8+ years of hands-on engineering experience, including building and scaling modern web applications 2+ years directly managing engineers Experience scaling small teams and developing engineers Deep technical foundation across backend systems, infrastructure, and modern web stacks (Node.js, TypeScript, GraphQL, AWS) Experience designing and operating production systems end-to-end Clear, pragmatic decision-maker who can balance speed and quality High ownership mindset Culture builder and people leader who leads with empathy, high standards, and follow-through