I'm a software engineer who has spent the better part of two decades building things for the web. My work has spanned startups and larger organizations, primarily in individual contributor roles.
These days, I'm focused on developer experience and platform engineering. I believe that the best way to build great products is to invest in the people and tools that make building possible. When developers can focus on solving problems instead of fighting their tools, good things tend to follow.
How I work
I approach software development with a bias toward simplicity. Not the kind of simplicity that comes from cutting corners, but the kind that emerges from deeply understanding a problem and finding the most direct path to solving it. This often means choosing boring, well-understood technologies over novel ones.
Beyond code
When I'm not at a keyboard, you'll often find me reading. I gravitate toward hard science fiction like the works of Alastair Reynolds, Greg Egan, and Stephen Baxter.
I care about the web as a medium. Not just as a platform for applications, but as a place for ideas and expression. I worry about its increasing centralization and work to support the open, decentralized web where I can. This site is a small part of that effort.
Contact
I'm always happy to hear from people who share similar interests or who want to discuss ideas. The best way to reach me is by email at tony@tonyburns.net. I try to respond to everything, though it sometimes takes me a while.
You can also find me on GitHub, where most of my public work lives.