Entrepreneur in Residence / Product Lead (Project Ignite)

About JetBrains
At JetBrains, innovation drives everything we do. Since we started in 2000, we have been
dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with technology. The Innovation Hub at
JetBrains is dedicated to exploring groundbreaking products that open new markets and
transform pioneering ideas into impactful solutions.

About the role
We are Project Ignite, an internal startup with a mission: to reimagine who can be a developer.
We are not building another chatbot. We are building an agentic solution that empowers even
non-technical creators to build real, cross-platform mobile applications (iOS, Android, and web)
using natural language specifications and interactive workflows.
We are now looking for a co-founder to join our technical lead and drive the product’s strategy,
turning this novel technology into a viable business.
This is not a traditional product management role. You will be figuring out the product’s reason
for existence, its precise audience, and its path to adoption. This is a rare opportunity where
you’ll be able to enjoy the autonomy of a startup founder while also benefiting from the
resources, distribution, and stability JetBrains provides.

In this role, you will:

● Define the product’s strategy: You will be responsible for the product vision. We have the
tech and some product hypotheses, but you will pick the winning bet. You’ll make sure
we stand out against the background noise in the AI generation space and provide clear
direction to the team.
● Drive continuous discovery: You won't rely on assumptions. You’ll constantly talk to
potential users.
● Own the roadmap and MVP: Collaborating closely with the technical co-founder to make
tough prioritization decisions and define a focused MVP, you'll balance the exciting
possibilities of agentic AI against the reality of shipping a usable product.
● Launch and scale: You will be the product’s primary salesperson. From setting up the
landing page to running early demos and securing our first alpha testers, you will
prepare everything necessary for a successful launch.

● Build relationships: You will represent Ignite, maintain relationships with other product
teams, and engage with external partners, all while ensuring the team's focus remains
intact.

We will be happy to have you on our team if you have:

● Ability to ship: Proven experience building a digital product from zero to one, ideally with
two or more years of experience as a founder, co-founder, or first product leader in an
early-stage company or significant new vertical. We’d be especially interested if this
experience was in generative AI, AI agents, or developer tools.
● Analytical skills: You can cut through noise and have exceptional analytical and
structured problem-solving skills. You communicate clearly, think logically, and don't hide
behind jargon.
● Empathy for the “maker”: You understand the psychology of a creator who has an idea
but lacks the technical skills to execute it.
● AI literacy and realism: You understand the current state of LLMs. You know what agents
can do today and where they fail. You can strategize around these limitations.
● High agency and a hands-on approach: You don't need a manager to tell you what to do
next. You see a gap, and you fill it. You prioritize momentum over process.

We’d be especially thrilled if you have:
● Experience using low-code/no-code or developer tools.
● Understanding of mobile development lifecycles (iOS/Android).
● Experience in generative AI startups, especially with code generation or building plugins
for canvas-based products like Figma or Miro.

Why Join Project Ignite?

● Real impact: You are defining a new category of tools that change who can be a
developer.
● Cutting-edge tech: Work with a team pushing the boundaries of agentic AI, Kotlin
Multiplatform, and Compose Multiplatform.
● Autonomy: You own the strategy. We hire smart people and get out of their way.
● Culture: Work in an environment that values deep work, innovation, and direct
communication over politics.

#LI-DNI 

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