Hi! I'm Brennan.

The best way to describe me is as an autodidact (I've taught myself most of what I know), as a generalist (my interests are widespread), and as a builder (I use my knowledge to make new things).

Specifically, I'm obsessed with civilizational infrastructure, i.e. all the boring technologies that enable our ahistorical affluence and prevent societal collapse. [think: education, law, religion, energy, housing, logistics, food/water supply...]

My main interest is in education, and my primary skillset is software engineering.

I was homeschooled for most of my life, so when I went to an IB high school, I was shocked at its ineffectiveness. "Surely," I thought, "this isn't the best we've figured out as a society?" After reading the Suzzallo Library's full shelf on alternative education, I concluded that it actually was, and that new invention is needed. So I dropped out of UW to found a high school... only to discover that no sane person entrusts their kids' education to a 17-year-old with no credentials.

Defeated, I retreated back to college, planning to knock out a CS degree in 7 ~25-credit quarters. But then COVID hit, I landed a job at WEEKDAYS (a local daycare marketplace), and I persuaded them to pivot into micro-schooling at the height of the pandemic! Such an exciting career made schooling (1) redundant and (2) the least educational time in my day, so I dropped out again.

Later that year, I became aware of Synthesis, a startup spinning out of Elon Musk's "Ad Astra" school. I reached out, was the first employee to be hired externally (i.e. without any prior connection to the founders), and for 2.5 years served there as the point person for tricky new software projects, such as a custom Zoom replacement, two complex infrastructure migrations, and a key rethinking of the core engine design of the world's leading digital math tutor.

Nowadays, I am mostly relaxing with my wife and our four cats while I (1) train key skills—persuasiveness, grit, etc—through various small projects, (2) write down many of the ideas that I've been gradually developing throughout the years, and (3) investigate a few big interests as I decide which one to attack next.

If need help on an interesting/ambitious project, or want to chat for any other reason, don't hesitate to reach out! Websites can be scary and formal, but at the end of the day I'm only a human being sitting at a computer, just like you 😊

A few other random but somewhat notable facts about me:

• I am a three-time international Free Methodist Bible Quizzing champion, a feat for which I memorized 20 of the New Testament's 27 books (all except Mark, Luke, John, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Hebrews, and Revelation).
• I taught myself to code by making a 2D game engine from scratch in Java. With a game we then built on top of it, I led a team to 2nd place internationally in the "Video Game Design & Programming" event for a prominent high school technology competition.
• I ran a FIRST Robotics Competition team for two years that—uniquely in the region—forbade adults from touching the robot. As the president & electrical/mechanical/software lead, I grew it quickly, from 5 to 50 kids.
• I have seven 3D printers and a laser cutter in my garage, from which I make over $10,000/year through various small online businesses.
• I operate a fleet of Twitter quote bots that has over 30,000 total net followers, one of which is followed & interacted with by the site's owner.
• I've read Caro's legendary 4-volume LBJ biography cover-to-cover, twice.
• I can chug a full water bottle (1-liter, hard-walled) in under 25 seconds.