Deepinder Goyal’s new startup Temple is developing a head-mounted wearable that measures real-time cerebral blood flow to track neurological performance. Unlike traditional fitness trackers, Temple targets elite athletes and high-performance individuals. The company has also introduced a controversial hiring policy requiring engineers to meet specific body fat thresholds, aligning fitness with product culture.
Deepinder Goyal is stepping far outside the food delivery ecosystem and into something radically different—an ambitious neuro-tech startup called Temple. And this time, the rules are unlike anything Silicon Valley—or Bengaluru—has seen before.
A Wearable That Tracks the Brain, Not Just the Body
Temple isn’t building another smartwatch.
Instead of counting steps or monitoring heart rate variability, the company is developing a head-mounted wearable that measures real-time cerebral blood flow. The goal? To understand neurological performance, brain health, and aging at a deeper biological level.
This device sits along the side of the head and focuses on one of the most telling biomarkers of cognitive performance: how efficiently blood flows through the brain.
And here’s the kicker—this isn’t for casual users. The early target audience appears to be elite athletes and high-performance individuals seeking measurable neurological edge.
The Hiring Policy That’s Turning Heads
Temple’s recruitment strategy is as bold as its product vision.
Goyal’s thesis is simple:
You can’t build an elite performance device if you don’t live an elite performance lifestyle.
As a result, Temple has implemented physical fitness thresholds for engineers joining the company:
- Men: Below 16% body fat
- Women: Below 26% body fat
Candidates who don’t meet the mark immediately aren’t disqualified—but they’ll enter a 90-day probation window. Hit the required fitness benchmark within three months, and you’re in.
This isn’t corporate wellness. It’s cultural alignment.
The company wants engineers who will wear the device daily, stress-test it during workouts, and iterate based on lived experience—not just lab simulations.
The Technical Bar Is Just as Intense
Physical conditioning alone won’t get you through the door.
Temple is assembling what looks more like a neuroscience research lab than a typical startup team. They’re actively recruiting:
Neurotechnology Engineers
Professionals skilled in:
- Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)
- EEG signal processing
- Real-time neural data decoding
Hardware & Embedded Systems Experts
Engineers capable of building:
- Sensor arrays
- Optical systems
- Battery integrations
- Skin-grade adhesives
- Compact embedded electronics
This isn’t assembly-line hardware. It’s precision bioengineering.
AI & Computer Vision Specialists
Temple is exploring AI models that can detect:
- Subtle facial micro-expressions
- Subvocal muscle signals
- Performance-linked behavioural indicators
Product Managers Who Ship
Even PMs aren’t exempt from the hands-on rule. Candidates are expected to independently prototype in Figma—no dependency chain, no bureaucracy.
What This Signals for the Startup Ecosystem
Temple represents a broader shift in founder-led experimentation:
- Blurring lines between biotech and consumer hardware
- Hiring for lifestyle compatibility, not just skill
- Building vertically integrated, deeply technical teams
- Optimizing for performance culture over comfort
Whether you agree with the hiring philosophy or not, it’s undeniably bold.
Goyal isn’t building another SaaS dashboard. He’s attempting to quantify the brain’s performance curve in real time.
And that’s a much harder problem to solve.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are instructed to skip traditional platforms and email directly:
Subject line? Your strongest technical skill.
No fluff. Just capability.
