Ryder Damen

Hey, I'm Ryder. I'm a technical jack of all trades.

Hi, I'm Ryder.

I'm a Technical Leader and Content Creator with over 1.2 million followers. I combine deep technical expertise with creative problem-solving at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, AI, and hardware prototyping.

I help companies tackle complex technical challenges and share knowledge through engaging content. Some examples include:

  • Leading enterprise-scale cloud migrations and infrastructure optimization, reducing costs by over 70%
  • Building AI-powered solutions using computer vision and large language models for real-world applications
  • Creating viral tech education content that has reached over 100 million views
  • Designing and fabricating custom hardware solutions combining electronics, mechanics, and edge AI

Skills

Here are some of my key skills and expertise:

Content Creation & Marketing
Content Creation & Marketing

I built a social media following of over 1.2 million people by creating engaging tech education content.

User Experience & Product Research
User Experience & Product Research

I've built successful products first-hand through my own startup and helped other companies do the same through rapid prototyping and user research.

Security & Penetration Testing
Security & Penetration Testing

I help companies secure their systems through ethical hacking and security audits, while guiding them through compliance frameworks like SOC2.

Software Infrastructure & DevOps
Software Infrastructure & DevOps

Senior Staff DevOps Engineer with extensive experience leading infrastructure teams and architecting enterprise-scale cloud solutions across AWS, GCP, and Azure.

Full Stack Development
Full Stack Development

Developing end-to-end solutions across frontend and backend, with a focus on maintainability and scalability.

Front End Development
Front End Development

Extensive experience building modern web and mobile applications using React, React Native, and Next.js, with a focus on performance and user experience.

Entrepreneurship & Startups
Entrepreneurship & Startups

I’ve built startups from the ground up, focusing on rapid iteration, product-market fit, and scaling operations.

Technical Leadership
Technical Leadership

I lead technical teams to deliver innovative solutions by fostering collaboration, mentorship, and strategic decision-making.

Cloud Computing & Scalable Systems
Cloud Computing & Scalable Systems

Designing, building, and optimizing cloud-native systems to handle massive scale and complex workloads.

Hardware & Physical Prototyping
Hardware & Physical Prototyping

I'm a hands-on maker who combines software, electronics, and traditional crafts. From edge AI to woodworking, I build physical solutions across multiple disciplines.

Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence

I architect and implement sophisticated AI solutions, from fine-tuning large language models to developing custom neural networks for complex business problems.

Data Engineering
Data Engineering

I design and implement robust data pipelines and storage solutions to transform raw data into valuable business insights and drive data-driven decision making.

Chrome Extension Development
Chrome Extension Development

I create Chrome extensions to enhance productivity and enable seamless user interactions.

Mobile Application Development
Mobile Application Development

Creating engaging and performant mobile applications for iOS and Android using React Native.

Technical Writing
Technical Writing

I create clear, engaging technical content that makes complex topics accessible. From detailed documentation to tutorials and articles, I help bridge the gap between technology and understanding.

Developer Advocacy
Developer Advocacy

I bridge the gap between developers and technology, advocating for better developer experiences and fostering vibrant technical communities in the DevOps space.


Projects

I've moved all my projects to rydercalmdown.com - take a look!


Blog Posts

Here are a few of my latest blog posts.

Lessons from Chris Hadfield's Book - An Astronaut's Guide To Life blog post image
Lessons from Chris Hadfield's Book - An Astronaut's Guide To Life

Read the book, it's fantastic. Be prepared, work the problem, and redefine success for your ultimate happiness.

A Brief History of the ASCII Bell Code (ASCII 7) blog post image
A Brief History of the ASCII Bell Code (ASCII 7)

A brief history of the Bell Code in ASCII, and how it's used today

How to point different subdomains to different DNS providers blog post image
How to point different subdomains to different DNS providers

A quick guide on how to point different subdomains to different nameservers

Building a one-line metronome in the OSX terminal blog post image
Building a one-line metronome in the OSX terminal

A nerdy side-quest into ASCII control characters

Working with the Enttec Open DMX USB Interface on Linux blog post image
Working with the Enttec Open DMX USB Interface on Linux

If you thought linux audio was rough, hold on to your hats.

Why I use list comprehension in python less now blog post image
Why I use list comprehension in python less now

It's a great tool, but not the most friendly for public code.

Let's Work Together

I help organizations solve complex technical challenges, in the simplest ways possible.