Want to build a startup together? I could be the right fit ru en

As you may know, I'm finishing my professional sabbatical. It is still unclear what I'll be doing next, however I've gathered a list of potential projects that are very interesting to me. I'm ready to discuss partnership around those projects right now.

If you're an early-stage startup or are only just about to create one, I would fit well into the role of CTO / technical Co-Founder (I can also take on management and product work). If you're a more mature company starting a new project, I can lead it under whatever title you find appropriate.

If you follow my blog, you probably already have some idea of who I am. But just in case, here is my CV. I have 19 years of experience in software development: from gamedev in C++ to payment backends in Python, from garage-style indie development to large projects.

For convenience, I've split the kinds of projects that interest me into several groups:

• LLM shovels and shovels for LLMs.
• Virtual characters, virtual influencers.
• Gamedev.

LLM shovels and shovels for LLMs

Like in the well-known historical anecdote about how, during the gold rush, the people who made the most money were the ones selling picks and shovels.

In our case, a shovel is a niche professional SaaS product that provides unique functionality built on top of LLMs.

Examples of what may be interesting to me:

• A news aggregator with a strong focus on personalization. Something like my Feeds Fun, but B2B or casual B2C on mobile. I already have hands-on experience here, along with practical groundwork.
• Professional software for writers / screenwriters for generating, editing, and validating stories, with a focus on validation and collaborative editing with AI. One possible direction would be our own AI publishing house.
• An AI assistant (IDE?) for scientists, that accompanies them from preparing a literature review all the way to publishing a paper.
• Something niche for the OpenAI Application Store, to secure a place there as an early mover.
• Something niche for software developers.
• Your idea.

I'm ready to join a more ambitious project if you have confirmed sufficient resources and a clear vision (or if you're ready to place a great deal of trust in mine):

• A "better-designed and more efficient" coding agent.
• 100% agent-driven software development / company.
• A harness for agents, maybe even HaaS — Harness as a Service ;-)

I'm not ready to participate in projects in highly competitive niches: marketing automation, AI support, OpenClaw-like products, etc.

Virtual characters, virtual influencers

For me, this topic sits somewhere between gamedev and AI, so I'm calling it out separately.

By virtual characters, I do not mean building them for clients. I mean a company that owns and operates them, independently runs their social media accounts, automates content creation, interacts with the audience, and makes money from it.

Not to be confused with bot farms. By VC, I mean unique characters that are interesting to an audience because of their traits, distinctive reactions to events, story, style, etc. In other words, I'm talking about something like an AI-driven "TV-series" unfolding on social media.

These can be virtual influencers grounded in our reality, or characters from fictional worlds with their own fictional news ecosystem that may be interesting to an audience. Imagine Batman advertising Coca-Cola on Twitter, and our company receiving all the money Batman would get for it.

Since this area is ethically gray, before starting we would need to discuss all the ethical nuances in a very concrete way.

Gamedev

The projects that interest me:

• Tools for procedural content generation: characters, stories, quests, map topology.
• Simulation games for PC. For example, I'm fairly sure I could make a better successor to Majesty than the ones released over the last year. At least in part because I once made a Majesty-like MMO for 30k players.
• I have not one but two ideas for niche mobile MMOs with next-gen gameplay and AI integration that look promising, but require R&D.
• A casual mobile game just for making money.
• A game for the OpenAI Application Store.

Nuances

Of course, there are some.

This is not an offer to work for free. We may be able to agree on a substantial discount in exchange for a larger share in the company / bonuses / etc., but some cash compensation would still be required.

Since I'm more of a technical person, in an ideal situation, I would expect you to bring product expertise (though I can handle that too), funding, and responsibility for legal matters.

Remote only. At present, relocation would be very expensive for my family. It is possible — never say never — but genuinely expensive. But if you happen to be in Hamburg, then a hybrid format would also work.

You must not be affiliated with sanctioned countries: you do not live in North Korea, you do not have business interests in North Korea. I do not want a bureaucratic Sword of Damocles hanging over my head.

If any of the above interests you

Feel free to send me a brief message with the following information:

• Who you are.
• Which project interests you.
• What you expect from me.
• What you can offer.
• What deadlines, time constraints, budget constraints, etc. are in play.
• Confirm that you have read and understood the "Nuances" section.

After that, we'll arrange a call, and then we'll see.

My contacts:

• Telegram: t.me/Tiendil
• Email: a.eletsky@gmail.com