-founder Aviel Ginzburg said a request might go to a member company already building a product in that area, a founder who understands the client’s industry, or an early-stage founder seeking paid work. The name nods to the “forward deployed engineer” model: engineers working closely with customers to put technology into use inside a business.
What a business can hire a founder to do
The work may be a short working session with a company team, an assessment of where AI could help, or a larger development and implementation project. Foundations had not published a standard package list or promised a particular result at launch.
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- Working session: A founder spends a couple of hours with a company team.
- AI-use audit: A founder assesses how a business might apply AI.
- Development and implementation: A founder or member company takes on a broader build, with scope varying by project.
How much an AI audit or founder session may cost
GeekWire reported examples of founders in the community charging $1,000 to $2,000 for a couple of hours with a company team, and up to $5,000 for an audit of how a business could use AI. Those were examples of prior founder charges, not a published or standardized Foundations rate card. Larger projects varied widely, and the launch report did not state a typical price.
What was still unsettled at launch
Foundations had not decided whether clients would contract with Foundations or directly with an individual founder. It also had not settled what portion of each contract, if any, Foundations would retain; Ginzburg said that could range from nothing to a double-digit percentage depending on the case. Businesses should confirm the contracting party and all fees before agreeing to work.
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The report also does not establish standard terms for ownership of deliverables, company data handling or follow-on support. Those are important items for a client to clarify in writing for any engagement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the startup community is offering the service
Foundations says the work can give founders revenue while raising early-stage investment is difficult, and expose them to real business problems that may inform what they build. These are the organization’s stated aims, not measured results. Ginzburg, identified by GeekWire as a Seattle venture capitalist who co-founded Foundations in 2024, described his broader view this way: “I think the world of traditional consulting and startups is just absolutely going to merge.”
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GeekWire reported that Foundations had more than 300 founders in its community, including about 30 in its founder-in-residence program. Around 10 founders helped assemble the service before it was opened to the wider membership. The figures are launch-era numbers reported by GeekWire, not independently audited counts. Foundations is a public benefit corporation and, according to the report, does not take equity in residency startups.
Quick Recap
Questions to settle before hiring
- What is the precise scope, and what deliverables will the client receive?
- Is the engagement a working session, an audit, or a build and implementation project?
- Who will sign the contract, and how are fees and any platform share calculated?
- Who owns the work product, and how will company data be handled?
- Does the engagement include follow-on support, and on what terms?
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