Current
Team Lead / Senior Software Engineer at Loox
Tom Slutsky
I'm Tom Slutsky, a senior software engineer who builds clear systems and writes about how good engineering decisions get made.
Most of my work has been in internal APIs, shared engineering foundations, and production systems that other engineers and product teams depend on. Over the past 8 years, I've worked across product engineering, technical foundations, and live operational software, staying closest to the problems where tradeoffs, correctness, and system clarity matter most.
Focus
Engineering judgment, internal systems, and production-minded software
Experience
8 years across product engineering, shared systems, and live production work
Scope
Hands-on senior engineer with recent technical leadership experience
Latest writing
Essays and technical posts for senior engineers, engineering leaders, and teams that care about clear systems.
AI Is a Second Brain, Not a Replacement
The most valuable way to use AI is not to skip thinking, but to expand it and pressure-test your reasoning before you commit to a solution.
The Last 20% Is Still the Job
AI can one-shot a convincing first pass, but the work that makes software valuable still lives in judgment, boundaries, and tradeoffs.
The Problem-Solving Pace
Slowing down, explaining your thinking, and focusing on process can make hard debugging work much easier.