2024 - Present
As a Founding Engineer at The Network Concierge Company, I lead the development of Dunbar, our innovative professional networking platform. I architect core features, design APIs for seamless contact integration, and develop algorithms for intelligent search and connection optimization. My work also involves creating real-time data pipelines for actionable networking insights.
Beyond coding, I collaborate with the Founding Team to build our engineering talent and foster a culture of innovation. This blend of technical leadership and team growth drives our mission to revolutionize professional networking.
2019 - 2024
At Weedmaps, I led a cross-functional team tackling projects in Curation, Compliance, and Payments. I spearheaded initiatives to enhance the Software Development Lifecycle, with a strong focus on improving CI/CD processes and Observability across teams. This work involved extensive collaboration to establish and implement best practices for monitoring and deploying software.
In 2022, I joined the Dispatch team post-acquisition of Cannveya, where I focused on integrating and modernizing their delivery and logistics software into Weedmaps' ecosystem. This work involved upgrading established systems to meet our efficiency standards while maintaining their core functionality.
From 2019 to 2022, I was instrumental in the Retail team, where I developed and implemented best practices that significantly improved our ability to deliver software crucial for our customers' daily operations and compliance needs. This work laid the foundation for robust, client-centric solutions that became integral to our product offering.
2016 - 2019
At NC Interactive, I served as the lead backend developer on the Web team, collaborating closely with frontend developers and platform teams across multiple game projects. During my tenure, we successfully launched MXM and rolled out several major versions of Aion, Lineage, and Blade and Soul.
My primary focus was streamlining our workflow to empower rapid, independent feature deployment. Recognizing the complexity of our multi-team backend ecosystem, I introduced GraphQL, which perfectly addressed our need to aggregate data from numerous services. This implementation created a unified data layer, allowing frontend developers to efficiently query data from various backend sources through a single endpoint.
This strategic move significantly enhanced our development process, leading to successful implementations across key areas. We improved web payments systems, enhancing monetization capabilities for our games. Our work also supported the creation of robust esports event platforms, bolstering competitive gaming initiatives. Additionally, we made substantial improvements to community forums, fostering greater player engagement.
The GraphQL initiative not only optimized our development workflow but also fostered a more efficient, collaborative environment across teams. This resulted in faster feature delivery and supported the successful launches and updates of multiple major game titles, ultimately enhancing the player experience across our portfolio of games.
2010 - 2016
At Dellamoda, I played a pivotal role in managing a significant customer base, contributing substantially to yearly revenue. My focus on process improvement led to the creation and maintenance of automation tools that drastically enhanced operational efficiency. I served as a key liaison with overseas engineers, coordinating efforts on our legacy e-commerce application.
A major achievement during my tenure was developing a scalable REST API application using the Laravel PHP Framework. This initiative overcame limitations of our legacy software and automated numerous company-wide processes, significantly improving our service delivery capabilities. The impact of this work extended beyond my employment, as I later assisted in migrating the e-commerce platform to Shopify, ensuring a smooth transition for the company's digital presence.
These efforts not only streamlined internal operations but also enhanced the customer experience, supporting Dellamoda's growth and digital transformation in the competitive e-commerce landscape.
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Initiated in 2012, inspired by the engaging and creative Aion community's player versus player (PvP) videos. It provides a dedicated channel for showcasing Aion Online videos, emphasizing the game's unique aspects such as exciting action, impressive skills, and teamwork. The project serves as a platform for both creators and players to display their creativity and skill in one location.
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Originally formed in 2009 as an Aion Online guild, has developed into a leading PvPvE Legion in Aion Classic. Its core values emphasize continuous progression, collective success, and learning from losses. The group's website now serves as a valuable resource, offering game schedules and a translation tool for different factions' languages.
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I am currently leading the revamp of the MyAion website, working diligently to enhance the platform for Aion Online enthusiasts. I am focused on creating a visually appealing and user-friendly interface. Through careful attention to detail and a commitment to excellence, I am dedicated to providing an improved experience for users.
2020 - Present
At The Web Team, we simplify and clarify tech, helping people harness tools from giants like Shopify and Apple. We guide individuals to choose and integrate technology effectively for maximum benefit. Essentially, we make technology user-friendly and accessible.
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2022 - 2024
Trestle is a nifty tool I'm working on that's shaking up the construction industry. It simplifies procurement and contracts, while also keeping tabs on vendor performance. It's all about making things easier and more efficient. Check it out to see how tech can be a game-changer!
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"If there is something that you want to accomplish, it can be done. Not overnight but you can plan and work on it and eventually you will achieve it. You really can have and accomplish anything you want to with planning, hard work and time. Don't give up with the first bump in the road just pick yourself up and keep going."
- Donald Washbrook (aka. My Dad)
1941 - 2000
"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."
- Steve Jobs
1955 - 2011
Always begin by identifying the core problem. Avoid the temptation to conflate issues that arise simultaneously; they may not be related, even if they appear to be. Tackling one problem at a time with clarity and focus ensures more effective and sustainable solutions.
I've been programming since the age of 5 (1996), but my professional career began in 2010.
I briefly attended community college before moving to Orange County to work at NCSoft. While I don't have a formal education in Computer Science, I bring over two decades of experience to the field, with 15 of those years spent professionally.
I absolutely love meeting, talking with, and helping others in the field in any way I can. Feel free to reach out to me via email at hey@dak.dev, and we can discuss the details.
A better question might be, "How can I determine which language is best for me to learn?" To answer that, consider another question: "What do you want to build?" The tech field thrives on a passion for building and creating. While you could specialize in a single language like Ruby, the greatest success often comes from understanding the strengths and weaknesses of various tools available to you. This doesn’t mean you need to use everything all at once—Occam's Razor, or the principle of simplicity, definitely applies here.
If you're interested in building PC games, you might want to explore C++ or C# with game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity. For web application development, JavaScript is essential, and you might also consider PHP, Ruby, or Golang for server-side programming, depending on the needs of your application and the skills of your team.
Ultimately, the key is to "Seek to Understand." This means discovering where each technology excels, why it exists, and what its place is in the industry. By understanding these aspects, you can better decide which language to dive into first and start your journey in software development.
Made with ❤️ by Dak