I've been obsessed with software for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I'd check out BASIC programming books from the library and somehow convinced my mother to transcribe hundred of lines so I could then run, debug and modify the apps. Over the last 25+ years, that obsession has taken me as a builder and leader from small startups to large enterprises.
What connects it all is turning complexity into simplicity — making products that just work. I've built across edTech, eCommerce, public safety (body cameras, digital evidence management), social media, gaming, marTech, and security research. These unexpected combinations give me a toolkit for uniquely solving problems in delightful ways.
Right now, I'm obsessed with how AI changes the rules of building products — not the hype, but the chance to rethink things we've accepted for decades.
I love the craft of building products and building teams that move fast, learn fast, and ship things people love.
Compound Engineering
Core maintainer of the Claude Code and Codex plugin that features skills and agents for engineers, product managers, and designers. 10k+ stars.
HZL
A task ledger for OpenClaw, providing task management for the OpenClaw AI ecosystem.
Image Sprout
A local web app and CLI for generating consistent images from reusable project context, not one-off prompts.
I'm a 4 × VP/CPO and 1 × founder. That range across industries has shaped how I build: stay curious, move fast, and make the complex feel effortless.
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Big Cartel
As Chief Product Officer, I led product, design, and product marketing. Big Cartel makes selling online magically simple for artists and small businesses. Whether it's a full-time career or a passion project, the mission was to help people turn their creativity into commerce — through clarity, experimentation, and empathy for independent creators.
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Axon & Sketchy
As VP of Product at Axon, I helped modernize public safety through body cameras, mobile apps, and digital evidence systems connecting police, prosecutors, and courts. At Sketchy, I led a visual learning platform used by nearly every medical student in the U.S., proving how art and story can transform memory and mastery.
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TraceMe → Nike
VP of Product at TraceMe, a Russell Wilson–backed startup later acquired by Nike. I helped bridge fandom and interactivity — then at Nike as Director of Product, led incubation projects for Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club, co-led the Nike Seattle office, and co-founded Nike Athlete Studio, redefining how the brand activates its Elite Athletes at scale.
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Microsoft
Built across identity, commerce, and gaming at Microsoft — from Microsoft Account, authentication, and security research to founding member of its first B2C eCommerce businesses (Microsoft Store, Windows Marketplace) that hit $1B+ revenue, to Windows App Store and Xbox Games Store.
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Chewsy
Co-founded one of the earliest social and micro-location apps — born from a love of chicken wings and featured in The New York Times and Forbes. (Yes, really. Ask me about it.)
- OKRs are mostly a waste of time. Alignment comes from clarity, not frameworks.
- There's no such thing as a bad LLM answer — just bad questions.
- Controlled chaos creates space for creativity and ownership. Rigid process to avoid it does the opposite.
- The faster you iterate, the safer it is to fail.
- Simple doesn't mean less — it means intentional. Smart defaults and thoughtful curation are features, not compromises.
- AI is both overhyped and underhyped. Both miss the point.
- Ben Affleck is the best Batman. I will die on this hill.
When I'm not building products, I'm experimenting in the kitchen, tinkering with AI agents and IoT gadgets, or cheering from the sidelines at my kids' soccer games.
I live in Seattle with my family — where the coffee's strong, the weather's moody, and my "smart" home occasionally has a mind of its own.