Summary

Seasoned Software Architect with extensive experience building internet and database applications of a wide variety. My primary track record is building scalable systems with usable interfaces. Specialties include but are not limited to databases, distributed systems, scaling to fit usage, user interfaces, and overall architecture. Always ready to adapt to new tools and methods for the project at hand.

Education

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science. California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo

Technical Skills

Software: Python, Javascript, Git, PHP, Java, Ruby, Bash, Email, Web, React, Node.js, jQuery, Web Sockets, Microservices, REST APIs, Streaming APIs

Data: SQL, Postgres, MySQL, Oracle, Memcached, Redis, Pub/Sub, Pipelines, Queueing, Batch Systems, rsync, object storage (s3, r2, etc), LDAP

DevOps: Logging, CI/CD, Build and Deploy, Supervisord, Systemd, DNS, BIND, nginx, apache, Monitoring, Infrastructure as Code

Platforms: Linux, AWS, Digital Ocean, CloudFlare, Google Cloud, Apple App Store, APNS, Google Play Store, Stripe, PowerMTA, Postfix, Postmaster Tools, SendGrid

Architecture: Full product lifecycle, Information Architecture, Communicator, Collaborator, Mentor

Professional Experience

Zuno, San Francisco
Chief Architect

2015-Present

Led the database and network architecture and wore many hats for small internet company with multiple successful celebration products:

BirthdayAlarm - Birthday Reminders and Cards

• Core infrastructure on AWS with Linux, Nginx, Python, MySQL, React, Memcached
• Scaled BirthdayAlarm to 5 billion emails and 10 million greeting cards across 218 countries using Python, MySQL, PowerMTA
• Built newsletter system for supporting lists of 10M+ with Python, React-Email, PowerMTA
• Converted from page-driven python to REST APIs with React
• Ported from Payment Gateway + Merchant to Stripe Subscriptions
• iOS API implementation, push notifications, payments
• Administered and implemented CloudFlare, AWS, Apple, Google, Stripe accounts
• Wrote SQL queries for business analytics
• Built group card signing experience
• Supported customer service, product development, design

Poply - Invitations and RSVP

• Core infrastructure on AWS with Linux, Nginx, Python, MySQL, Memcached
• Built first working version of REST APIs as a fork of BirthdayAlarm
• Successful handoff to current team, where they matured it into robust growth mode
• Collaborated on SQL schemas/performance/reporting, shared in platform development on AWS
• Unsnarled the twistiest protocol snarls, such as SendGrid branded links SSL with CloudFlare DNS

Monkey Inferno, San Francisco
Software Architect

2009-2015

First software architect for technology incubator, creating foundation for numerous products built and running from on-premises development lab. Some examples:

The Inferno

• Designed and implemented core libraries, auth, APIs, utilities used across multiple products using Python, MySQL, Redis, Memcached, Javascript, Node.js, Linux
• Supported multiple product development teams and helped solve for specialized needs
• REST API support for iOS and Android apps, including push notifications, payments
• Participated in developing novel product process, from ideation to product-market fit
• Collaborated on DevOps using Python, Ruby, Shell, Rsync for builds, system automation
• Wrote SQL queries for business analytics
• Trained junior programmers into senior programmers
• General swiss army knife

BirthdayAlarm

• Led complete re-architecture of BirthdayAlarm from Java/Oracle to Python/MySQL
• Set up and ran distributed systems processing hundreds of millions of records each day with Python, MySQL, Memcached, Supervisord
• Split logic out from single points of failure into fault tolerant miniservices

Interactive Image Repository

• Guided, tested, debugged repository storage mechanism
• Collaborated and debugged queueing systems, pub/sub systems using Redis
• Web sockets layer above pub/sub using async python

Group Video Chat

• Collaborated and debugged queueing systems, pub/sub systems using Redis
• Web sockets layer above pub/sub using async python

Video Texting App

• Guided, tested, debugged video upload to push notification using APNS
• Re-organized and re-indexed schema to support larger scale than original version

StumbleUpon, San Francisco
Senior Internet Engineer

2007-2009

Led scaling efforts to serve billions of curated web page recommendations while growing user base from 2.5M to 10M, before SSD and smooth hardware CPU concurrency:

• Managed Scaling Team of 3 senior developers to work on scaling up rapidly growing traditional Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP
• Created distributed data model using PHP, MySQL, Memcached to cache frequent or expensive computations, generally to avoid going to disk
• Developed system profilers to scrutinize query paths and improve schema, indexing, memory management using MySQL and SQL, Percona Toolkit, shell tools
• Improved platform performance by 16x by tuning everything from database to app server
• sync_deploy: Solved the bottleneck and single point of failure for NFS-hosted PHP site, using multi-threading Python, Sudo, Rsync, SSH to deploy to multiple servers at once.

