Hey, I’m Tolic đź‘‹

I’m a Staff Software Engineer with 20+ years of experience building systems that scale. I think in patterns, optimize for maintainability, and believe the best architecture is the one that can evolve gracefully when assumptions change.

I’ve spent my career in high-growth companies (StackAdapt, Instacart, CultureAmp, Redbubble, Seek) solving problems like data migrations, system integrations, anti-spam automation, and event-driven architecture transitions.

What I Focus On

  • Identifying the real problem, not the shiny one
  • Understanding constraints and trade-offs, instead of following trends without context
  • Building reliability and observability — robust metrics, logging, and monitoring that actually help debug problems
  • Performance optimization — Making background jobs faster, ETL pipelines more reliable, and systems more resilient under load

I choose the simplest tool that works, because complexity is the enemy of clarity. I favor boring, battle-tested technology like PostgreSQL or Rails — tools that work reliably when they matter most. I believe in crafting systems that are maintainable, understandable, and evolve gracefully by asking, “What problem am I really solving?”

Current Obsessions

AI-Native Architecture: Building systems designed for intelligent agents, not just human developers. I’m exploring how LLMs can own modules, make decisions within constraints, and create self-evolving software.

Event-Driven Everything: Moving from batch processing to event streaming. From thinking in snapshots to thinking in flows. From pull-based to push-based architectures.

Neurodivergent-Friendly Systems: As someone with ADHD, I’m passionate about creating tools and workflows that amplify rather than constrain different thinking patterns. Checklists as external memory, automation that reduces cognitive load, and systems that work with your brain, not against it.

My Technical Evolution

Started with PHP and Javascript in 2004, moved to Ruby on Rails in 2008, and have been primarily in the Ruby ecosystem since. But I’ve learned that technology choices matter less than understanding trade-offs, system design, and team dynamics.

Recent focus areas:

  • Ruby/Rails for rapid development and team productivity
  • PostgreSQL for reliable data storage and complex queries
  • AWS/GCP for scalable cloud infrastructure
  • Observability tools for system reliability
  • AI/ML integration for intelligent automation

Beyond the Code

I believe in learning in public. The articles on this blog represent my thinking at specific moments—they may evolve as I learn more, and I hope they spark ideas for others.

I’m fascinated by the intersection of technology and human behavior. How does automation affect the way we work? What happens when AI agents start owning code modules? How do we build systems that enhance human capabilities rather than replace them?

The Journey So Far

20 years of professional development across fintech, e-commerce, gaming, media, and AI tooling. From junior developer writing PHP to Staff Engineer designing distributed systems and leading architectural initiatives.

I’ve learned that the most valuable skills aren’t technical — they’re:

  • Systems thinking: Seeing how pieces fit together
  • Communication: Translating between technical and business stakeholders
  • Mentorship: Helping others grow and succeed
  • Adaptability: Embracing change rather than fighting it

What’s Next

I’m exploring the future of software development: AI agents that write and maintain their own code, event-driven architectures that respond to reality in real-time, and development workflows optimized for neurodivergent thinking patterns.

The goal isn’t just to build better software — it’s to build software that makes humans more capable, creative, and fulfilled.

Work With Me

If you’re an engineering manager or CTO facing complex architectural challenges, I help teams build scalable, maintainable systems. Learn more about my consulting services →

Connect

“The best way to predict the future is to build it.” — Alan Kay

Articles on this blog represent my thoughts at the time of writing. They may evolve as I learn more — and I hope they spark ideas for others along the way.