What I'm focused on at this point in my life.
Work
Currently working as a software engineer, focusing on distributed systems and backend architecture. I'm particularly interested in:
- Building scalable data pipelines
- Improving system observability
- Mentoring junior engineers
- Contributing to open source projects
Learning
Currently Reading
- Staff Engineer by Will Larson - Understanding technical leadership beyond the IC track
- Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann - Deep diving into distributed systems
Studying
- Rust - Exploring systems programming with a focus on WebAssembly
- Distributed Systems - Working through MIT's 6.824 course
- Machine Learning - Practical applications for software engineering
Projects
Active
- Personal Website - Migrating to a Go-based static site generator
- Open Source - Contributing to several Go libraries
- Side Project - Building a distributed cache implementation
Planning
- Technical blog series on distributed systems patterns
- Contributing to larger open source projects
- Building a developer tool for log analysis
Life
Health & Fitness
- Running 3x per week, training for a half marathon
- Strength training 2x per week
- Daily meditation practice
Hobbies
- Photography - Exploring street photography with film cameras
- Coffee - Perfecting my pour-over technique
- Cooking - Learning regional Italian cuisine
Travel
Planning trips to:
- Japan (Spring 2025)
- Scotland (Summer 2025)
- Patagonia (Fall 2025)
Goals for 2025
- Technical: Become proficient in Rust and contribute to a major Rust project
- Career: Transition to a Staff Engineer role
- Writing: Publish 24 technical blog posts (2 per month)
- Health: Complete a half marathon under 2 hours
- Personal: Read 30 books across various genres
---
*This is a [now page](https://nownownow.com/about), inspired by [Derek Sivers](https://sive.rs/now).*
*Last updated: January 2025*
---
**Update**: Started working on migrating my personal site to a Go-based static site generator. Enjoying the simplicity and performance improvements so far.Being a father to a young family, building software at small and early stage software companies. Trying to take better pictures, and volunteering for my local lifeboat station.
Work
Currently working as a software engineer, focusing on making the best decisions for early stage software products.
Learning
Currently Reading
- see https://www.ngfg.me/reading/
Studying
- Elixir - Exploring systems programming with a focus on WebAssembly
- CNC - Working through MIT's 6.824 course
- Photography - Digital photography though looking to get into 35mm film
Projects
Active
- Personal Website - Migrating to a Go-based static site generator
- Side Project - Building a CNC Mill (https://www.millennium-machines.com)
Planning
- PCB projects with Makera Air
- SAR Drone
Life
Health & Fitness
- Running 3x per week, training for a few half marathons in 2025
- Strength training 2x per week
Hobbies
- Photography - Exploring family & portrait photography
- Coffee - Perfecting my pour-over technique
Goals for 2025
- Technical: Become proficient in functional programming (elixir)
- Writing: Publish 24 blog posts (2 per month)
- Health: Complete a half marathon under 1:40 hours
- Personal: Read 30 books across various genres