Product Designer
Designer. Engineer.
Founder. Builder.
From enterprise software at Intuit to founding my own companies, I bring engineering depth to design and a designer's craft to building. Currently redefining what design looks like in the AI era.
Where I Started
I started as a software engineer.
Before design, I wrote backend and frontend code for startups. I gave tech talks on JavaScript and WebSockets. I mentored at freeCodeCamp, teaching junior engineers how to code.
But I kept getting pulled toward the why behind what we were building, not just the how. I wanted to have a bigger impact on what we shipped, not just ship faster.
Giving a talk on JavaScript at SacJS, 2017
Teaching a freeCodeCamp workshop
Working on a service design blueprint at CMU
The Pivot
I wanted more impact.
So I went to Carnegie Mellon.
I earned my Master's in Human-Computer Interaction at CMU. It was a crucible: robotics, autonomous vehicles, mobile apps, VR. I learned over 100 research and design methods.
More importantly, I learned how to think about problems, not just interfaces.
Enterprise Scale
At Intuit, I shipped
products used by millions.
I designed the QuickBooks receipt capture feature.
I led design for a feature that digitizes expenses from photos using AI and OCR. What used to take users 5 minutes now takes 5 seconds.
The feature became one of QuickBooks' most marketable differentiators:68% of daily active users engaged within the first month.
Receipt capture flow: photo to categorized expense
U.S. Patent 11,973,892 · 2021
I'm an author on a design patent
for my interaction design work there.
Responsive sidebar help feature I designed and coded
I fixed one of the oldest UX problems in QuickBooks.
I discovered that users couldn't read help content and complete tasks at the same time. The help window literally blocked the buttons they needed to click.
I designed the solution and wrote the production code. Coordinating three teams across three offices to ship it.
I gave 7 teams the ability to ship without waiting for design.
I built the mobile design system and interaction patterns for QuickBooks. Not just components: usage examples, do's and don'ts, and real-world implementation patterns.
7 engineering teams used this system to self-serve design specs. I also taught workshops on mobile-first design principles.
QuickBooks mobile design system
Founder Mode
Then I wanted to own
outcomes, not just pixels.
My grandmother nearly died from diabetic complications. During that crisis, I learned that over 90% of diabetics don't manage their blood sugar because the tools are too complex, too clinical, too embarrassing.
I founded Macro to fix this. I designed physical kitchenware (bowls and spoons) that automatically portion the right amount of carbs. No math, no apps, no friction.
So I designed and shipped physical products, too.
I ran 100+ user interviews, collaborated with endocrinologists at Sutter Health, designed in CAD, managed manufacturing, and built the e-commerce experience.
The products are now used by diabetics in 5 countries. I have user screenshots showing their blood sugar staying stable after using them.
Macro product ecosystem: snack bowls and portioning spoons
International Patent WO 097807 · 2024
I authored a design patent to protect
Macro's competitive advantage.
What I Learned
Macro taught me what really moves the needle, and what doesn't. I learned that 95% of design output is table stakes. The levers that drive growth are surprisingly few, and they deserve disproportionate focus.
I also learned the unforgiving nature of physical products: a mistake doesn't cost a sprint. It costs $30,000 in mold retooling and $100,000 in unsellable inventory.
Current Chapter
Now I build products in days
that used to take months.
With Claude Code, Figma MCP, and AI workflows I've developed myself, I compress 2-week dev cycles into 2 days. I'm not just using AI tools; I'm defining what design looks like in the AI era.
AirLift report: competitive positioning analysis
I turned Airbnb listing data into actionable intelligence.
AirLift creates detailed data-science reports for Airbnb optimization. I analyze 112k+ listings using propensity scoring and computer vision to isolate what actually drives performance.
For one customer, the recommendations tripled his occupancy rate and revealed his property manager was underperforming.
I built visibility into the black box of Airbnb property management.
HostWatch is a property manager intelligence platform for Airbnb owners. See how your PM is actually performing vs. others in your market.
I designed and built this end-to-end with Claude Code: data pipeline, scorecards, marketplace, and web app.
View live product →
HostWatch property manager scorecard
My AI workflow is a second brain that ships.
I've developed Claude skills for visual design, UX design, content design, frontend engineering, UX research, data science, and more. Each skill draws from curated source material and iteratively improves.
It's not about prompting AI once. It's about multi-step processes that feed context, provide examples of good and bad, and build toward the ideal result.
The Full Picture
This is what I bring
to a team.
I ship. I don't just design. I've written production code, built physical products, and founded companies. When you hire me, you get someone who finds a way to get things shipped.
