I'm trying something new:
This is the executive coaching and advisory practice I've wanted to start for years.
First, though, the name. My daughter keeps on asking whether I'm reselling instruments, but first and second violins are string orchestra positions. Specifically, the first chair violin is the leader for the first violin section and represents the orchestra as a whole, while the second violin supports the first by complementing it with harmonies and rhythms. As a kid, I was my class's first violin player, but I didn't appreciate how tough the second violins had it, playing equally demanding parts without getting the spotlight.
As a former first violinist, I'm offering to be that second violin for virtuoso engineering leaders.
This breaks down into three areas where my experience can be valuable:
- Mentorship & Coaching. I have spent the past decade volunteering for the mentorship network Plato and have been involved with the leadership community ELC since its early days. In my experience, biweekly one-on-ones with an experienced operator help ground leaders who feel discombobulated and stretched, while independent 360 feedback reviews and assessments augment established HR procedures.
- Organizational Insights. For senior leaders, designing teams is one of the highest-leverage actions they can take, but the processes and outcomes are rarely examined. I have done everything from establishing team charters to rearranging global workforces and can help analyze, critique and refine organizational structures.
- Fractional Leadership. Early-stage startups sometimes just need someone who has done it before to fill the gaps. I have served in a fractional and interim capacity, assisting with hiring or processes or non-technical collaboration. The goal here is simple: find a full-time replacement and work myself out of the job.
It was a circuitous route to get here. After my last executive role, I needed some time off to recharge, work on side projects, and survey the AI landscape. I was ready to quit tech entirely and started to put together the materials to hunker down and write a book—my version of a midlife crisis. Meanwhile, I leaned into my stay-at-home dad responsibilities, making sure that the kids were reliably transported to school and various extracurricular activities. I also learned that they blab to their friends sitting in the backseat much more than to their uncool parents.
The upheaval AI has brought into software engineering—along with its downstream effects on engineering management—has taken its toll on the industry. The ELC Annual 2026 conference last week reinforced my conclusions. Through casual conversations and roundtables, I got the pervasive sense of anxiety from attendees. I talked with a number of leads and managers who felt outpaced by the speed of AI's advances, who are uncertain about their futures.
But it was through these discussions that I rediscovered the satisfaction of supporting others. Loose acquaintances, a few whom I had embarrassingly forgotten from past meetups and conferences, sought perspective and reassurance; I naturally slipped back into a coaching role to provide support, and found the interactions immediately gratifying. I decided to jump back in.
Now, I recognize that in an era when companies are slashing headcount and flattening management layers, they are often looking to invest more in tokens than people. But that's precisely why coaching and organizational design and leadership matter. When frontier LLMs are available to every company and every team, it's how teams work together that differentiates. It becomes important to preserve and evolve the human collaborative elements, be they simple standups or cultural interview rubrics.
If this perspective resonates, book a call on my calendar or shoot me an email. Even if it's a casual chat to compare notes or talk through a tricky situation, I'm here to play the part—as the second violin.
