Catalog

The Bridge Between Retailers and AI Agents

When consumers shift from browsing websites to asking AI platforms what to buy, the fundamental mechanics of commerce change. Instead of navigating pages and blogs, users describe their intent in plain language and expect personalized, actionable recommendations. In this new paradigm, AI becomes the storefront—filtering, comparing, and completing transactions. However, the underlying product data infrastructure was built for human browsing, not machine reasoning. Product details live in inconsistent formats, are buried in marketing copy, and lack the structure required for AI systems to interpret them reliably. As a result, even strong products are often excluded from AI-driven discovery.

Founded in San Francisco by Hamish Gunasekara and Dylan Farrell, Catalog is solving this exact problem. Catalog is the data infrastructure layer for agentic commerce, transforming merchant catalogs into structured, machine-readable product data designed specifically for AI systems. By extracting, normalizing, and structuring product data directly from merchant websites without requiring engineering lift or schema redesigns, Catalog ensures that products can be understood, ranked, and recommended by AI. The platform delivers this optimized data to AI ecosystems through protocols like ACP and UCP, as well as agent-driven storefronts and APIs, all while continuously synchronizing pricing and availability in real time. Catalog recently raised a $3M Pre-seed round led by Acrew Capital, with participation from WndrCo and Hustle Fund, to build the critical infrastructure for how commerce will work in an AI-first world. The transition from human-centric to AI-centric commerce is arguably the most significant shift in retail since the advent of e-commerce itself. Catalog's approach is to provide a foundational layer that enables this shift, ensuring that the vast array of products available online can be effectively navigated by intelligent agents. This requires not just parsing text, but deeply understanding product attributes, relationships, and the context in which they are relevant. The challenge is immense, given the sheer volume and diversity of product data across the web. However, the potential impact is equally massive. By solving the data structure problem, Catalog is positioning itself as a critical enabler of the next generation of shopping experiences, where consumers can simply tell their AI assistant what they need, and the assistant can seamlessly find, compare, and purchase the best options available. This vision requires a robust, scalable, and highly accurate data infrastructure, which is exactly what the team at Catalog is building.

A Culture of High Trust and High Intensity

Catalog operates with a small, talent-dense team based in North Beach, San Francisco. The culture is defined by high trust, high intensity, and a strong bias toward in-person collaboration. This is a "zero to one" environment where team members are expected to move fast, write clean code, and instrument everything. There is no room for complacency; the team debates ideas openly, makes quick decisions, and ships constantly.

Working at Catalog means having high autonomy, high impact, and high ownership. Whether you are an engineer shipping core systems or a GTM hire building the sales playbook from scratch, you are expected to own your problems end-to-end. The company values individuals who blend strong technical execution with sharp product taste and data intuition. It is an AI-native environment where everyone is deeply curious about the future of commerce and how people discover products. The intensity of the culture is matched by the level of support and collaboration among the team. Because the team is small, every individual's contribution is critical, and there is a strong sense of shared purpose and mutual reliance. The founders are deeply involved in the day-to-day operations and are committed to fostering an environment where top talent can thrive. This means providing the resources, feedback, and autonomy needed to tackle hard problems. The expectation is that team members will not just execute on tasks, but actively contribute to shaping the product vision and company strategy. This requires a high degree of intellectual curiosity and a willingness to challenge assumptions. The fast-paced nature of the work means that failure is seen as a learning opportunity, provided it happens quickly and is followed by rapid iteration. The focus is always on forward momentum and continuous improvement. The in-person requirement is a key component of this culture, as it facilitates the high-bandwidth communication and spontaneous collaboration that are essential for rapid innovation. The North Beach office serves as a hub for this activity, providing a dynamic and energizing environment for the team.

What You'll Actually Do

Roles at Catalog are highly impactful and require building from the ground up. If you join as a Member of Technical Staff, you will be responsible for shipping core systems and moving the mission from prototype to platform. You will design and ship agentic-search APIs that return structured, live product data in milliseconds, integrate checkout rails so agents can transact with any merchant, and stand up an embeddings and retrieval layer that balances recall, precision, and cost. You might also launch a product graph and ranking pipeline that learns from real outcomes. This requires working across the stack and taking full ownership of complex engineering challenges. The technical challenges are significant, involving large-scale data processing, advanced machine learning techniques, and high-performance system design. You will need to build systems that can handle massive amounts of data in real-time, while maintaining high accuracy and reliability. This involves not just writing code, but also making critical architectural decisions that will shape the future of the platform. You will work closely with the founders and other engineers to define the technical roadmap and execute on it with precision and speed.

