Engineers in AI Founder
20 years of hands-on engineering experience informs every search Tony runs.
Tony's Story
Tony Kochhar spent two decades as a hardware and software engineer, working across companies that ran the full spectrum of the technology industry — from early-stage startups to enterprise-scale organizations. He wrote code, designed systems, and made technical decisions long before he ever sourced a candidate.
He moved into recruiting after repeatedly encountering the same problem from the inside: recruiters who couldn't evaluate technical candidates beyond keyword matching. Hiring managers would get flooded with resumes from people who listed the right technologies but lacked the depth to actually do the work. Tony could tell the difference — because he'd spent two decades doing the work himself.
He founded Engineers in AI to bring engineering-native recruiting to the companies that needed it most: fast-moving teams where a bad hire doesn't just cost a salary — it costs velocity, team trust, and product quality. Every search Engineers in AI takes on is personally led by Tony from intake to close.
By the numbers
The Difference
Three capabilities that come from 20 years of engineering — not from a recruiting certification.
Tony can evaluate system design thinking, architectural decisions, and code quality — not just whether a candidate lists the right keywords on their resume. He's built production systems. He knows what depth looks like.
Tony has been the person making the hiring decision. He understands the pressure of an open role on a team's velocity, what a "good enough" hire actually costs long-term, and why hiring managers get burned by recruiters who don't ask the right questions.
Tony has hired for 5-person startups and Fortune 500 engineering organizations. He knows how a role at a seed-stage AI company differs from the same title at a 10,000-person enterprise — in expectations, in culture, in what makes someone successful in each environment.
What Clients Say
In the words of the hiring managers and engineering leaders who've worked with him.
Tony quickly demonstrated the exponential effect that comes from working with a real seasoned professional who knows how to add value even in a crazy start-up environment.
Due to his tech background he was able to hit the ground running for us. The guy lives and breathes recruitment.
Tony understands the concepts of software engineering at a higher level than most non-engineers. His methods seemed well-established, effective, and his process was transparent.
Work With Tony
No handoffs to junior recruiters. No account managers in the middle. When you start a search with Engineers in AI, you work directly with the founder — the person who actually understands what you're trying to build.
Book a call with Tony