Why a Principal Engineer Left Big Tech to Become Employee #1 at 10x Science

After years of building high-visibility software across major tech companies, Andrew HunzekerHesed made the leap to join Y Combinator-backed 10x Science (W26) as Employee #1. Originally shared by Y Combinator, this story highlights how unconventional founder conversations and a passion for deep scientific problems can lure top engineering talent away from big tech.

The Path to 10x Science

Before his transition, Andrew held roles ranging from food delivery logistics to serving as Principal Engineer at Grindr. Although the work was rewarding, he noticed that the standard software development lifecycle felt increasingly repetitive across the industry. Everything changed when he met the founders of 10x Science at a talent summit. Rather than discussing generic tech scaling, the founders engaged him in conversations about first-principles thinking, the beauty of mathematics, and the actual science of sound.

Instead of relying on standard corporate hiring timelines, the evaluation process involved an intensive multi-day work trial. Right after joining, Andrew was immediately thrown into a high-pressure scenario: building a pitch solution for a top-ten pharma company within just three days. That rapid initial project ultimately turned into a cornerstone tool for the business.

Defining the Early-Stage Journey

For Andrew, joining an early-stage startup is not merely about managing future scale, as thousands of engineers can handle that phase. Instead, the real draw is helping to discover and build the actual product from scratch. This discovery phase has led him to unexpected places, including contributing to scientific posters and submitting work to the American Chemical Society.

Key Takeaways for Founders

• Look for talent driven by deep intellectual curiosity rather than just standard tech hype.
• Use immersive work trials during the interview process to evaluate mutual fit.
• Empower new team members immediately, even if they just arrived.
• Focus on discovering the core product before worrying about endless scaling.

Read the full story: on the Y Combinator Blog

Curated by Kaushal Patel — kaushalpatel.com