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Nairobi, Kenya · Open to select work

Michael Gift

Software Engineer | Code x Hardware x Marketing

I build software solutions that ship, scale, earn revenue and survive the next strategy change.

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MGU0 · COREGAME ENGINEAR CAMERAMCU / SENSORWEB CLIENTAD PIXELDATA STORE
E-00Expertise

Six Talents. One Mission. IMPACT.

Each domain below is a talent I bring to the table. Combined, they create massively positive impact.

Game Development

E-01

I build games players come back to instead of uninstalling in a week. Fun is the baseline; retention is the target.

Unity3D2DMultiplayerProcedural GenAI/ML

Augmented Reality

E-02

I build AR that feels instant, not experimental. If it doesn't hold attention, it doesn't ship.

AR FoundationSnap Lens StudioARCoreComputer Vision

Hardware & Embedded

E-03

I turn fragile prototypes into systems teams can trust in the real world. If it only works in a demo, it isn't done.

CArduino/ESP32I2C/SPIRapid Prototyping

MarTech & Growth Eng.

E-04

I build growth systems that make numbers harder to fake. When the traffic is predictable, revenue follows.

UTMGTMGoogle AnalyticsGoogle AdsSEO + AEODevRel

Full-Stack Web

E-05

I ship products that survive real traffic and shifting strategy. Beautiful is nice; reliable is non-negotiable.

FrontendBackendDB AdminDevops

System Admin

E-06

I keep infrastructure calm while teams move fast. No heroics, no friday night emergencies.

LinuxDockerAWSAzureGCPBare metal
J-00Journey

The Story So Far.

I've been fortunate to work with some amazing teams and companies. Here are a few highlights from my career so far.

  1. MarTech & Growth Engineer · Tamarind Management Ltd

    Feb.2025 — Present

    I own and scale the web and growth stack across six locations, maintaining 99.9% uptime while delivering profitable Google Ads performance. I also lifted search visibility to the middle of the first page.

    MarTech & Growth Eng.Full-Stack WebSystem Admin

  2. MarTech & Growth Engineering - Intern · Webdivine Kenya

    Dec.2024 — Mar.2025

    I worked on developing and maintaining web applications for various clients, focusing on full-stack development and user experience optimization. I also contributed to the design and implementation of new features.

    MarTech & Growth Eng.Full-Stack WebSystem Admin

  3. Software Engineering Lead · The Feastify

    Nov.2024 - Feb.2025

    I led the development of a web application for The Feastify, overseeing the full software development lifecycle from requirements gathering to deployment. I also mentored junior developers and ensured code quality through code reviews and best practices.

    Full-Stack WebSystem Admin

  4. Senior Software Engineer · Stealth Startup

    Nov.2023 — Nov.2024

    I worked on building and scaling a stealth startup's core product, focusing on backend development, database optimization, and system architecture. I also collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of new features.

    Full-Stack WebSystem Admin

  5. Software Engineering Lead · Meridian

    Aug.2023 — Sep.2023

    I led the development of a web application for Meridian, overseeing the full software development lifecycle from requirements gathering to deployment. I also mentored junior developers and ensured code quality through code reviews and best practices.

    Full-Stack WebSystem Admin

  6. Software Engineering Lead · Jowi AR

    Jan.2022 - Jun.2023

    I led the development of Jowi AR's core product, focusing on augmented reality features, backend development, and system architecture. I also collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of new features.

    Game DevelopmentAugmented RealityHardware & EmbeddedFull-Stack WebSystem Admin
P-00Portfolio

A Selection of Work.

A mix of shipped work and open-source tools. Each links to the source, a write-up, or a case study.

P-01Open source

Wave Function Collapse Level Kit

Game Development

Cuts level-design bottlenecks by turning handcrafted rules into replayable content teams can ship faster.

UnityC#Procedural Gen
P-02Open source

Design Patterns in Practice

Guides / Open Source

Turns abstract design patterns into practical code, helping engineers make faster and cleaner architecture decisions.

PythonEducation
P-03Case study

AR Lens Pack — Event Activations

Augmented Reality

Boosted event engagement with interactive AR moments that convert passive attendees into active participants.

Snap Lens StudioAR
P-04Case study

Attribution Pipeline

MarTech

Improved budget confidence by connecting campaigns to revenue with attribution teams could actually trust and act on.

Next.jsNode.jsSQL
B-00Blog

Industry notes, system design, interview prep, guides.

All posts
Guides9 min

Designing for Constraint: A Practical Intro to Wave Function Collapse

How constraint-based procedural generation actually works, and a minimal implementation you can drop into a Unity project this weekend.

System Design12 min

System Design: Building an Attribution Pipeline That Marketers Trust

Event schemas, idempotency, and the boring decisions that keep a martech data pipeline from quietly lying to everyone.

Industry News6 min

AR Week Notes: On-Device Tracking Is Finally Boring (In a Good Way)

A round-up of what shipped across ARCore, Snap, and WebXR this quarter, and why 'boring' tracking is the real headline.