Product Building:

• Rebuilt core social network infrastructure consisting of "following", "mutual following", "messaging", and "blogging"
• Developed email infrastructure using banks of Postfix to send millions of newsletters per week
• Set up mirroring system for user content using Rsync from central batch system, to spread out the load
• Helped the Data Science team with performance problems, including very fast Tokyo Tyrant database
• Using the team SVN and Trac, until git came along

Kefta, San Francisco
Lead Software Engineer

2005-2007

Led development of Self-Service Content Targeting Engine using Python, Solaris, Oracle, Javascript:

• Used new-at-the-time javascript-over-network techniques to measure and modify content on client sites
• Built and maintained content system using NFS, Oracle
• Created content admin and reporting interface using Python, HTML, jQuery and SQL
• Implemented data collection funnel into Oracle data warehouse
• Created business and statistical reporting system for users and admins using Materialized views in Oracle
• Mentored junior team members and interviewed candidates
• Provided sales support

MarkMonitor, San Francisco
Software Engineer

2004-2005

Joined the Alldomains team as it was merging its Domain Name Registrar with Mark Monitor's - Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP

• Made repairs and surrounding improvements to core Registry interface
• Helped stand up Enterprise DNS and Brand Management portals on traditional LAMP stack and Smarty templates, plus some Java
• Developed glue libraries to export zone files from eDNS to BIND
• Backend processing on replicated postgres to produce intermediate data and reports
• Developed cross-platform authentication layer using Java, PHP, LDAP.

Consulting Experience

Independent Contractor, SF Bay Area
Self and Code Bug LLC

2005-present

Fixing code and making bugs in the different lifecycle stages - starting from scratch, scaling up, closing down. As clients came and went, I've tried not to leave anyone hanging. Sole proprietor for a few years before starting Code Bug LLC. Some examples of interesting projects:

• Social Gaming: improved performance of significant save game routine for a rapidly growing game, chunking computation of star schema for reporting purposes, and bug fixing on some premium titles. PHP/MySQL
• Data Management Platform: got the client's clients' reports down from single-digit minutes to single-digit seconds by finding an optimal schema to query, then restructuring the data pipeline to fit. Python/MySQL
• Financial Data Processing: analysis, knowledge base, machine learning software for various financial systems, Linux/Nginx/Python/Postgres/jQuery
• Conservation Tech: workflow software for various conservation acivities, to support the protection of forests, oceans, biodiversity, and human rights. Linux/Nginx/Python/Vue/Mapbox/iOS/Android
• Community E-Commerce: system for communities to pool items and sell on e-bay for a community cause. Linux/Apache/PHP/MySQL and eBay APIs
• Legal Document Generator: legal workflow software for the end user to build personal wills, trusts, and other documents. Linux/Apache/PHP/MySQL
• Office Leasing System: real estate tech tools for deal-making and collaboration. Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP
• IRC and Video Streaming: fixed bottlenecks data access layer to smooth out streaming and chats locking. Ruby/Rails/Postgres/Redis/Memcached

Phenix Research Associates, SF Bay Area
Operations Developer

2002-2004

DevOps, before we called it DevOps

• Wrote and operated FreeBSD sysadmin automation tools with Ruby and Bash.
• Provisioned suite of internet services for local networks, providing gatewaying, firewall, domain, email, time, samba and client-specific needs
• On-site system admin hardware installs, networking, telco wiring

Tolosa Technologies, San Luis Obispo
Software Engineer

2001-2004

Under the wing of the Principal as a mentor, wrote a bunch of different hacks, patches, refactors, fixes for web, data, and text processing systems

• Added CVV2 support to ISO8583 backend and UI routines at credit card processor, in Java, Python, MS SQL Server.
• Back-ported data from website, effectively scraping to recover from data loss
• Contracted on a dozen client web sites in various states with PHP, Python, Linux, MySQL, Postgres, OpenBSD

Novtek Test Systems, San Jose
Networking Software Engineer

1999

• Network and GUI application in Java for flash memory testing hardware
• Processed test results sent over the wire to display on screen
• System Administration of development servers running Linux and FreeBSD

Integrated Device Technology, San Jose
Unix System Admin

1998

• Internship in UNIX systems: HP/UX, ChallengeDM, Linux, Solaris
• Multi-host system admin automation using SSH, control programs, and shell tools
• DNS Hosting
• Email Hosting
• Apache/Perl Admin Tools