The problems worth solving don't have clean answers.
They live at the intersection of technology, people, and the strategy that points them somewhere worth going.
I'm Shaq — a VP of Engineering who operates at CTO scope: technology strategy, product, and the org that ships both. I've spent my career building — products that moved the financial needle, global Product and Engineering teams from tens to hundreds, and organizations from seed-stage through to late-stage. I've helped PE and VC-backed founders and companies 3× revenue and drive sustained growth.
I've been on both sides of the acquisition table: the acquired early in my career, and the acquirer since — a strategic merger followed by seven acquisitions. Right now I'm working on the problem I find most interesting: scaling a business through its next order of magnitude.
The things that actually move organizations aren't the obvious ones. They're clear thinking, fast feedback loops, and the discipline to remove whatever doesn't earn its place. Growth doesn't slow companies down. Complexity does. The job is to scale without becoming what you used to move fast against.
I publish a memo every week because explaining something is the fastest way to understand it. If something I write untangles a problem you've been sitting with, that's the whole point.
A high performing team will find the path. Your job as a leader is to set the goal, make success obvious, and then get out of the way.
Spreading effort across everything is a plan for nothing. Find your big bets, name them clearly, and ruthlessly ignore the rest.
Align around 2–3 bets worth making, put the right people on them, and go all in. When the data shifts, pivot — but never lose focus on what moves the needle.
Fast teams don't wait for permission. They make decisions at the right level and keep moving. Your job is to make that possible.
Don't pretend things are rosier than they are. People who understand the real problem are far more likely to help you solve it.
Most leaders confuse kindness with comfort. The ones who grow fastest are the ones who got told the truth early.
I take on a small number of fractional and advisory engagements — for founders and leadership teams working on the problems I find most interesting.
Building and scaling the engineering org: hiring, delivery, operating cadence.
Technology strategy, architecture direction, build-vs-buy, and the roadmap that ties them together.
Aligning product and engineering so the two move as one.
Let's talk.
If you're building something — or want a hand with engineering, product, or strategy — reach out.