Platform engineering

I build reliable platforms that let teams ship AI features without fragility.

My focus is platform engineering: backend boundaries, integrations, data flows, and operational guardrails. Practically, that means turning “we should add AI” into production-ready systems (tooling, safety, observability, fallbacks) that teams can maintain.

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Remote-friendly · async-first · clear written deliverables.

Background

About

I’m a platform-focused engineer who’s spent the last few years building systems-heavy products end-to-end: web + mobile surfaces, backend services, data models, third-party integrations, and the operational tooling to keep them stable.

I’m strongest when the problem is “make this work in production”: payments, fulfillment, auth, background jobs, recommendation pipelines, AI/LLM integrations, and the guardrails that prevent expensive surprises.

Platform engineeringAI integrationsPayments + webhooksBackground jobsData + recommendation pipelinesObservability + guardrails

Scope

What I do

Platform foundations

Define boundaries, data models, and service interfaces that scale with the product (not just the demo).

AI integrations that ship

Tooling + workflows for LLM features: safety gates, evals, fallbacks, and observability that keep velocity high.

Operational reliability

Background jobs, webhooks, idempotency, and log-first debugging so systems behave under real-world edge cases.

Working style

How I work

→ Async-first by default: clear written updates, diagrams, and PRs over meetings.
→ I optimize for maintainability: simple interfaces, explicit failure modes, and good on-call hygiene.
→ I like measurable systems: logs, dashboards, and “what happens when this fails?” answers.
→ I’m comfortable owning integrations end-to-end (vendor APIs, webhooks, retries, and rollback plans).

If you need someone to take a “platform problem” from vague to shipped—especially where AI touches real production constraints— that’s where I’m most useful.

Gift With Bear - Gifting Platform

Founding Engineer / CTO

Visit App Store

Built and operated the core gifting platform: Firebase Functions/Firestore backend, Stripe payments + webhooks, Goody fulfillment + catalog refresh, and a Cloud Run recommendation API.

Platform backend

Firebase Functions + Firestore: core APIs, scheduled jobs, and operational guardrails.

Payments + billing

Stripe intents + webhooks with idempotency patterns and rollout safety gates.

Fulfillment + catalog

Goody integration + resumable catalog refresh (paging, resume state, delete safety thresholds).

Recommendations API

FastAPI service on Cloud Run backed by Firestore catalog data and tag-based matching.

HRIS (Finch)

Auth/token exchange, org import pipeline, scheduled sync, and launch-readiness audit artifacts.

Privacy + retention

Account deletion + retention operations to manage data lifecycle and reduce risk.

Gifting Concierge (ChatGPT App / MCP)

Founder / CTO

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Gifting Concierge (ChatGPT App / MCP) preview

Designed and shipped a ChatGPT App integration that drives a real checkout flow: roster ingestion → budget → recommendations → draft creation → handoff to web checkout.

MCP server

Implemented an MCP tool surface (Streamable HTTP) with a stateless session model and clear tool contracts.

Interactive widget UI

Served a bundled Apps SDK widget (`ui://widget/...`) to guide CSV upload and stepwise flow inside ChatGPT.

Backend handoff

Draft persistence + checkout URL generation via Firebase Functions so payment + fulfillment happen on the web platform.

Recommendations preview

Wired an in-chat recommendations preview that calls the backend and falls back to safe mocks when needed.

App verification

Added OpenAI domain verification endpoint (`/.well-known/openai-apps-challenge`) to support app submission.

Availability

Ways to work together

Remote platform engineering (primary)

Remote · async-first · systems ownership

I’m looking for a remote role where I can own platform + integration work: backend services, vendor APIs, background jobs, AI feature delivery, and operational guardrails.

Set up a conversation

I’m happy to share a resume and walk through case studies.

Advisory / async review (optional)

If you’re a founder or team and want a high-signal review (architecture, AI feasibility, integrations, launch readiness), I can do that too—written feedback first.

Ask about async review

Other engagements

Time-sensitive or high-stakes consults are sometimes possible when availability allows; typically a minimum block and by prior arrangement.

References

Referrals

I’m happy to provide referrals or connect you with people I’ve worked with. If you’re considering me for a role or engagement and would like references, please reach out and I’ll arrange an introduction.

Request referrals