Hi! I'm Christopher Kilpatrick, a software engineer with a diverse range of experience in web and mobile app development and cloud infrastructure. I specialize in releasing features quickly with high code reliability and high alignment with user demands.
My approach to software development is to write well tested code and release it frequently in small increments. This approach comes with a number of advantages. Automated code testing allows for confidently releasing quickly and frequently. The rapid release cycle allows for gathering user feedback much earlier in the product's life cycle. This minimizes costs by avoiding building things users don't actually want and increases user satisfaction because they get a product that quickly adapts to their needs.
Years of experience has provided me with a good understanding of how to condense user requirements into the real must-haves and know when to optimize code for performance/scalability and when to prioritize getting a feature shipped. This is an additional cost saving workflow as it avoids building complex solutions that solve hypothetical user demands that don't actually exist. The end result is lower development costs, happier users, and a codebase that is more pleasant for engineers to work in.
I was part of the founding team that built a custom baking portal for commercial loan management.
I also enjoy working on branding campaigns and have worked with a number of startups to design the logo and brand identity for their initial launch.
From time to time I work on both paid and hobby illustration projects.
I've worked on a variety of projects, including:
Banking Web Application: I developed a banking web app with a Python backend, containerized using Docker, and deployed on AWS. The app leverages Nginx for reverse proxying and load balancing, ensuring high availability and scalability. This project emphasized performance, security, and smooth user experience.
Native iOS App: On the mobile side, I developed a native iOS app using Swift / SwiftUI. For this project I also built a Golang backend to support the app's data and user interactions, creating a seamless experience for users on iOS devices.
Personal Finance Web App: I developed the backend for a personal finance web app using Node.js, and built out the required AWS infrastructure to run it. The app integrates with AWS services such as SES for email notifications.
Personal Smart Speaker: One of my unpaid side projects involved building a custom smart speaker from scratch, using a Raspberry Pi as the base and programming the system in Golang. This was my first introduction to golang and my first attempt at learning to solder components onto a board. While I didn't get everything perfect on my fist attempt, I love taking on hands-on projects like this to deepen my understanding of hardware, software, and how they can interact.
Whether I'm designing the backend for a cloud-native application or creating a custom-built gadget, I'm driven by curiosity, a love for problem-solving, and a commitment to building high-quality, user-centric solutions.
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