Frequently Asked Questions

I focus on projects that involve significant technical challenges in cloud architecture, backend systems, or performance optimization. This includes migrating legacy applications to cloud platforms, designing microservices architectures, building real-time data processing pipelines, and scaling systems to handle 10x or 100x growth. I prefer projects lasting at least 3 months where I can make meaningful architectural contributions rather than short-term bug fixes. Recent projects have included building a Kubernetes-based platform serving 2.3 million daily active users, designing a serverless event processing system handling 50,000 events per second, and optimizing a PostgreSQL database that reduced query times by 94%. I work best with teams that value code quality, automated testing, and thorough documentation.

Technology choices should solve specific problems, not follow trends. I start by understanding the requirements: expected scale, team expertise, budget constraints, and timeline. For a startup with 3 engineers and uncertain traffic patterns, I might recommend a monolithic application on a managed platform like Heroku or Railway to maximize development speed. For an established company expecting millions of users, a microservices architecture on Kubernetes makes more sense despite higher initial complexity. I favor boring, proven technologies for critical paths and reserve newer technologies for non-critical components where failure is acceptable. PostgreSQL has been production-ready since 1996 and handles most use cases better than newer databases. I also consider the hiring market - choosing technologies with strong talent pools reduces future risk when the team needs to grow.

I work on both contract and full-time arrangements depending on the project scope. For consulting engagements, I typically commit 20-40 hours per week with a minimum 3-month engagement period. This allows enough time to understand the system, make meaningful improvements, and document decisions for the team. I'm currently based in Seattle and work with companies across US time zones, with some flexibility for European teams. My rate varies based on project complexity and duration, generally ranging from $150-250 per hour for contract work. I prefer projects where I can work directly with the engineering team rather than through multiple management layers. I'm selective about projects, taking on 2-3 concurrent engagements maximum to ensure I can give each one proper attention.

Clear communication prevents most project problems. I provide weekly written updates summarizing completed work, current focus, blockers, and upcoming priorities. For longer engagements, I also do monthly architectural reviews where we assess whether our technical decisions are still appropriate given what we've learned. I'm available for real-time communication during business hours via Slack or similar tools, typically responding within 2 hours during my working day. I document all significant technical decisions in architecture decision records stored in the project repository. For distributed teams, I record important meetings and maintain a shared knowledge base in Notion or Confluence. I believe in transparency - if something isn't working or will take longer than expected, I communicate that immediately rather than hoping to catch up later.

I've worked extensively with AWS since 2015, Google Cloud since 2017, and Azure since 2019. AWS remains my deepest expertise - I've architected systems using EC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda, RDS, DynamoDB, S3, CloudFront, and about 30 other services. I hold the AWS Solutions Architect Professional certification, which I renewed in 2023. Google Cloud is my preference for Kubernetes workloads due to GKE's superior management features and for data analytics using BigQuery. Azure makes sense for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. Each platform has strengths: AWS has the most services and largest community, GCP has better Kubernetes and data tools, Azure integrates best with enterprise Microsoft deployments. I can work effectively on any of them and help organizations choose based on their specific needs rather than my personal preference.

Security is integrated into every phase of development, not added at the end. I follow the OWASP Top 10 guidelines and conduct threat modeling during the design phase to identify risks early. All authentication uses industry-standard protocols like OAuth 2.0 or SAML, never custom implementations. Secrets are stored in dedicated services like AWS Secrets Manager or HashiCorp Vault, never in code or environment variables. I implement defense in depth with multiple security layers: network segmentation using VPCs, application-level authorization, database-level access controls, and encryption everywhere. Regular dependency scanning with tools like Snyk or Dependabot catches vulnerable libraries before they reach production. I also advocate for regular security audits by third-party firms - I've worked with organizations following SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance requirements and understand the documentation and controls needed.