From Zero to One
Before scaling platforms, I built one from the ground up. At crisp (Tenreads), my team and I proved that deep technical innovation, not headcount, defines market leaders.
Built a Fake-News-Resistant AI News Platform with a Skeleton Crew
Engineered the core NLP summarization engine and the "peer-check" ranking algorithm that powered Tenreads. Key results:
- Indistinguishable AI: In blind tests, users couldn't tell the difference between human and machine-generated summaries 8 out of 10 times.
- Massive Innovation Leverage: "Whatever other apps are doing with dozens of writers and editors, we are doing as four engineers."
- Platform Integrity: The system proactively ranked down unverified stories to keep the platform "fake-news-free."
- Deep Engagement: Built pre-LLM NLP engine that achieved 9-minute session times and became licensable IP.
"Tenreads aims to solve this pain point by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to summarise important news stories... Tenreads' Timelines currently operate at an accuracy of 80-85 percent, which is extremely high for an AI system."
"Tenreads aims to stem this filter failure problem and help people find the ten best stories everyday on the things they care about... We think there are two ways to cut through news overload – reduce the content in each article, or reduce the number of articles themselves."
This experience is the foundation of my leadership: a bias for technical profundity over brute force, the ability to identify and architect a core product "engine," and the grit to build a viable, licensable business from zero. It's the same mindset I apply to scaling later-stage companies.
Track Record
Architected the platform for 8x GMV growth ($125M to $1B+)
Redesigned the monolithic backend into domain-oriented services, eliminating critical API latency and enabling platform stability through hypergrowth.
Led the AI-driven transformation of a core business process
Owned the P&L for merchant onboarding. Built and shipped the AI/ML system that reduced time-to-revenue from days to under five minutes, creating a new market benchmark.
Proved a proprietary AI model could be a scalable business
Built the pre-LLM NLP engine that achieved 9-minute session times and became licensable IP. The engine's 'peer-check' algorithm proactively safeguarded platform integrity at scale.
Leadership Philosophy
On Scaling Organizations
"Hiring is scaling." I design organizations—clear lanes, career paths, communication rhythms—that prevent chaos at 50+ engineers. I build leadership teams that amplify execution.
On Platform Strategy
Platforms are grown, not built. I identify the core "engine" (e.g., transaction ledger, compliance verifier) that powers all products. Investing here creates compounding leverage.
On Technical Debt
Debt is a tool. The strategic question is: "What does this debt prevent us from doing next quarter?" I institute pragmatic rituals to pay down debt that blocks key initiatives.
Areas of Focus
Let's Talk
If your product works but your platform is beginning to creak under growth, and you need a technical executive to build the scalable organization and systems to capture your market—let's talk.