I have range. Enterprise scale at Intuit. Consumer products at Macro. AI-native tools I'm building now. I move between problem spaces because I have deep foundations: engineering background, CMU training, real business experience.
I think in outcomes. Not pixels, not deliverables, not process. What actually moved the needle? What would I do differently? Every project I describe, I can tell you the metrics.
What People Say
This is what people say
about my work.
Robert has exceptional product sense that goes beyond typical designer responsibilities. He proactively identified critical P0 bugs that our entire team had missed, then volunteered his time to partner with our lead engineer to fix them within 24 hours. What stood out was his ability to see the customer impact before anyone else did. His ownership mentality and quality bar elevated our entire team's standards.
Director of Engineering @ Intuit
Robert's design expertise immediately elevated our product. He quickly identified UX barriers that were hurting new user activation, something we'd struggled with for months. What impressed me most was his strategic thinking. He didn't just point out problems. He built a complete design strategy roadmap showing how specific enhancements would increase subscriptions and retention. His combination of craft excellence and business understanding made him a true partner in shaping our product direction.
CEO @ RealBotics, Inc
HostWatch has transformed how I operate my Airbnb business. Robert built something that goes beyond generic advice. It analyzes my specific market and competitors, then tells me exactly what changes will impact my occupancy and revenue. The detail and accuracy of recommendations is invaluable to me.
HostWatch Customer and Airbnb Owner
Bringing Robert onto the team fundamentally changed our velocity. I had to adjust our roadmap because he was delivering in half the time I'd planned for, and the quality exceeded anything I'd seen before. His ability to work independently, make sound decisions quickly, and understand technical tradeoffs meant we shipped faster without sacrificing quality. He's the kind of designer every startup needs.
CTO @ Fantag
Robert is exceptional. In two decades of teaching at CMU's HCI program, I've never agreed to advise a past student until him. His combination of strategic design mind and meticulous craft is unique. He doesn't just solve problems. He questions whether we're solving the right problems, then executes solutions with extraordinary attention to detail. His genuine passion for product design sets a standard others should aspire to.
Startup Advisor and Professor @ Human-Computer Interaction Institute
I'd heard about Robert from Intuit leaders before managing him, but experiencing his work directly was different. He had this ability to cut through organizational noise and focus on what actually mattered. His proactive approach to finding high-value problems, building genuine partnerships across functions, and mentoring designers was exceptional. He didn't just do great work. He made everyone around him better.
Product Design Manager @ Intuit
I knew Robert was exceptional from his first presentation. His storytelling ability and design standards were what I wish I saw in all designers. More importantly, he took initiative to solve problems others only talked about. Bugs we'd tried to fix for years, he shipped in weeks. He didn't wait for permission or perfect conditions. His combination of design excellence and bias toward action consistently exceeded my expectations.
Chief Product Officer @ 8AM
Macro's kitchenware products are some of the coolest designs I've seen in years. Robert created something that genuinely improves lives for people managing diabetes. The thoughtfulness and craft quality are exceptional. I actively recommend Macro to anyone in this space or affected by diabetes because it's a rare example of design that's both beautiful and meaningfully helpful.
Co-Founder of IDEO
Working with Robert on Macro was inspirational. His dedication to creating genuinely effective products for diabetics convinced me to join as medical advisor. He understood that most medical treatments are band-aids to the problem and wanted to create products that address diabetes management at its source. He spent months improving the product based on patient testing, ensuring even patients with neuropathy could use the products effectively. We actively encourage patients to use Macro products because it produces real, measurable improvements in A1C levels and blood sugar control.
Endocrinologist @ Sutter Health Foundation
Robert's created an environment where my technical expertise was valued, not dismissed. He took time to understand engineering concerns and constraints, which meant our collaboration produced significantly better work. His leadership style wasn't about dictating solutions but about building the best answer together. That respect and passion for the work made our team incredibly effective.
Product Design Engineer @ Macro
Working with Robert was a joy. His feedback was always specific and actionable. He'd tell me what was working well and shouldn't be touched so I didn't second-guess good decisions. Then he gave clear guidance on which design aspects needed improvement. He created an environment where I felt supported and challenged simultaneously. I'd jump at the chance to work with him again.
Product Designer & Illustrator @ Macro
Robert changed how I think about design partnerships. Most designers keep engineers in the dark and force designs with no regard for technical reality. Robert invited us into the design process from day one. He even brought engineers to user interviews, which transformed how our team understood customer problems. That collaboration meant we shipped faster and with higher quality.
Software Engineer Technical Lead @ Airbnb
Let's build something.
I'm looking for teams that want craft, technical depth, and a bias toward shipping.