schedule a call | me in real life | pvul@duck.com | Los Angeles, CA
Paul is a senior software engineer with entrepreneur spirit, who has been working for 10+ years with large companies like Wayfair, American Standard, and Target, as well as several startups. He cares about using technology to build community, culture, and a more sustainable environment.
| Technologies | |
|---|---|
| Languages | Typescript, Javascript, Ruby, PHP, Python, C#, SCSS/CSS |
| Libraries/Frameworks | NextJS, React, Rails, TailwindCSS, P5.js |
| Databases | PosgreSQL, SQL Server, GraphQL, Redis, Algolia |
| DevOps | AWS, GCP, Heroku, Vercel, Netlify |
| Softwares | Unity, Solidworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Invision |
I'm Korean American, grew up in the 80's, and spent most of my life in the east coast- Philly, NYC, and Boston. Currently based out of LA (the winters turned me!).
I work best with asynchronous collaboration and working remotely. I have strong opinions, loosely held, and I enjoy learning new things, as well as teaching and mentoring. I hope to work with smart colleagues who are also empathetic of each other.
Practical use-cases for DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), lifecycle of data (posthumous), mental well-being, second brain PKMS (Personal Knowledge Management Systems), biomimetics, objective personality typing, generative art, skateboarding, 3d printing, Rust, Typescript
ASYLM Collective ∙ Los Angeles, CA
ASYLM Collective is an artist collective that I am working on with several engineers and artists. Our mission is to express our understanding of technology through digital art and installations in areas related to the future of home, music, art, fashion, and food. We intend to create compelling experiences that initiate discussions of where we are headed, as a species, and to inspire future generations.
Technologies: Typescript, NextJS, TailwindCSS, Sanity.io, Thirdweb, P5.js, MDX
UCLA's School of Architecture and Urban Design ∙ Los Angeles, CA
In 2021, I joined UCLA's School of Architecture and Urban Design as a Creative Technologist. I managed the fabrication lab, including 3d printers, a woodshop, a CNC Router, and laser cutters, as well as the robotics lab. I had 9 work-study students that reported to me on special projects to help improve the program. I trained all the students on safety and equipment-use. Some cool projects (from grad students) I provided guidance on: AR-based animations super-imposed on top of physical architectural models, running grasshopper scripts on robot arms for clay extrusions, and large-scale projection mapping installations.
Technologies: Rhino, RhinoCAM, Grasshopper, Unity, C#, Maya, Solidworks, Adobe Illustrator, 3d printing
Nucamp ∙ Los Angeles, CA
In 2020, I started teaching part-time at Nucamp, an online coding bootcamp. I taught HTML/CSS, Javascript, Bootstrap, and React. Classes were through Zoom, and the curriculum was managed through MoodleCMS. I provided optional office hours to make sure students were not falling behind. I'm proud that I received high marks on my teaching skills from my students.
Technologies: React, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Bootstrap
Almanac ∙ San Francisco, CA
In 2019, I was the first Fullstack Software Engineer hire at Almanac. While I was there, I helped build out many of the core feature sets of their documentation platform such as the homepage, registration, onboarding, admin panel, company portal, Cloudinary integrations. I helped create their component library using Storybook. I mentored junior engineers, conducted interviews for engineering candidates, and created onboarding guide for team members.
Technologies: Typescript, React, Ruby, Rails, Redis, PostgreSQL, Algolia, AWS, Cloudinary API, Heroku, Storybook
Wayfair ∙ Boston, MA
In 2016, I joined Wayfair as a Software Engineer and it's where I nurtured most of my coding ethos, as well as learning how to build quality apps at scale (ie. millions of users). I started off on the Registry team (as in wedding registry) and built a gift delivery tracking system. I then worked on the Chat team, and helped create the messaging feature on the Wayfair app. I coined our chat match-making algorithm as "Sorting Chat" (for Harry Potter fans).
I then joined the Next team (Wayfair R&D), where our goal was to create the next generation of shopping experiences. This is where I got to work on some really cool shit! I worked on a 3d scanning pipeline using photogrammetry and GCP, and trained our off-shore artists in Vietnam to create high-fidelity 3d models from our scans to be used for site imagery, and virtual assets in our AR/VR experiences. Another project I worked on (one of my favorite projects of all time) was projection mapping onto furniture, which showcased 100's of different print patterns on the same piece of furniture using Unity and 3d scanning.
I was the head organizer of the company hackathon WayfairHacks for 2 years- coordinating workshops, volunteers, and logistics for 200+ participants, as well as involving the company founders and C-level executives. I also trained junior engineers, interviewed candidates, mentored interns, performed code reviews, and gave talks at college hackathons to promote Wayfair's 3d model API.
