About

I’m a senior software engineer and people-focused technical leader with 10+ years of experience building, evolving, and operating software systems.

Headshot of John Van Wagenen

I enjoy working across the stack, from modern frontend (React, TypeScript, and contemporary tooling) to backend systems, data, and cloud infrastructure. I’m comfortable in greenfield work and equally comfortable improving large, long-lived systems.

My leadership style is pragmatic and collaborative: I care about clarity, good engineering hygiene, and helping teams do their best work while delivering real business value. I’ve led and mentored engineers, partnered closely with product and design, and invested in continuous improvement.

I’m especially interested in how AI can augment software development beyond code generation by improving planning, documentation, architecture, and decision-making. I also enjoy teaching and knowledge-sharing.

Education: M.S. in Computer Science (Georgia Tech) and B.S. in Computer Science and Business (Utah State University).

Now

Right now, I’m focused on incorporating AI into enterprise software while building reliable, maintainable systems and tightening feedback loops for teams with better tests, better tooling, and better docs. I’m also exploring practical AI-augmented workflows that help engineers plan, communicate, and ship with more confidence.