About Me
I’m Cesar Garza, a Principal Software Engineer with over 13 years of experience building backend systems with Ruby on Rails. I enjoy tackling complex problems, improving system reliability, and leaving codebases—and teams—better than I found them.
Skills
Backend and Data
Ruby on Rails · PostgreSQL · MySQL · REST APIs · AWS SDK· Background jobs · Event pipelines · AI
Infrastructure
AWS · Terraform · Infrastructure as Code · Kubernetes · Docker
Frontend
Javascript · React · Hotwire
Experience
Over the course of my career, I’ve grown from an individual contributor into a Principal Engineer, taking on broader technical ownership and leadership responsibilities. I spent over 5.5 years at my previous company, earning a promotion, consistent “Exceeds Expectations” performance reviews, and peer-recognized engineering awards.
My work has spanned large-scale backend systems, high-throughput event pipelines, database optimization, and cloud infrastructure—always with a focus on long-term maintainability and impact.
Look at my resume for more details around my experience!
How I Approach Engineering
I believe great software is built through thoughtful design, clear communication, and pragmatic decision-making. I prioritize maintainability, reliability, and simplicity over clever solutions, and I aim to leave systems in a state where the next engineer can confidently build on top of them.
I work closely with product, design, and leadership to ensure technical decisions support real business goals.
Leadership and Coaching
Supporting engineer growth is something I care deeply about. Through code reviews, 1:1 mentoring, and structured training, I’ve helped engineers improve both their technical and soft skills.
At my previous company, I owned the engineering coaching program—designing and delivering training that empowered engineers to become effective and thoughtful coaches themselves. This work helped strengthen collaboration, communication, and leadership across the organization.
Interested in Working Together?
If you’re looking for a backend engineer who can design complex systems while helping elevate the team behind them, I’d love to connect.
Previously known professionally as Cesar Palafox Garza