People first, then everything else
Engineers do their best work when they trust their manager and know where they are headed. I coach toward the next version of each person, and I own outcomes regardless of where a failure started.
Max Cabrera. Engineering leader, Austin TX
I transform engineering organizations into AI-first operating models
Senior Engineering Manager with 6+ years leading teams, including at Oracle and Keller Williams. I move engineering organizations from zero AI adoption to a full AI operating model, unlocking a class of work they could not attempt before.
How I lead
More about meThe team comes first. The results follow.
Proof over claims
I measure adoption and outcomes with platform data rather than surveys, and I share the numbers inside the company, including the unflattering ones. Trust compounds when the scoreboard is public.
Capability gained, not chaos
Nobody on my teams was replaced by AI. We raised our ambitions instead, and the roadmap grew to match. The transformation only holds if people come out of it stronger than they went in.
What changes
What an AI-first operating model looks like from the inside
Adoption that shows up in the analytics
A rollout that starts with managers using the tools in their own work, pilot engineers demoing to peers, and guardrails hardened in parallel. Daily use reached 80% of the organization within 12 weeks, measured through platform admin data.
A class of work that was off the table
Projects estimated in engineer-months landed in weeks, with tests defined up front. Delivery time fell by half to three quarters depending on the type of work, and the roadmap got more ambitious rather than the team getting smaller.
Reliability held the whole way
I lead real-time, mission-critical platforms where an outage has consequences for real people. Speed came from smaller merges, AI-assisted review, and tightened data policies, not from loosening the standard.
Interactive guide
Zero to AI-First: The Executive Operating Guide
Eight stages from no AI to a governed, measured AI-first operating model in about 12 weeks. Built for CEOs, CTOs, VPs, and Directors, with a readiness check, a pilot return calculator, a rollout timeline, a guardrail simulator, and a map of the regulations that apply to you.
Resources
All resourcesInteractive guides and material
- Interactive
Zero to AI-First: The Executive Operating Guide
For CEOs, CTOs, VPs, and Directors: eight stages from no AI to a governed, measured AI-first operating model in about 12 weeks. Readiness check, tool scorecard, pilot return calculator, 12-week rollout timeline, guardrail simulator, regulatory map, and a scenario drill.
Open the guide - Interactive
Claude Certified Architect – Professional Interactive Study Guide
A self-paced study companion for the Claude Certified Architect, Professional exam: blueprint-weighted domains, cross-domain drills, and a mock exam that tracks your progress in the browser.
Open the guide
Writing
All writingOn leading engineers
First essays are on the way.
Currently
Leading engineering for a real-time, mission-critical platform in Austin, TX. Writing about the management work behind AI-first organizations, here and on LinkedIn.