Question 1

What does a Principal Engineer do?

Accepted Answer

A Principal Engineer provides technical leadership across an organization, making critical architecture decisions, mentoring senior engineers, and ensuring technical excellence. Unlike a staff engineer who focuses on a single team, a Principal Engineer works across multiple teams and products to solve complex system-wide problems and establish engineering best practices.

Question 2

When should I hire a Solutions Architect?

Accepted Answer

You should hire a Solutions Architect when: 1) Your system is struggling to scale with growing users, 2) You're planning a cloud migration or modernizing legacy systems, 3) You need to make critical technology decisions that will impact your product for years, 4) Your technical debt is slowing down feature development, or 5) You're experiencing reliability or performance issues.

Question 3

What kind of consulting services do you offer?

Accepted Answer

I offer strategic technical advisory services for software companies looking to scale. This includes architecture reviews, technology strategy, AI/LLM integration planning, legacy system modernization roadmaps, and engineering team mentorship. Engagements are flexible and tailored to your specific needs, from focused project-based work to ongoing advisory relationships.

Question 4

Do you work remotely?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I work remotely with clients worldwide. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, I have 12+ years of experience working with distributed teams across North America, Europe, and Asia. Remote collaboration is handled through regular video calls, async communication, and collaborative tools like GitHub, Slack, and project management platforms.

Question 5

How do engagements typically work?

Accepted Answer

Engagements typically start with a 30-minute discovery call to understand your needs. From there, we can structure: 1) A focused architecture review (1-2 weeks), 2) An ongoing fractional/advisory role (10-20 hours/week), or 3) A project-based engagement for specific deliverables. I provide clear deliverables, regular communication, and transparent billing.

Question 6

What technologies do you specialize in?

Accepted Answer

I specialize in: Backend - PHP/Laravel, Node.js/TypeScript, Python; Cloud - AWS (Lambda, ECS, RDS, DynamoDB), serverless architecture; AI/ML - LLM integration, RAG pipelines, embeddings, intelligent automation; Databases - MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch; Infrastructure - Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code.