Home: Mountain View, CA. Age: 37. Birthplace: San Jose, CA. Profession: Software engineer. Pronouns: He/Him/His. Significant other: My wife, Julia Vanggaard. Alma mater: University of Maryland.
Current project: Helping to produce a documentary on GraphQL. Recent recognition: Keynote speaker at major conferences. Recent professional development: Attended the Princeton University course Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose. Latest accomplishment: Developing an API in Python. Hobbies: Travel, soccer, tennis, hiking, reading, mountain biking. Recent travel or adventure: Traveling across Europe with my family. Last book read: The Hard Way, by Lee Child.
Personality profile: Fastidious, motivated, positive. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Reliable. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Mutually beneficial. What is your greatest joy? My wife and children. What is your greatest fear? Snakes. What is your guilty pleasure? Niche European bands from the 2000s. What natural talent have you neglected? Playing soccer. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Physicians.
What was your first paying job? Working at a local cinema. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? My Atari Falcon030. What book have you repeatedly read? The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. What movie have you repeatedly watched? Alien vs. Predator. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? My high school math teacher, Mr. Benjamin. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Take part. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Invest in your continuous development.
What is your big idea?
An API that uses just a few lines of code to maximize screen real estate by hiding address bars.
What message do you want to send out into the world? Be the change you want to see. Don’t wait for someone else to do it first. What mega-trend most excites you? Personalization paving the way for enhanced consumer experiences. What mega-trend most concerns you? Quantum computing.
What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Ryan Gosling. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? My grandfather. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A professional soccer player. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My Atari Falcon030 computer. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Hiking in Redwood with my wife, the girls and my dog. What advice would you give your younger self? Don’t get so wrapped up on meaningless stuff. You’ll miss the bigger picture. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? Last Thanksgiving with all the family.
Personal motto: You only live once so make it count. Favorite quote: “The most wasted of days is one without laughter” (E. E. Cummings).
