Hi, I'm Valjean. I live in San Francisco.

I work in software. I love developer tools, design systems, maps, and really any problem space that has challenging UI/UX problems (e.g. data visualization, complex workflows, streaming data, code editors).

I love hiking in the mountains. Recently, I've been spending more time off-trail. I also enjoy cycling, particularly gravel. I also enjoy writing.

Sadly, I had an ACL reconstruction in 2019 that was performed incorrectly, and I've been dealing with the consequences of that ever since. I am often unable to hike or ride my bicycle. I have had 4 knee surgeries and, unfortunately, I will need more. A lot of my time outside of work is spent learning about knee injuries and trying to find ways to improve my situation. Somehow, I remain curious and engaged, even though my particular outcome is quite bad, which is why you see a lot of knee-related content in my blog :).