Why work with me?

I've done this before

Over 15 years, I've been a founder, an IC, a tech lead, and a manager of managers. I've worked at agencies where we shipped something new every few months, and at product companies where we iterated on the same codebase for years.

I've led teams through acquisitions (Sailthru, 2018), built products that generated millions in new revenue (Justworks), and helped engineers go from "just getting by" to actually loving their work (96% engagement at Addepar).

That variety matters. When you've seen the same problems show up in different contexts, you start to recognize the patterns—and the solutions.

I care about people as much as code

Here's something I've learned: the best technical decisions are often the ones that make your team's lives easier. Not just easier to build, but easier to maintain, debug, and extend when you're not around.

I've worked with brilliant engineers who burned out because nobody helped them set boundaries. I've seen teams ship great work because they felt safe taking risks. The human stuff isn't soft—it's what makes everything else possible.

I won't waste your time

I'm not going to recommend a six-month "digital transformation initiative" when you need to ship a feature next quarter. I'm not going to push Kubernetes on a three-person team. I'm not going to tell you to "move fast and break things" when you're handling people's payroll.

Context matters. I'll take the time to understand yours before suggesting anything.

I'm keeping up with the new stuff

AI-assisted development isn't a gimmick anymore. I use Claude, Cursor, and similar tools every day. They're genuinely changing how I work—and how your team could work too, if you do it thoughtfully.

But I've also been around long enough to know what's hype and what's real. I can help you figure out where these tools actually add value, and where they're just noise.

What I can help with

• Engineering leadership — fractional CTO/VP Eng work, team coaching, process improvement
• Technical due diligence — pre-acquisition assessments, investment analysis
• AI integration — practical strategies for adopting AI tools without the chaos
• Team health — engagement, retention, sustainable practices