Matthew Greer

( he / him / his )

Full Stack Software Engineer

About Me

Download Résumé PDF

Lines of code faintly visible around the wing of a monarch butterfly.

Full Stack Skills + Creative Artistry

A Software Engineer with the collaborative and imaginative skill set of a highly-experienced classically-trained actor, I'm driven by innate curiosity, a knack for puzzle-solving, and a passion for teamwork. I have 2+ years of professional full stack experience on an e-commerce marketplace web app with monthly traffic in the tens of millions.

After earning my BFA from The Juilliard School Drama Division, I enjoyed an extensive career as a professional actor. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, though, I took the huge leap from theatrical scripts to JavaScript. I was one of the < 3% of applicants accepted to App Academy, where I completed an intensive full-stack course that gave my proficiency a rocket boost!

I then landed the first software engineering job I interviewed for, and was promoted from junior to mid-level Engineer after 18 months. Recent downsizing has me back on the job market, and I'm hoping to join a team as skillful, communicative, and supportive as my crew at TeePublic.

Or to put it another way...

I am the very model of a Full Stack Software Engineer.
With JavaScript and Ruby, I'm concocting code that's crystal clear.
In two years at TeePublic, I reduced the tech debt overload,
Updating or eliminating sixteen thousand lines of code.

I led an icon overhaul that rendered 70%
More quickly than the former way. I then went on to implement
A feature for free shipping (from discovery through live QA)
That boosted Xmas income by an excess of $500K.

Our ViewComponent library for Rails I helped to architect,
And mentored cross-team engineers, ensuring usage was correct.
In short, in matters technical, pragmatical, and peer-to-peer
I am the very model of a Full Stack Software Engineer!

I haven't always coded. A career I had upon the stage.
On Broadway, yes, but frequently where no one pays a living wage.
On prime-time television I played roles of no profundity
But had a fun commercial doing Ryan Reynolds puppetry.

The Covid-19 crisis made an actor's life unduly hard
But software engineering wasn't taught to me at Juilliard
I sought instruction tough as that intensive undergrad o' me
And found it in the engineering course at App Academy.

Of applicants accepted I was one of less than three percent
A Ruby, Rails, and JavaScript curriculum I underwent
In short time I transformed to a proficient shipping Shakey-speare!
Forsooth, the very model of a Full Stack Software Engineer.

My Skill Set

Languages: JavaScript | Ruby | HTML5 | CSS3 | Sass
Frameworks: Rails | ViewComponent | Node.js | Express.js
Libraries: React | Redux | Stimulus | jQuery
Databases: PostgreSQL | SQLite | MongoDB | Redis
Version Control: Git
Infrastructure: Heroku | AWS
Project Management: Jira | Confluence
Design: Figma | Photoshop | Illustrator

To kick off my transition to tech, I spent over a thousand hours in four months immersed in rigorous instruction and pair programming at App Academy, digesting new technologies at a blistering pace. I'm a keen and quick learner, and I relish every opportunity to add to my tool belt. In the words of one of my cherished colleagues at TeePublic,

"I was amazed by his rapid growth as a skilled engineer during the time we worked together, fueled by his passion for learning and asking thoughtful questions."

My Portfolio

Check out what I've been up to.

TeePublic

Empowering Independent Creators to Turn Their Passion Into Profit. As a Customer & Creator team engineer, I built features to improve the user experience for artists and shoppers alike.

MYTimes Wordcross

Full stack homage to the New York Times Crossword web app. My original playable crossword game UI mimics the smooth solving flow of the NYT... without the pay-wall!

Ruby on Rails | PostgreSQL | React/Redux | JavaScript | jBuilder

My current NYT Crossword puzzle solving streak: ? ? ?

Waylon

My browser-based scrolling game sports uniquely creative controls. Help baby whale Waylon avoid predators by "speaking whale." Enable your microphone and guide Waylon using the rising or falling pitches of your voice.

JavaScript | Canvas | Web Audio API

GitHub

Check out my repos for my latest commits and newest ideas! I'm always looking for new ways to improve my code and my workflow.

"You never know when inspiration may strike, but when it does, you take it on the chin."

Anonymous Okay, I just made that up

My Prior Career

"But soft! What bug doth yon production break?"

View Actor Résumé

Download Actor Résumé PDF

Photo Gallery

"Have I seen you in anything?"

With a BFA from The Juilliard School Drama Division, I have been a member of Actors' Equity Assn. since 1995, and of SAG-AFTRA since 2001. I was awarded the Presidential Scholar in the Arts medal, and have performed on television and in plays, regionally, internationally, and Off- and on Broadway, including the Tony® award-winning revivals of CABARET and Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING.

Behind the scenes, I directed the first NYC revival of John Logan's NEVER THE SINNER, served as dialect coach for Convergent Theatre Co.'s THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN and MAJOR BARBARA, and worked as a scenic carpenter for several Off-Broadway theaters. I've also narrated audiobooks for Audible and Recorded Books, and done on-camera and voice-over commercials. I'm particularly proud of my Toon Blast ad, where I played the Puppeteer of Ryan Reynolds's fake arms.

As a musician, I played venues from CBGB to Joe's Pub to Jazz at Lincoln Center. Once, a few castmates from CABARET and I sang the US and Canadian national anthems at a Mets game.

I bring my creativity to bear in many other ways, too, whether collaboratively or DIY. Ask me about my space-efficient furniture design and construction, or the time I crafted 12 unique light-up wands for a Harry Potter themed birthday party!