Hi! My name is Jake Murzy. I split my time between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, but I also frequently travel across the East Coast and around the globe.
I'm married to the wonderful Julia Murzy, my partner in crime and an amazing engineer. She is an engineering lead at Netflix.
For 15 years, I've been deep in the tech startup world, wearing many hats as an entrepreneur. I'm obsessed with constant learning, pushing boundaries, and aiming for continuous improvement. Some of my most profound lessons came from the experiments that didn't quite go as planned.
I love diving into problems and spinning them around in my mind until I crack them. This rabbit hole of personalized learning is what led me into the world of tech and startups. I started coding out of sheer curiosity about computers, and it quickly grew into a passion. In software, mastering the art of problem abstraction from first principles is crucial. It strips away biases and preconceptions, minimizing errors and leading to robust solutions. Interestingly, this mindset isn't just limited to coding—it applies across the board in startup ventures, guiding everything from initial ideas to product launch and scaling.
While I've realized that empowering my team and asking probing questions to enhance their efficiency and productivity are valuable investments of my time, coding still remains an essential and perhaps the most enjoyable part of my daily routine.
I'm a huge proponent of functional programming paradigms and reactive design patterns, taking a pragmatic approach to understanding the flow of data. This is actually one of the reasons is why I love JavaScript: it is well-suited for functional programming paradigms in many ways while also providing the necessary escape hatches when functional purity isn't strictly necessary. And then there's this great talk from 2014 titled The Birth & Death of JavaScript that still remains highly relevant today. You should probably watch it before you try to convince me to use any language that doesn’t at least emit JavaScript. I understand a type system is essential for any serious project, and TypeScript is a good choice, provided you remain mindful of the its transplant community's strong inclination towards object-oriented programming. Just take their advice with a grain of salt, and you'll be fine.
I also try to contribute to open-source and write occasional posts[1][2].
Speaking of writing, I often find myself juggling two opposing viewpoints simultaneously. That's why my writing might come across a bit academic. It doesn't mean I'm confused; rather, I'm exploring different perspectives to strengthen my arguments and find a solid conclusion.
Most of my time, however, is spent working on Committer, where we are building AI-in-the-loop infrastructure for pay-per-commit software development. I am looking to bring on a co-founder to our team. So if you know anyone who'd be a awesome fit, please let me know.
Collaborating with awesome people to create outstanding products is my driving force. I believe in the transformative power of incremental progress, and recognizing it as essential in crafting truly exceptional products. I particularly enjoy working with people who aim high and don't shy away from challenges.
While I'm not a designer by trade, I've always had a knack for great design and an eye for detail. I consume a lot of design content—maybe even more than I should! So my work is inspired by and shamelessly borrows elements from creatives who generously share their artistic process.
I also enjoy mentoring others on their journey of self-discovery and I am constantly on the lookout for new mentors to accelerate my own learning—a surefire way to fast-track success significantly. I tend to emphasize the obvious because I've found that great mentors often do the same.
Every now and then, I invest in startups where I believe the business has the potential to become a category king. I'm expecting to do 1-3 small check investments (seed and pre-seed deals) this year.
Outside of work, I dream about a lengthy getaway to my favorite island Ko Yao Yai and planning trips to other remote places to partake in new cultural experiences.
And when I can't travel, I love getting outdoors, especially after a long work week. Winters are my favorite. There's something magical about gliding over hard-packed snow and feeling the stress just melt away. Usually, I'm on a snowboard, but this year I've also gotten into skiing. As for summers, my winter cravings have sparked a renewed interest in surfing too—it's been a perfect way to find balance.
Fin.