Technical Leadership
for the AI Era
Transforming how startups scale and enterprises innovate.
Get Started
Transforming how startups scale and enterprises innovate.
Get StartedI bring a rare combination of startup founder experience and enterprise transformation leadership to help organizations accelerate their technical capabilities. My career spans pioneering self-driving vehicle technology a decade before it became mainstream, co-founding an AI health tech company acquired by Apple, over a decade as a fractional CTO for startups and growth companies, and six years transforming a 20,000+ person, trillion-dollar investment management firm - where I introduced cloud, Python, modern UX, and AI to an organization decades behind in its technology stack.
I work differently depending on what you need. For large enterprises, I focus on strategy and proof-of-concept work that demonstrates what's possible and builds internal momentum for change. For startups, I build rock-solid production systems and establish the technical foundations that scale. In both contexts, my superpowers are consistent: I intuitively see the right technical architecture for any business problem, break highly complex challenges into iterative roadmaps with smart deliverables, and hire, build, and turn around high-performance technical teams.
Building rock-solid production systems and technical foundations that scale:
Strategic guidance and proof-of-concepts that build momentum for change:
I work primarily on monthly retainer engagements, providing ongoing strategic guidance and hands-on technical leadership. This ensures continuity, deep understanding of your business, and the flexibility to adapt as priorities evolve.
Build a high-level capability diagram to understand your current state, technical health, and organizational readiness.
Define your target state, develop a clear roadmap, and build or evaluate your team to ensure you have the right skills.
Execute iteratively with clear deliverables, building momentum through proof-of-concepts and empowering your team to own the results.
From coding at age 4 in the German countryside to co-founding a Silicon Valley startup and leading innovation at major tech companies, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to every project. With experience spanning autonomous vehicles at UC Berkeley, health tech acquired by Apple, and AI initiatives at trillion-dollar funds, I've consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible in technology.
My approach is distinctive - I operate as a catalyst rather than a traditional executive. I create compelling proof-of-concepts that show what's possible, identify and coach high-potential technical talent, and build capability that outlasts my engagement. I don't seek credit; I empower others to become champions of change. Whether you're a founder building your first technical team or an established company trying to modernize, I help you bridge the gap between where you are and where technology can take you.
Now based in Orange County, I work with clients across Silicon Valley, Southern California, and Germany.
"Jan seems to have an intuitive understanding of random problem
spaces, and is able to quickly map that to technological directions
for developers (breadth skills).
This high-level grasp of
what to do first executes through simplifying overwhelming tasks,
blocking and tackling on a whiteboard, then iterating solutions
repeatedly - it's a unique skill."
I excel at finding and attracting very diverse talent and forming
high-performing teams that are fun to be part of.
"Jan recognizes good people effortlessly, empowers them in their
roles, but beyond that, gives them a huge horizon of
opportunities. I also saw him taking responsibility whenever the
team failed, never pointing fingers."
After decades of tackling hard tech problems, I am unable to look
at a problem without envisioning a high-level architecture and
first steps to implement it - intuitively.
"I don't think that Jan believes that actual rocket science is
rocket science."
"In a technical firefight, Jan is Rambo. His ability to bring clarity to chaos and map problems to technological directions is unique."
- Anil, Gliimpse
"He doesn't build a team as an engine to get things done, but as a group of friends, growing together, inspired to do great things."
- Gabriel, Nearshore Team
"His vision to apply arcane fields of emerging technology to old business problems is the first of its kind that I have experienced."
- Pradeep, Investment Banking