Technical Co-Founder | Full-Stack | Marketplace
The Opportunity in One Line
Build the platform that lets UK tradesmen ditch recruitment agencies, stay self-employed, and choose their own projects, while contractors get verified talent in hours, not weeks.
What We're Building
We're building an agency killer for UK construction labour.
Right now, recruitment agencies take 20-30% margins, force tradesmen into contracts they don't want, and make contractors wait days for a single hire. It's a broken, multi-billion-pound market that hasn't changed in decades.
We're fixing it.
Why This Works
The construction industry is desperate for this. We're not competing with other tech platforms. We're competing with phone calls, WhatsApp groups, and Excel spreadsheets.
What You'll Own
This is a technical co-founder role, not a developer hire. You'll build the company, not just the product.
You'll make every technical decision: stack, infrastructure, features, roadmap. No PM telling you what to build. No bloated requirements docs. Just you, me, and the market.
What We're Looking For
Technical:
- Strong full-stack development skills (frontend + backend)
- Can ship fast and iterate based on real user feedback
- Comfortable with marketplace dynamics
- Experience with mobile-first web apps
- Bonus: Experience with geolocation, real-time systems, or payment integrations
Mindset:
- Builder, not consultant — you write code, you ship features, you own outcomes
- Product instinct — you don't need a spec to figure out what users need
- Mission-driven — you genuinely want to take on a broken industry
- Comfortable with ambiguity — this is 0→1, not scaling an established product
Logistics:
- UK-based, ideally Manchester (need to be close to our first market)
- Part-time to start (evenings/weekends), with clear path to full-time as we hit traction or raise funding
- Equity only (for now, cash comes with funding or revenue)
Why This Is Different
Most marketplace ideas fail because founders don't understand supply and demand dynamics. We do.
You won't be guessing what to build. We have a clear first market, known pain points, and a path to first revenue.
You'll own significant equity in a business that could genuinely replace recruitment agencies across the UK.
Compensation
Equity: Founding equity stake (to be discussed based on involvement and timeline to full-time)
This is founder equity, not employee equity. You're building a company, not joining one.
The Market
- £350bn+ UK construction industry
- Billions spent annually on recruitment agency fees
- 2.3M+ construction workers in the UK
- Fragmented, regional market ripe for tech disruption
- Most trades still booked via phone calls and WhatsApp
Recruitment agencies charge 20-30% margins for a service that could be automated. That margin is our opportunity.
Next Steps
If you're a builder who wants to take on a broken industry, let's talk.
To apply:
- Apply via the link
- Include a short note on:
- Why this problem excites you
- Your experience building 0→1 products
We'll review applications on a rolling basis and call strong candidates within 48 hours.
About Foundermatcha
Foundermatcha connects technical co-founders with mission-driven founders building real businesses. We focus on vision, values, and working style,not just resumes.
Ready to kill recruitment agencies?
Apply now. Let's build something that actually matters.