Mikey is a classic “engineer’s engineer”—a lifelong builder with the experience of a seasoned startup executive. Mikey’s work has been truly full-stack, spanning low-level hardware design, backends and large-scale systems, rich user experiences, and mobile apps. As a leader, Mikey’s most rewarding work has come from building and leading high-performing teams across many technical disciplines.
Highlights
Building at scale
In 2004, Mikey and his small team pioneered what is now a large and lasting pillar of Google’s global computing platform. He created Google’s first data center network fabric, which included hardware, protocols, and software. After several successful iterations (and feeling itchy to build something he could show to others), Mikey was a founding engineer on two notable consumer products: Google TV and Google Wallet.
Startup CTO
Mikey was the CTO at Button, a New York-based startup, from its seed stage through Series C. As the original “chief builder,” Mikey designed and built the technical systems and concepts which became the foundation of Button’s product, a large-scale mobile measurement and attribution platform. As the business scaled, Mikey built and led the teams that took the reins. Outside of technology, Mikey had a broad and continuous role in product design, company strategy, and company culture.
Mikey loves building things that create joy, make someone’s day better, or spark something new and possible. He believes technology should be a positive presence in our lives, and is driven by the pride that comes with building something useful and impactful.
Superpowers
Speed through practicality
Picking the right battles—what you build and how—is essential to staying fast and lean. And staying fast and lean should be every startup’s chief superpower. Mikey brings this default orientation to all his problem-solving: “Boring technology is cool; keep the focus on the customer.”
Fresh eyes in uncharted waters
Many moments in Mikey's career have taught him that incredible invention can arise out of bringing fresh eyes to difficult problems. Mikey thrives in domains that require him to learn something new, rapidly, before problem-solving.
Hiring as a team sport
Building an exceptional team starts with hiring well. Mikey loves absolutely every facet of hiring, from designing high-impact roles, to interviewing with precision, to closing the best candidates.
See Also
