Founders Face Mercenaries, Lose Technical Ownership

Eze, managing partner at Remagine Ventures, argues in this opinion piece that 'vibe coding' and rapid AI-powered prototyping accelerate MVPs but often lead founders to rely on 'mercenary' technical hires who demand funding before committing. He lists missing capabilities—technical ownership, architecture, security, reliability, product-engineering judgment, and consistent shipping—and urges founders to recruit visionary technical cofounders who accept equity risk before fundraising.