About
Software engineer and technical advisor with experience scaling systems and growing startups. Previously at Google, Quip (acquired by Salesforce), and various advisory roles. I specialize in:
- System Architecture & Reliability Engineering
- Large Language Models (LLM) Systems
- Technical Due Diligence
- Early-stage Startup Advising
- DevOps & Cloud Infrastructure
Professional Experience
Independent Advisor & Investor
2016 - Present
Advising startups and small businesses on technical strategy, architecture, and growth.
Volunteer Editor, Wikipedia
2017 - 2021
In lieu of full-time employment, I spent a substantial amount of time as a volunteer Wikipedia editor.
Software Engineer, Quip (Acquired by Salesforce)
2013 - 2015
Early employee focusing on DevOps and sales engineering. Helped scale infrastructure and implement customer-requested features.
Site Reliability Engineer, Google
2007 - 2013
Managed large-scale infrastructure and system reliability during Google's rapid growth phase.
Technical Expertise
- Languages: Python (proficient); experience in JavaScript, PHP, Java, C++, SQL; familiarity with Golang, Rust, Lua
- Focus Areas: System Reliability, Cloud Architecture, Technical Strategy
Recent Projects
- December 2024/January 2025 - "Atacama" - blog engine written with the assistance of LLMs. Server code available at github.com:powera/atacama.
- October 2024/November 2024 - (text generation) LLM benchmarking and task performance. Source code and benchmark results available by request.
- September 2024 - exploring audio LLM models. The conclusion was that there was nothing productive I could do on my own with current technology.
Non-Technical Expertise and Hobbies
- Running - approx. 2h10m half-marathon
- Chess - approx. 1600 ELO
- Game Design and Playtesting
- Theatrical production (non-professional)
Contact
Based in Ankeny, Iowa. Available for technical roles and investment opportunities.
Email: alex@pow3.com