I'm a full-stack engineer with special expertise in backend architecture and devops. I'm passionate about creative applications of technology.
Currently, I'm interested in building systems for gen AI pipelines, the intersections between crypto and AI, and applied AI for creativity.
* Led backend teams for game co with millions of users. Worked cross teams to build microservices / ML pipelines for RF classifiers (user spend, churn) that had real impacts on revenues
* Built backend/AWS infra from scratch for a complex tax app. Plaid/OpenAI integrations. Did much of the design and hired/led two remote iOS engs. It failed, but saw some revenues and you can see what it looked like here: https://upward-prod.webflow.io/
Recent projects:
* Riddler – autonomous word game. Uses path-finding and LLMs to construct its own daily puzzles: https://www.riddler.game/
* Awestruck – real-time sound synthesis and streaming via WebRTC. Uses SuperCollider for music but I'm exploring applications for AI speech: https://github.com/po-studio/awestruck
Experienced server engineer with design and frontend chops. Currently leading engineering at Upward: https://www.upwardearner.com/
Open to full-time and/or "try before you buy" contract work. Love collaborating on difficult problems. Can start as soon as needed. Feel free to reach out!
paul@upwardearner.com [please start your email subject line with "Upward HN", thanks!]
Upward is building an AI-driven tax app for the modern, multi-earner era.
We help users find tax clarity and savings through a beautiful interface that aggregates all types of earned income, including freelance/self-employment, gig work, salaried jobs, and investments/crypto (or losses).
As a small team, we have ambitious plans to make it easier for users to minimize their taxes owed and to pay them right through their phone. We're also working to apply language models to messy financial data and the enormously complicated (and ever-changing) U.S. tax code to help users make sense of their financial situation throughout the tax year.
We're looking to fill two full-time (remote) roles (compensation negotiable for the right candidates):
* Generalist Rubyist/DevOps Eng (Rails/Docker/AWS)
These might look like 4-6 roles bundled into two, but we're looking for generalists who are smart, curious, and eager to work on several different but interrelated things. Our CTO has handled all of the above over the past year and we're looking for similar people who are excited to apply and expand their expertise in new ways to build something extraordinary.
We're a small and distributed product team:
* Frontend – 2 iOS and 1 part-time QA eng
* CTO – backend/devops, design, and product. Based in NYC with experience in finance (BlackRock), video (Vimeo), mobile games (Dots), generative AI, and blockchain dev/NFTs (https://opensea.io/collection/1989-sisters)
* CEO – CPA who has served as CFO for a large asset management firm in NYC and brings a depth of tax and financial know-how
https://riddler.game
Also building a Pictionary-like variant with Processing animations such as you see here:
https://po.studio
Not a game designer though, so would love feedback!