About
The person behind
the early alarm
I'm Mathew — a CTO who builds distributed systems by day and chases tangible things the rest of the time.
My hobbies rotate. That's by design. I've gone deep on climbing, deeper on scuba, played music since I was a kid, and I try to get back to the family's farm in Montana when I can to help with harvest. Nothing in my career compares to watching wheat disappear into a combine — you know when the job is done. There's no iteration, no retrospective. The field is empty and you go home.
I build this site because the professional version of me — the CTO, the architect, the "Strategic Technology Leader" — is only half the story. The other half is the guy who sets an early alarm for sunrise photos, argues about board game rules, cooks things he can't pronounce, and thinks the best thinking happens 130 feet underwater where the only sound is your own breathing.
Getting back to what makes us part of this planet and away from the things that tear us down — that's the whole point of this corner of the internet.
At a Glance
The Chapters
Things I've gone deep on, in no particular order
The Farm
The greater family has a 4,000-acre wheat farm in Montana. I go back for harvest because nothing compares to watching a field go from full to empty and knowing it's done. Actually done. Dust on your face, sun going down, and you can see the result with your own eyes.
Rock Climbing
Got into rock climbing and competed at a local mid-level competition and did well. A bouldering climb is called a problem because there's a way to figure it out — you read the wall, plan the route, and commit to the move. No one can do it for you. Honestly, it's addictive.
Scuba Diving
Deep water, advanced, nitrox, plus a handful of other certs. Underwater is the only place where being completely silent and doing nothing is the optimal strategy. Your breathing slows, the world disappears, and you realize how much noise you tolerate on land.
Photography
Not a real photographer — mostly phone shots and sunrises. Some camera work, a pinhole camera phase. I keep showing up early because the sky doesn't care about my excuses and the light is honest.
Sax & Keys
Played instruments most of my life. Music is the one creative thing where you can't go back and fix it. You play it, it exists for a moment, and then it's gone. That impermanence is the whole point.
Flying & Travel
Love being in the air. Love being somewhere new. Every culture has something to teach you, usually through food, and usually in a language you don't speak. That's the best part.
Cooking
I travel to eat and I cook what I find. Every culture has a dish that tells you more about a place than any history book. Food is the fastest way to understand somewhere you've never been.
Board Games
The collection is... substantial. There's something great about problems with clear rules, defined end states, and opponents who are physically present. No screens, no notifications — just strategy and trash talk.
Why This Site Exists
The professional site is the polished version — the CTO narrative, the enterprise case studies, the "Strategic Technology Leader" positioning. This is the other side.
Because the person who goes back to help with harvest in Montana, sets pre-dawn alarms for phone photos, and thinks the best problem-solving happens at 130 feet underwater is the same person who architects systems handling billions in revenue. You can't have one without the other. The tangible feeds the technical.