This page explains how I avoid overengineering and make systems safe to change. If this resonates, we'll probably work well together.
Most problems span multiple layers. A slow page might be a frontend render issue, a backend query problem, or a missing index. Fixing it requires understanding the full path — not just one part.
I think in systems: how data flows from database to screen, where failures can happen, what happens when load increases. This context makes local decisions better.
Real systems are complex. Users have edge cases. Business logic has exceptions. The goal isn't to pretend complexity doesn't exist — it's to organize it so each piece is simple in isolation.
I aim for systems where a new developer can understand any single component without holding the entire system in their head. Clear boundaries. Explicit dependencies. No magic.
Every decision involves trade-offs. More abstraction means more indirection. Better performance often means more complexity. Microservices mean operational overhead.
The skill isn't avoiding trade-offs — it's identifying them, communicating them, and making intentional choices based on actual constraints rather than general best practices.
A system that works is more valuable than one with more features.
Code is read far more often than it's written.
Dependencies should be visible, not discovered through debugging.
Ship value continuously while improving the system.
Novel solutions only for novel problems.
Measure first, then optimize the actual bottleneck.
Solving problems that don't exist yet.
Start with a monolith, split when you have evidence.
Using technologies to learn rather than to solve problems.
Code that can't be deployed reliably isn't done. I think about deployment from the start: how will this run in production? How will we roll back? What happens when it fails?
Good infrastructure is invisible — it just works. But someone had to make decisions about containers, CI/CD, monitoring, and rollback strategies. Those decisions compound over time.
The best technical decisions come from understanding full context. That means talking to stakeholders about user needs, understanding business constraints, and having honest conversations about what's actually possible.
I prefer working with teams that value transparency over politics, treat estimates as forecasts rather than commitments, and understand that sustainable pace produces better outcomes than heroics.
If your product works but feels fragile, let's talk.
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