đź‘‹ Nice to meet you

I'm David

I've spent 20+ years building software, leading teams, and solving hard technical problems. Now I help companies like yours do the same—without the drama.

What I Believe

People First

Technology serves people, not the other way around. I build solutions that make your team's lives easier.

Pragmatic Innovation

Cool tech is fun, but shipping value is better. I focus on what actually moves the needle for your business.

Transparency

No BS, no jargon. I'll tell you what's realistic, what's worth doing, and what's not.

Bias to Action

Analysis paralysis kills companies. I help you make informed decisions quickly and start moving forward.

The Journey

1995-2000

The Early Days

Cut my teeth at Netscape during the browser wars. Learned that shipping fast beats perfection.

2000-2006

Startup Grind

Co-founded multiple startups. Some succeeded, some failed. All taught me something valuable.

2006-2015

Scale & Leadership

Scaled IGLOO to $50M+ SaaS business. Learned that people problems are harder than technical ones.

2015-Present

Fractional CTO Life

Helping multiple companies simultaneously. Best of both worlds—variety and deep impact.

The Real Talk

Look, I'm not going to tell you I'm passionate about enterprise software. I'm passionate about solving problems and building things that work.

I've been the technical co-founder who lived on ramen. I've been the VP of Engineering who had to lay people off. I've been the CTO who took a company through an IPO. I've seen the full spectrum.

What I've learned: Most technology problems are actually people problems in disguise. And most "we need a technical expert" situations really need someone who can translate between engineers, executives, and everyone in between.

That's what I do. I speak engineer, executive, and human. I'll tell you when you're overthinking it. I'll tell you when you need to slow down and do it right. And I'll always tell you the truth, even when it's not what you want to hear.

If you want someone to blow smoke and tell you how amazing your ideas are, I'm not your guy. If you want someone who'll help you build something great and actually enjoy the process, let's talk.

Random Facts

Started coding at 12 on a Commodore 64
Survived the dot-com bubble (twice)
Built my first startup in a basement
Still gets excited about elegant code
Coffee-to-code ratio: 3:1
Believes the best architecture is the one that ships

Want to Work Together?

I'm always up for a coffee chat (virtual or IRL). Even if you're not sure I can help, I probably know someone who can.

Let's Chat

© 2026 David Shak. All rights reserved.