Principal Engineer: How We Sourced an AI-Mindset Expert for 1feed

Karina

About the company

1feed is an early-stage UK-based startup building an 'Attention OS' - a system for task coordination and AI agent interaction.

2025

Founded

London, UK

Headquarters

Mobile AI application for task and process management

Key Feature

This marks the third search project 1feed has entrusted to Lucky Hunter. Previously, we sourced a Java/Kotlin Engineer and a People Operations Lead for their team.

The Entry Point

The client was launching a new AI product and assembling their core engineering team. With a CTO already in place, the immediate priority was sourcing a Principal Engineer – the expert who could design the system architecture from scratch and lay down the technical foundation of the service.

Target Profile

Senior Java/Kotlin Engineer (10+ years of experience) focused on launching products independently and taking technical leadership in small teams.
Broad technical background: deep understanding of the full software development lifecycle (backend, infrastructure, frontend, mobile) and product design principles.
Hands-on approach: focus on solving complex engineering challenges rather than human resource management.
Advanced AI stack: practical experience building custom AI agents and automating workflows across all development stages.
Location: European time zone with willingness to cover US working hours.

The Challenge

Initial sourcing quickly confirmed that engineers with this combined skill set are scarce. While strong Java/Kotlin developers are widely available, very few possess experience building products from scratch, understand full-lifecycle development, and actively apply AI at every stage of their workflow. Knowing the complexity of the search from day one, the client was willing to invest the necessary time and wait for the right candidate without lowering their qualification bar.

The Lucky Hunter Method

To target the exact profile, we established continuous feedback loops with the client’s team. Following the initial joint interviews, we recalibrated our screening process, shifting emphasis toward evaluating architectural autonomy and the depth of practical AI tool usage.

6 months

From project launch to candidate start date

241

Resumes reviewed

1

Position filled

This adjustment allowed us to filter out incomplete candidate profiles during our internal screening phase, presenting only engineers who met the client's expectations.

Results

What's next

The engineer has started working remotely, and our team is now assisting with document preparation and the official endorsement letter required for their UK visa application and subsequent relocation.

The new specialist joined during the launch phase to build the product’s technical foundation. They actively participate in architectural design, select development methodologies, and drive key decisions required for future product scaling.

Continuous feedback from the client's engineering team enabled us to calibrate the candidate profile with high precision. This focused our search on relevant specialists and helped us land a candidate with a rare combination of strong engineering fundamentals and practical AI experience.

Client’s Testimonial

Recruiter’s Feedback

We've worked with Lucky Hunter before, but this time was really special. We needed a Java/Kotlin engineer with an AI-mindset, not the easiest profile to find. We had a thorough briefing where we discussed everything in detail. The team showed us the first candidate on Friday, we talked to him on Saturday, and made him an offer on Monday. I honestly didn't expect it to move that fast. But I think that's what happens when the recruiters you're working with actually get what you're building and who you need in your team.

Alex

Founder 1Feed

Karina

IT recruiter in Lucky Hunter

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