About Philo Ventures

Philo Ventures is a venture studio based in Utah. We deploy up to $1M in total resources per portfolio company: cash, IP, sweat equity, and shared services; and take companies from concept to Seed-ready spinout in 12–18 months, versus the industry average of 3-plus years solo. Our full-stack team of 0-to-1 builders and operators covers engineering, design, product strategy, GTM, legal, and finance from day one.

Covellum is a current build: an AI-powered pre-construction cost intelligence platform that gives architects, developers, lenders, and owner-developers instant, accurate, localized construction cost estimates early in the development process — before the expensive, time-consuming re-scoping cycles that happen when GC bids come back over budget. We are in active diligence with design partners including major architecture firms, institutional owner-developers, and construction lenders, and we are moving fast.

The construction industry is a $2 trillion market in the U.S. alone, and it still runs on gut instinct, relationship-based estimates, and spreadsheets. Covellum is built to change that.

The Role

As Founder in Residence at Philo working on Covellum, you will be the commercial and operational engine of the company. This is a is a founder role, with all the ambiguity, ownership, and upside that implies. You will work directly with the Philo studio team, a technical co-founder, and our network of investors, industry experts, and design partners to take Covellum from early diligence to a product that real customers pay for and rely on.

This role is expected to evolve into a permanent leadership position, likely CEO or President, as Covellum scales. We are looking for someone who wants to own this company and its long-term vision and success, not just manage it.What Is a Founder in Residence?

What You'll Do

• Drive design partner relationships. Manage and deepen relationships with our current design partners (architecture firms, institutional developers, construction lenders), gather structured product feedback, and convert LOI commitments into active beta users.

• Lead ICP discovery and outreach. Identify, prioritize, and engage the ideal customer profiles most likely to pay for Covellum's earliest feature set. This includes architects, developers, lenders, and owner-developers across Utah and beyond.

• Own the go-to-market strategy. Define the positioning, pricing, and channel strategy for Covellum's commercial launch. Work with the studio team to build the sales motion from first contact to signed contract.

• Collaborate on product direction. Translate customer insights and market feedback into clear product requirements. You are the voice of the customer in every product conversation.

• Build the team. As Covellum grows, you will help recruit the founding commercial and operational team.

• Manage the P&L. Own the financial model, track unit economics, and ensure the business is building toward sustainable margins.

What You Get

• Above-market salary and comparable equity for an early-stage founder, structured so your upside scales with what you build.

• Full benefits from day one: health, dental, and standard Philo portfolio perks.

• Up to $1M in studio resources behind you: engineering, design, product strategy, GTM, legal, and pre-seed capital.

• Structured programming: weekly accountability sessions, Founders Forum, and direct office hours with studio leadership.

• Become a CEO. A team that's in it with you from first customer call to Seed close and beyond.

What We're Looking For

• Founder mentality. An obsessive sense of ownership, a bias for action, and the ability to make good decisions with incomplete information. You do not wait to be told what to do.

• Commercial instincts. You understand how to find customers, how to listen to them, and how to translate what you hear into a product and a pitch. You have done this before in some form, even if not at a startup.

• Domain curiosity. You do not need to be a construction expert, but you need to be genuinely curious about the industry and willing to become fluent in the language of architects, developers, GCs, and lenders quickly.

• Comfort with technical products. Covellum is an AI-powered tool. You do not need to write code, but you need to be able to engage credibly with technical co-founders and customers who will ask hard questions about how the product works.

• Relevant experience. Backgrounds in real estate development, construction, architecture, construction lending, or enterprise SaaS sales are all strong fits. We are open to non-traditional paths if the instincts are right.

Why Join

• Real equity, real upside. You will have meaningful equity in a company being built with institutional capital and studio support from day one.

• Studio infrastructure. Philo's venture studio provides back-office support (legal, finance, HR), product and engineering resources, and a network of operators and investors so you can focus entirely on building and selling.

• Active design partners and market pull. We have active conversations with institutional design partners, a working prototype, and a clear ICP thesis. You are joining at the moment of implementation, not the moment of ideation.

• A problem worth solving. The construction industry's cost estimation problem costs developers, architects, and owners billions of dollars annually in rework, value engineering, and failed projects. Covellum has the potential to become the cost intelligence layer for the entire built environment.

• Competitive compensation. Contract-to-hire with a living wage during the build phase; compensation and equity will be further refined as the company scales and raises its first institutional round.