Role Overview
Are you an AI innovator with an entrepreneurial spirit? The Opentensor Foundation is seeking visionary builders to become Subnet Owners on the Bittensor network. In this role, you won’t just join a company – you will found a new AI product venture powered by Bittensor’s decentralized compute network. Bittensor is a cutting-edge, open-source protocol that creates a decentralized marketplace for AI models, where contributors (miners/validators) are rewarded with TAO cryptocurrency for providing valuable machine learning services. As a Subnet Owner, you will leverage this global network to launch an AI product (e.g. an ML-powered application, generative model, or NLP service) without relying on traditional cloud infrastructure. This is a unique opportunity to build the future of AI on a decentralized platform – combining technical excellence with bold entrepreneurship.
We are looking for leaders who can imagine new AI services and make them real on Bittensor. You will design and manage your own “subnet” – a specialized AI network within Bittensor focused on a specific task or product. With Bittensor, you gain the equivalent of an AI team, storage team, and compute team as decentralized resources under one unified token system. This means you can tap into a worldwide “AI supercomputer” backed by incentivized participants, something previously only accessible to tech giants. The role is remote-friendly and open to talented candidates worldwide. If you have the technical expertise in AI and the ambition to launch a groundbreaking product, the Opentensor Foundation will empower you to become a founder in our decentralized AI ecosystem. Dual revenue streams – both traditional product revenue and network TAO cryptocurrency rewards – await those ready to build boldly and drive the next wave of AI innovation.
Responsibilities
- Design, launch, and manage a Bittensor subnet from the ground up. Define the subnet’s AI purpose and develop the core codebase for miners and validators. This includes crafting the incentive mechanism that scores miner contributions and rewards genuine, high-quality work.
- Guide the subnet through all development phases: prototype your network locally, test it on Bittensor’s testnet, and deploy to mainnet when ready. Go thought the Bittensor registration process to create your subnet.
- Architect the tokenomics and parameters of your subnet. Determine how your subnet will incentivize participants: set rules for reward distribution, validation criteria, and any subnet-specific token (if applicable). Ensure the economics are sustainable and attractive to miners/validators, while aligning with Bittensor’s broader TAO emission system.
- Develop a real AI product and service on top of the subnet. As the subnet achieves its machine learning task (e.g. powering a chatbot, providing API access to a trained model), build the product layer and business model around it. You will be responsible for product development and deployment, integrating your decentralized backend into a user-facing application or API.
- Operate and optimize the subnet on an ongoing basis. Monitor network performance and model outputs, and continuously improve your AI models and incentive algorithms. Manage the community of miners and validators on your subnet – communicate goals, provide documentation, and encourage quality contributions. You’ll also implement safeguards against exploits or cheating, ensuring that only honest, high-quality work is rewarded.
- Collaborate with the Bittensor ecosystem. Work closely with the Opentensor Foundation and other subnet owners. Share best practices, contribute to Bittensor research, and stay up-to-date with protocol upgrades. Engage with the open-source community (developers, researchers, miners) to drive the subnet’s success. Being a subnet owner means being a leader in the community – you’ll have a public identity on-chain and be recognized as a pioneer of decentralized AI.
- Drive the business strategy for your AI product company. Identify market needs your AI service can meet, and shape your subnet’s capabilities accordingly. Plan how to monetize your product (e.g. subscriptions, usage fees) in tandem with the network’s TAO rewards. Essentially, you will act as both the lead engineer and the CEO of your decentralized AI venture, responsible for its technical direction and business growth.
Requirements
- Strong AI/ML Background: Proven expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning. You have 5+ years of experience developing ML models or AI systems (or a PhD/MS in a relevant field), and are proficient with frameworks like PyTorch/TensorFlow.
- Track Record of AI Product Success: You have a history of delivering successful AI products or research projects, or you’ve previously founded or played a key role in a tech startup. You understand what it takes to go from concept to deployed product, especially in the AI domain.
- Entrepreneurial Mindset: Passion for innovation and bold thinking. You thrive on launching new ideas and aren’t afraid to navigate uncharted territory. Ideally, you have experience as a founder or early-stage team member in a tech venture, demonstrating leadership and business acumen.
- Decentralized Compute Interest: Genuine interest in blockchain, decentralized computing, or Web3 technology. While direct Bittensor experience isn’t required, you should be eager to learn and utilize decentralized infrastructure. Familiarity with tokenomics, cryptography, or distributed systems will be a strong plus.
- Subnet Design Skills: Ability to design and manage a subnet on the Bittensor network. This means you can handle full-stack development of a subnet: coding the miner/validator logic (Python knowledge is useful for Bittensor’s AI framework; Rust/Substrate understanding is a bonus for interacting with the blockchain), setting up servers or cloud instances for validators, and using command-line tools to manage the network lifecycle.
- Incentive Mechanism Know-how: A solid grasp of game theory or incentive design. You should be able to formulate how participants in your subnet will be evaluated and rewarded, ensuring that the only way to “win” is by contributing real value. Experience with designing reward functions or evaluation metrics in machine learning is helpful.
- Leadership & Collaboration: Excellent communication and project management skills. You can articulate a vision and inspire others to work with you – whether it’s convincing miners to join your subnet or explaining your product to early customers and partners. You are comfortable working in an open community, receiving feedback, and iterating publicly.
- High Autonomy and Drive: Ability to work independently in a remote, globally distributed environment. As a Subnet Owner, you will essentially act as a founder – you take initiative, manage your time effectively, and drive the project forward without hand-holding. Problem-solving skills and resilience are a must.
- Global Mindset: Open to applicants from anywhere in the world. You should be culturally aware and excited to collaborate with a diverse community of contributors and users. Fluent English (written and spoken) is recommended as it’s the primary language of the community and documentation.
Why Choose Bittensor?
- Build the Future of Decentralized AI: This role offers the unparalleled chance to create a groundbreaking AI service on a decentralized network. You’ll be at the frontier of AI and blockchain, demonstrating a new model of technology that is open, collaborative, and owned by the community. Your work will help shape the emerging landscape of decentralized AI and could influence how AI services are built and consumed globally.
- Founder-Level Autonomy and Ownership: You won’t be an employee cog in a machine; you’ll be the owner and leader of your project. You have the freedom to set your product’s direction, choose the AI models and data that best solve your chosen problem, and pivot as needed. Importantly, you retain ownership of your company and intellectual property – Bittensor provides the platform, but your subnet’s success is your own. Additionally, the network’s open ownership ethos means you gain a stake in the broader Bittensor ecosystem. When you contribute to Bittensor, you’re not just a user – you are part of the network’s ownership and governance in a way traditional cloud platforms don’t offer.
- Supportive Ecosystem and Community: The Opentensor Foundation and the Bittensor community want you to succeed. You’ll have access to documentation, developer resources, and community channels to get help and feedback. By joining as a Subnet Owner, you also join a collegial network of other subnet founders, AI researchers, and blockchain experts. Expect insightful discussions on our forums and Discord, opportunities to collaborate on research, and even potential mentorship from core developers. It’s a chance to work alongside others who are as passionate about decentralized AI as you are.
To apply, please send us your resume/CV and a brief proposal for the AI product or subnet you envision building. Tell us about your background in AI/ML, your entrepreneurial experiences, and why you’re passionate about decentralized compute.