On the business side, as a Founding GTM hire, you will be the first go-to-market employee, owning everything from pipeline generation to deal execution. You will build and execute ABM campaigns targeting retailers, agentic commerce apps, and commerce infrastructure players. You will own the full sales cycle—prospecting, qualifying, demoing, negotiating, and closing—translating complex API and data infrastructure into clear commercial value for technical buyers. You will work directly with the founders to define the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), create the sales playbook, design pricing strategies, and establish repeatable motions that will scale with the company. This role requires a unique blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution. You will need to deeply understand the technical capabilities of the platform and be able to communicate its value to a diverse range of stakeholders, from engineers to C-level executives. You will also be responsible for gathering market feedback and translating it into actionable insights for the product team, ensuring that the platform continues to evolve in line with customer needs. The ability to navigate ambiguity and drive results in a rapidly changing environment is essential.

Compensation & Benefits

Catalog offers competitive compensation packages that include base salary and equity, reflecting the high-ownership nature of early-stage startup roles. Specific salary bands are not publicly disclosed, but the company emphasizes the value of joining a small, well-funded team at the ground floor. The equity component is particularly significant, as it provides the opportunity to share in the long-term success of the company. As an early employee, your contributions will have a direct and measurable impact on the company's valuation, making the equity potential highly attractive for those who are willing to take on the risk and responsibility of a zero-to-one environment.

The company operates on a strict on-site model out of their North Beach, San Francisco office, prioritizing in-person collaboration and fast iteration. Notably, Catalog sponsors visas for candidates from Australia or New Zealand, which is a significant benefit for international talent looking to join the vibrant SF tech scene. The benefits package is designed to support the intense nature of the work, providing employees with the resources they need to perform at their best. While the specifics of the benefits package are not fully detailed publicly, early-stage startups of this caliber typically offer comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as flexible time off policies to ensure employees can recharge when needed. The focus is on creating an environment where top performers are well-compensated and fully supported in their work.

The Interview Process

The interview process at Catalog is designed to be efficient and highly evaluative, reflecting their fast-paced culture. For technical roles, the process begins with 2-3 short technical interviews if there appears to be a strong mutual fit. These initial screens are designed to quickly assess baseline technical skills and ensure that there is alignment on the core requirements of the role. The focus is on practical problem-solving and the ability to think critically about complex systems.

Following the technical screens, candidates are invited for an onsite interview at the North Beach office. During the onsite, candidates work on a small project, discuss ideas, and meet the entire team. This hands-on approach allows both the candidate and the company to assess working styles, problem-solving abilities, and cultural alignment in a real-world setting. It is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their ability to collaborate effectively, communicate their ideas clearly, and execute under pressure. The onsite also provides candidates with a firsthand look at the company culture and the working environment, helping them to make an informed decision about whether Catalog is the right fit for them. The process is demanding, but it is also highly transparent, with a focus on mutual evaluation and ensuring a strong fit for both parties.

Why Join / Why Not

Why Join:

Catalog offers a rare opportunity to build the foundational infrastructure for a massive platform shift: agentic commerce. As AI agents increasingly take over product discovery and purchasing, the need for structured, machine-readable product data is critical. Joining Catalog now means getting in at the ground floor of a well-funded, ambitious startup tackling a highly complex and valuable problem. You will work alongside strong founders in a talent-dense environment, with immense autonomy and the chance to shape both the product and the company culture. If you thrive in fast-paced, 0-to-1 environments and want to define how commerce works in an AI-first world, Catalog is an exceptional place to be. The potential for impact is enormous, and the opportunity for personal and professional growth is unparalleled. You will be part of a team that is not just participating in a trend, but actively building the infrastructure that will define the future of retail.

Why Not:

Catalog is not for those seeking a predictable, structured corporate environment. The company is in its earliest stages, meaning processes are still being defined, and ambiguity is high. The culture is intense and demanding, with a strict requirement for in-person work in San Francisco. If you prefer remote work, clearly defined daily tasks, or a slower pace of development, the high-intensity, high-ownership environment at Catalog will likely not be a good fit. The pressure to perform is high, and the expectation is that team members will consistently go above and beyond to drive the company forward. For those who are not energized by this level of intensity, the environment may prove to be overwhelming. Additionally, the inherent risks of an early-stage startup mean that success is not guaranteed, and individuals must be comfortable with a high degree of uncertainty.