Every result when you search "hire software developers" sends you to Upwork, Fiverr, or Toptal. Those are freelancer and contractor marketplaces. If you're building a startup engineering team, you need full-time developers who own their work. Underdog.io is a closed, curated network of employed engineers actively considering their next full-time role — not available for hire by the hour.
The right hire for the right job
Most platforms for hiring software developers are built for freelance and contract work. That's the right model for specific projects. But if you're building a startup engineering team — engineers who own a codebase, make architectural decisions, and grow with the product — you need full-time developers. The channel you use to find them should match that need.
If you're trying to hire a software developer for a project, use Upwork. If you're trying to build a startup engineering team, Underdog is where to start.
Developers in the network
Tell us what you're building, what stack you're on, what level you need, and whether you're in NYC, SF, or open to remote. We match your open role to engineers whose background fits — not a list of 200 applicants.
React or similar frontend, Node.js / Python / Go backend, owns the full feature surface. The default early-stage hire — engineers who build end-to-end without creating a dependency on a specialist.
Python, Go, or Node.js APIs, data modeling, auth, async patterns, third-party integrations. Owns the entire API layer. Critical for B2B SaaS, fintech, and data-heavy products.
LangChain, RAG pipelines, FastAPI AI backends, model integration, evaluation frameworks. AI-native startups where the software developer is making the model layer work in production.
React, TypeScript, Next.js, component architecture. Owns the product's frontend surface — the interface your users interact with daily. Essential for consumer apps, B2B SaaS, AI product interfaces.
Data pipelines, ML model deployment, Airflow, dbt, Spark. Startups where the data layer is the product or the competitive moat — and a generalist engineer isn't enough.
Engineer #1 or #2. Picks the stack, sets the patterns, owns the architecture — and every engineer you hire after inherits those choices. Underdog has placed founding engineers at dozens of seed startups.
How it works
No job board posting, no resume screening, no recruiter managing your calendar. We handle matching; you handle evaluating the people we send you.
Stack, seniority, role type, compensation range, location preference, and what the engineer would own. The more specific, the better our matches. No job description template required.
We identify engineers in the network whose background fits your specific role. Every engineer has already opted in — they're expecting to hear from startups. You receive introductions, not a stack of resumes to screen.
You run your own process — technical screen, cultural conversation, offer. We're available for feedback loops throughout. When you hire, you pay 11.5% of first-year salary. No hire, no fee.
Cost comparison
The channel you use to find developers changes the economics significantly. Here's an honest comparison.
Sources: ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, Leanware 2025. US full-time roles.
Full-time developer salary costs separate from placement fee. Hidden costs of full-time employment (benefits, overhead) add an estimated 25–40% on top of base salary regardless of channel.
Traditional agencies charge 20–25% because they source, screen, and manage the process end to end — including candidates who don't know you exist. Underdog operates a closed network where engineers have already opted in to startup opportunities, reducing sourcing overhead and allowing a lower fee.
A Toptal contractor at $2,500/week costs $130K/year — before factoring in that they're not building institutional knowledge, can't make long-term architectural decisions, and may be working with multiple clients simultaneously. Full-time is the more expensive upfront bet that compounds over time.
Companies that have hired through Underdog
Seed through Series B. NYC, SF, and remote. All full-time permanent hires.
Common questions
Ready to hire
Full-time, US-based, permanent hires. 11.5% pay-per-hire, no retainer. Developers who are currently employed and not available anywhere else. Pay nothing until you hire.
Start hiring engineers →