Hi, I'm Dan Lafeir

I enjoy the craft of software development and appreciate how much AI has unlocked creativity for me.

I approach problems through a systems thinking lens, looking at how the socio-technical parts interact. I know that “all models are wrong,” but I’m constantly refining mine, for work and life. That shows up in how I lead: I try to make sure decisions are applied consistently and explained clearly, even when flexibility is warranted.

I believe building software is a team sport where you need to coach muscles and instincts. You need to practice discipline, set clear expecations about different roles, and constantly focus the team around a shared goal. Specifically, I have found it effective to create a repeatable mantra about what we are trying to deliever in the near term. When you ask anyone on the team, they should be able to tell it to you.

When I’m not building software, I like to play board games, learn things (currently an improv student a Second City), and be a father.

Feel free to explore my engineering playbook, projects, or resume. You can also find me on GitHub and LinkedIn.

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I think a lot about ideas of paint drip people and the engineer/manager pendulum.