About Me
I love the moments when simple technology creates a feeling of wonder. I believe programming is an artistic endeavor, and software mirrors its originating culture and environment. I've spent 20 years as a software engineer and designer, leading teams and building technology that brings people together.
Current
- Nerd Coach → I coach engineers, engineering managers, and startup founders
- I am an Entrepreneur in Residence at Singularity U
- Mindfulness for Nerds → an 8-week course on focus and flow
- I write about technology, scale, and humanity on Medium
- I volunteer at Dynamicland and am working on a few projects there
Work History
- Yerdle co-founder. Built and led Yerdle's engineering team
- PPF director of technology. Helped create OpenGovernment.org and OpenCongress.org
- Zipcar founding team. Wrote the code that opens your Zipcar
- OurGoods co-founder. A bartering network for creative professionals
- Software projects for The American Museum of Natural History, ITP@NYU, and others
- Mentor at Code for America, Singularity U, and CCA Design Strategy MBA
Selected Writing
- 'The Art of Computer Programming' by Donald Knuth →
- What Really Kills Most Startups →
- The moment you realize every server in the world is vulnerable →
- A Brief History of Random Numbers →
- Managing Technical Debt →
Playground
- Multiverse → Adobe Photoshop scripts to create generative art — in collaboration with Petra Cortright for Rhizome's Seven on Seven 2018
- Jackpot → a Chrome extension that turns the web into a casino
- Wine Flavor Wheel → a visualization of how different wines taste
- Visual metronome → at Dynamicland, a simple adjustable metronome
- The Flag of Equal Marriage → an emotional touch point for same-sex marriage
- Emoji Text Replacements → gives you Emoji keyboard shortcuts on macOS
Education
- BSE in Computer Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
- Learned to code by writing Internet games at 14