Principal Engineer: How We Strengthened 1feed's Core Engineering Team
IT recruiter in Lucky Hunter
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.
From the Very First Candidate: How We Found a Java/Kotlin Engineer for 1feed in 3 Days
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 Principal Engineers — experts 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.
How We Found a People Operations Lead for 1Feed
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.
This adjustment allowed us to filter out incomplete candidate profiles during our internal screening phase, presenting only engineers who met the client's expectations.
This adjustment allowed us to filter out incomplete candidate profiles during our internal screening phase, presenting only engineers who met the client's expectations.
6 months
From project launch to candidate start date
241
Resumes reviewed
1
Position filled
The search ran simultaneously for two Principal Engineer positions. We filled the first role almost immediately: the client extended an offer to the very first candidate presented. The second role proved harder due to the tight requirement profile, but targeted sourcing brought it to a successful close as well.
Results
Pipeline metrics for the second role:
What's next
The second 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.
By hiring these core engineers, the client strengthened their technical capability during the product launch phase. The new hires are actively designing system architecture, selecting engineering approaches, and making technical decisions that will shape the long-term scale and development of Attention OS.
By hiring these core engineers, the client strengthened their technical capability during the product launch phase. The new hires are actively designing system architecture, selecting engineering approaches, and making technical decisions that will shape the long-term scale and development of Attention OS.
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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