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About Vlad Shvedov

Introduction

Hello, I’m Vladyslav! I’m an Engineering Manager and a Software Developer. I started programming when I was 10 on a ZX Spectrum 16K clone, first with BASIC and later with Zilog Z80 Assembler. In middle school, I spent most of my time learning Borland Pascal and OOP on my Intel 80386 SX PC, helping my dad with scientific calculations. By high school, I had discovered networks, FIDO (2:5124/2110), and even ran my own BBS with home-brewed Pascal software. Soon after, I found the Internet, got into Perl and CGI programming, and that’s how I became a Web Developer.

Over the years, I’ve grown into leadership roles, combining hands-on development with management. As an Engineering Manager, I’ve led cross-functional teams, scaled applications in production, and mentored developers at different stages of their careers. I enjoy building strong engineering cultures, improving processes, and helping teams deliver high-quality software while encouraging innovation and experimentation.

These days my interests revolve around LLMs, AI and agentic systems, distributed and reactive web apps, CNC machines (I built the electronics for my CNC milling machine), woodworking (especially making electric guitars), and 3D printing models I sculpted.

Music is also a big part of my life. I’m not in bands anymore, but I still work on music projects, experiment with sound synthesis, and enjoy old-school CASIOs, modular synths, and Eurorack. I’m also developing an iOS noise synth.

For web development, I mainly use Ruby on Rails and TypeScript/Next. For electronics prototyping, I work with Arduino, C/C++, and Python, and I use Flutter for mobile apps. For CNC and 3D printing, my go-to tools are Fusion360 and Blender.

Game development remains my favorite hobby, and I almost always have a few projects simmering in the background. I’m especially drawn to indie game development, where creativity and experimentation come first. I love exploring unusual mechanics, distinctive visual styles, and unconventional storytelling.

Books I read two or more times

  • Hobbit
  • LOTR
  • William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy
  • Cryptonomicon
  • The Kingkiller Chronicle
  • How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

Bio

Story Begins

Started programming at age 10 on ZX Spectrum 16K clone with BASIC and Z80 Assembler

Pascal & OOP

Learned Borland Pascal and OOP, helping Dad with scientific calculations and working on artificial life simulator

BBS & Networking

Discovered FIDO network (2:5124/2110) and ran WerewolfBBS with custom Pascal-based software

University & Web Development

Graduated from Odesa National University of Technology. Discovered Perl and CGI programming - first web tools

Masquerade Games Studio

Co-founded games development studio with school friends

Video on Demand Platform

Co-founded VoD platform as CTO. Developed interest in machine-based algorithmic suggestions from user data

Silicon Valley Startups

Advised startups including DataXu and became employee #1 at Toptal, specializing in advertising platforms

Director of Engineering

Joined Helios Technologies, built team from scratch for ID.net, TrafficFactory, and Ant.com projects

AI & Machine Learning

Joined ProFinda to work on AI, NLP, and ML for business efficiency. Led fault-tolerant intelligence stack development

Senior Developer

Joined Labrador OmniMedia for TastevinApp - POS integration with mobile apps

Lead Developer

Promoted to Lead Developer. Active in Ruby/Rails and Flutter communities, game development, and 3D printing

LLMs & AI Focus

Current interests: LLMs, agentic systems, distributed web apps, 3D printing, CNC, woodworking, and music synthesis