Joaquin Perez

I work best where design and engineering aren't siloed — where I can move between product thinking, prototyping, and shipping in the same cycle. I value speed and iteration over handoffs and process theater.

Before tech, I worked as a documentary filmmaker and television editor. That background gave me something I still rely on every day: editorial instinct — knowing what to cut, how to pace an experience, and when something is done. I apply that same discipline to product design and systems architecture.

AI-assisted development changed how I work. I prototype functional interfaces, integrate APIs, and build tooling directly, which means I validate ideas faster and collaborate more fluidly with engineering teams. It shifted not just my skill set but my ambition level — I now attempt things that used to require a team.

I'm drawn to teams building developer tools, AI products, or infrastructure where the UX layer matters but isn't treated as an afterthought. Companies at the intersection of AI, creative tooling, or decentralized systems are particularly interesting to me.