Chief Technology Officer & Lead Product Developer
🏢 Alien Arts
2002-09-01 – 2013-01-01 | Chicago
Chief Technology Officer & Lead Product Developer responsible for designing and building dynamic, high-performance websites for Alien Arts clients in the digital media and entertainment industries. Sole developer and architect behind Habitat Life, a groundbreaking WYSIWYG website-building platform leveraging Flash for interactive front-end experiences, initially built on a PHP backend and successfully migrated to a robust Perl-based architecture, attracting investment interest from Goldman Sachs.
Key Responsibilities:
- Developed and maintained the innovative Habitat Life platform, empowering entertainment and audio industry clients to independently create and manage professional, media-rich websites.
- Migrated Habitat Life from PHP to a highly scalable Perl backend, significantly improving performance, maintainability, and customer satisfaction.
- Provided end-to-end client support and account management, ensuring exceptional customer service and customer-focused solutions.
- Administered and optimized Linux servers with Apache to maintain high availability, security, and peak performance.
- Utilized MySQL for efficient data modelling and database management, ensuring data integrity and optimized access speeds.
- Programmed sophisticated interactive web features using ActionScript, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to deliver engaging, user-friendly digital experiences.
- Emphasized rigorous quality standards, meticulous attention to detail, and stringent security practices throughout development and deployment phases.
- Demonstrated excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, while collaborating across teams and directly interacting with clients, investors, and stakeholders.
- Managed complex workflows and project timelines effectively through strong organization, strategic prioritizing scheduling, and adept multitasking.
- Applied creative problem-solving, continuous proactivity, and agile adaptability (flexibility and adaptability) in rapidly evolving entertainment and digital media contexts.
Tech Stack:
Frontend:
- Flash Development (ActionScript)
- HTML / CSS / JavaScript
Backend:
- PHP
- Perl
- MySQL
- Unix Shell Scripting
Infrastructure:
- Linux Server Administration
- Apache Administration
- Security & Server Optimization
Methodologies:
- Agile methodologies
Soft Skills:
- Communication & Interpersonal Communication
- Customer Service & Account Management
- Creativity & Problem Solving
- Professionalism & Product Knowledge
- Time Management & Organization
- Teamwork & Technical Leadership