Technologies: PHP, React, GraphQL, GCP, Python, Django, SCSS, SQL Server, Redis, RabbitMQ, NodeJS, Unity, C#, Docker, Jenkins, Datadog, Elasticsearch, Grafana, Solidworks, 3d printing, Photogrammetry
Big Word Club ∙ Boston, MA
In late 2015, I joined Big Word Club, a site serving educational content for kids. I helped create the website using Ruby on Rails and Javascript, and manage devops and PostgreSQL database. I worked with the graphic designer for mocks and wireframes and used Illustrator to optimize image assets. Integrated Stripe API for subscription-based payments and Vimeo API for video streaming, as well as Intercom, Segment, Google Analytics for business insights and customer engagement.
Technologies: Ruby, Rails, PostgreSQL, Javascript, JQuery, CSS, Heroku, Stripe API, Vimeo API
Launch Academy ∙ Boston, MA
In 2015, I attended a coding bootcamp called Launch Academy where I learned Ruby on Rails, Javascript, and PostgreSQL. I collaborated with other developers through pair programming to create a restaurant review site, and used Trello to implement Agile methodologies to deliver the product on time. It felt like 2 years of knowledge packed into 20 weeks, but I knew that's where I had to be because I was determined based on my hackathon experience a few years prior.
Technologies: Ruby, Rails, PostgreSQL, Javascript, JQuery, CSS, Git, RSpec, Capybara
Pavlok ∙ Boston, MA
In late 2015, I joined startup Pavlok designing their product packaging for retail. In addition to designing, I prototyped the concepts with 3d printing, designed graphics, procured a supplier in China to manufacture the packaging within our target budget and timeline, and made sure quality was up to our specs.
Technologies: Solidworks, Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, 3d printing
Aila ∙ Boston, MA
In 2014, I moved from NYC to Boston to work for startup Aila as a Senior Design Engineer- I designed an iPad enclosure for a bar scanning kiosk for our clients Target, PacSun, and Wework. We worked out of the Bolt Hardware Accelerator space, where I designed many concepts and prototyped our designs. We used sandcasting to get high-quality, low-volume units manufactured. Performed tolerance stack analysis, and implemented best practices for CAD collaborative project management.
Technologies: Solidworks, Photoshop, 3d printing
Escargot ∙ New York, NY
In 2012, I had an idea for a novel auto-winding charging cable for smartphones. So after designing and prototyping it out of my bedroom, and getting turned down for a bank loan, I turned to Kickstarter, and I was able to crowdfund $50k. That allowed for first batch production of my original design at a factory that I vetted in China. However, due to higher than expected COGS (Cost Of Goods Sold), I was unable to keep the doors of my startup open, and had to ultimately shut it down. I learned a lot of invaluable skills, and the biggest takeaway was that I definitely need help sometimes (ie. in business and marketing), I'm just not fit to be a solopreneur, and I'm fine with that.
Technologies: Solidworks, Illustrator, Photoshop, 3d printing
In 2013, I attended the NY Fashion Week Hackathon with a few of my friends. I designed the UX for my team's project, as the Product Designer on the team. The project was called SWATCHit, and it helped facilitate communication between fashion designers and artisans across the world to speed up product development cycles, and allow designers to stay focused on their creativity's stream of consciousness. Our team ended up winning the top prize of $10k, and we even got to meet the founder of Foursquare! However, the developers on the team didn't believe that we could turn it into a business at the time- so it died there. I knew from that moment, that I needed to become a developer one day.
Technologies: Illustrator, Photoshop
Ergotech ∙ Elmsford, NY
In 2010, I worked at Ergotech, originally as a Freelance Product Designer to design an iPad stand. After the leadership saw my designs and prototypes, they were impressed and asked me not only join full-time, but to lead their engineering team. I was head of product design and engineering and worked on several product lines, including monitor mounts, mission-critical power (for financial industries), and tablet accessories. Implemented a supplier-selection criteria program, managed product quality control, and certified our products through industry UL/CSA safety regulations. We received high marks from CNET on the iPad stand design.
Technologies: Solidworks, Illustrator, Photoshop
American Standard ∙ Piscataway, NJ
In 2007, my first fulltime job was at American Standard. I worked as a Product Development Engineer to help improve production yields of toilet manufacturing from our factories in Mexico. I created engineering drawings of our products which were used to verify quality at the factory level. For a 23-year-old, it was an amazing opportunity to have company paid trips out to Mexico many times, and even to China to make sure our products met our high level of quality. I was also involved with procurement, as I looked for ways the company could save money on product components without sacrificing performance. I was able to save the company $0.5M in my first year.
Technologies: Solidworks, Pro/Engineer, AutoCAD, ANSYS
Target ∙ Minneapolis, MN
In 2006, I worked at Target in the Fixture Design department. I created techincal documentation for how installations should be installed at local stores. Target had just had designed an all-plastic, non-rusting shopping cart, and I was tasked with designing a cup holder that would attach to this novel shopping cart. I created a number of concept drawings, and worked with the senior engineers to prototype the best concepts. Several years later, I was awarded a utility patent (my first patent!) and if you're lucky you may see the red cup holder at participating stores.
Technologies: Solidworks
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institue ∙ Troy, NY
In 2007, I graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Design, Innovation & Society, as a part of the Product Design and Innovation Program.
