I’m a software engineering leader based in Ann Arbor, MI with 10 years of experience in the field. My engineering experience mostly lies on the backend (with Python and PHP comprising most of that), but I’ve done a fair bit of vanilla JS and React on the frontend as well. Regardless of technology or methodology, what I value most is a smart, capable team that can trust each other.
Sr. Software Engineer -> Engineering Manager
2020--Present
I came on as AdAdapted's first dedicated backend engineer at a time when the team consisted solely of our VP of engineering and a single data engineer. I was tasked with supporting a legacy PHP / Vue platform, as well as assisting in supporting a legacy Golang infrastructure. I then helped to bring on an entire engineering team consisting of backend, frontend, data and UX/UI engineers, as well as build out a new set of services to take the place of the previous infrastructure, all in service of supporting the company's growing needs.
As our team grew, I spent time building various services using Python. We rebuilt the legacy PHP platform with a new Python API + a React frontend, as well as rebuilding the Golang infrastructure using Python + Scylla DB. I also built various other REST and GraphQL APIs as well as report processing and ETL pipeline services. During this period our team also became well-versed in GCP cloud infrastructure; using both Cloud Run and Compute Engine to run our services, managed PostgreSQL and Redis for data storage and caching, Pub/Sub for event processing between services, and BigQuery for data warehousing and reporting.
Around the time our team hit its high point of nearly 20 engineers, I also transitioned into a management role. I've been able to help the team grow and mature, while taking management workload off our VP. This change has been a great success, and I'm excited to continue to grow in the direction of technical leadership. I feel I've excelled as a leader even moreso than an engineer.
After transitioning from Senior Engineer to Engineering Manager, I led the team in building the next generation of AdAdapted’s adtech platform, focusing on the company’s patented Add-It add-to-list technology. I directed the development of new Python-based services, managed the cutover from legacy PHP and Golang components, and facilitated several key API integrations with external demand-side platforms (DSPs). This strategic work has enabled AdAdapted to deliver enhanced, scalable solutions for clients while supporting the company’s vision for technical innovation and growth.
Software Engineer
2015--2020
My first year or so with Nutshell was spent working closely with the customer experience team, where I built a close-knit relationship between them and engineering. I gave the CX team a closer connection to engineering than they’d had previously, with direct engineering response to customer issues and more insight into how any resulting work made its way into the engineering team’s workflow. I’m incredibly proud of the current state of Nutshell CX / engineering relationship; as of several years after I left, there was still a rotating engineer staffed to directly interact with CX on a daily basis.
Later, I shifted my focus to the Nutshell PHP backend. It is mostly based on Symfony & Zend, with REST, GraphQL, and JSON RPC endpoints, Gearman for async work, Solr for indexing, and a handful of external APIs (MailChimp, Constant Contact, Intercom, Zendesk, Gmail sync, O365 sync, Twilio, FullContact). I helped with the implementation of a new GraphQL API, using the graphql-php library.
I did a fair bit of work on the React/Redux frontend as well, which also contains some older Backbone pieces. We used the Apollo client to access the newer GraphQL endpoints. I wrote CSS when absolutely necessary.
The engineering team at Nutshell is incredibly close-knit and capable. I learned to rely on a great team -- and to provide the same for them.
Software Developer
2014--2015
I worked on a tiny, scrappy infosec team inside a large healthcare company. In addition to monitoring device and network usage for malicious activity, we also pulled and analyzed network and application access data for dozens of products used by tens of thousands of employees.
To do so, I helped build a custom Python ETL engine that extracted application data from various vendor access points (including databases, APIs, and even CSV exports) and loaded it into our own MySQL-based analysis system. I also worked on a custom PHP + JS (D3.js & locally-hosted CARTO) presentation frontend for display of various data points, used by both the IT and internal audit teams.
I've completed a few embedded microcontroller projects, namely keyboards. I've mostly worked with the ATMega32u4 processor, and the QMK C-based firmware compiler. My builds have included assembly of processor-embedded pre-built PCB systems, as well as hand-wiring keyswitches to a bare Arduino.
Email => dan@danseely.net
LinkedIn => linkedin.com/in/danseely
GitHub => github.com/danseely