About SWaits

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Hi, I’m Stephen Waits. Many know me as swaits. You can find my cryptographic identity here, including public keys, and my signature profile. If you want to hire me, consider jumping straight to my résumé page.

I like computers. I liked them since my age was in the single-digits when I discovered programming on the TI-99/4A, and later on the Timex Sinclair 1000 and Coleco Adam, which ran CP/M as well as ColecoVision games. My first Intel PC was an IBM PS/2 Model 25.

I had a blast exploring, learning, and hacking away in my child and teenage years, definitely at the expense of a social life. I’ve been on a path of tinkering and discovery since then.

Lifelong Learning Journey

I taught myself BASIC and Logo as an 8-year-old, followed by Turbo Pascal in Borland’s heyday, and then C. Mostly because I wanted to write BBS and wardialing software. Whatever works, right?

I studied 🧑🏼‍✈️ ✈️ Aeronautical Science in college at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott, AZ Campus. I was passionate about aviation. But I was also passionate about programming and computer science (CS). I tried taking some CS courses at ERAU, but let’s just say it wasn’t a good fit for me.

I learned everything I know about CS on my own through on-the-job learning and deliberate studying. I did this because it’s fun. I’m lucky people also eventually paid me to do it. That continues to this day, and I plan to keep it that way until my time is up!

Professional Life

gantt
title Where I've Worked
dateFormat MM-YYYY
axisFormat %b, %Y
ERAU IT :04-1994, 04-1996
Stormfront Sutdios :04-1996, 03-2000
PlayStation :03-2000, 03-2015
LeaseLabs :03-2015, 08-2016
Amazon :09-2016, 11-2021
Zwift :12-2021, 05-2022
Amazon :06-2022, 10-2024

After a stint in my college IT department, I started my career in 🎮 game development at Stormfront Studios in 1996. I learned a ton, shipped games, and four years later I landed at the Sony PlayStation, San Diego Studio in 2000. I stayed there 15 years. FIFTEEN! Shipped a bunch of games and learned a ton more.

Games I worked on

At Stormfront Studios:

At PlayStation:

Post-Games Career

After 19 years in the industry I decided to try something new. I did some soul-searching and career experimentation as an executive at LeaseLabs before joining Amazon as a Principal Engineer (PE) in 2016. I’ve been there since, minus a strange adventure where I left to work at Zwift for six months and then promptly ran back to Amazon.

gantt
title Teams I've supported as a Principal Engineer at Amazon
dateFormat MM-YYYY
axisFormat %b, %Y
Grocery :09-2016, 02-2019
Fashion :02-2019, 11-2021
Ops and Robotics :06-2022, 07-2024
Prime and Marketing Tech :07-2024, 10-2024

At Amazon, I’ve worked as the sole PE for organizations with 500+ software engineers, providing technical leadership to many individuals and teams on everything from low-level tactical to the most strategic programs. I worked on the grocery team first, then on the apparel team. After I bommeranged, I worked on large-scale simulation systems in the fulfillment, logistics, operations, and robotics domain. Today, I work across Amazon Stores on strategic technology initiatives, including US Prime and Retail Marketing.

Personal Life

I was born an Army brat at the ☣️ Dugway Proving Grounds in Dugway, UT some years after the 😳 🐑 Dugway sheep incident.

I’ve since lived in New Orleans, LA, LaPlace, LA, Humble, TX, Prescott, AZ, Novato, CA, San Diego, CA. I presently live in the beautiful 🏔 Wasatch Mountains of Draper, UT.

gantt
title Places I've Lived
dateFormat MM-YYYY
axisFormat %b, %Y
Dugway, UT :03-1972,
New Orleans, LA :01-1973,
La Place, LA :01-1974, 01-1980
Humble, TX :01-1980, 09-1990
Prescott, AZ :09-1990, 04-1996
Novato, CA :04-1996, 03-2000
San Diego, CA :03-2000, 04-2021
Draper, UT :04-2021, 10-2024

I like 🚴🏼‍♂️ bicycles, 🚶🏼‍♂️ hiking, off-trail 🎒 backpacking, ⛷ alpine skiing, ⛺️ camping & 🚐 vanlife, 🏝 travel, 🍜 great food, 📷 photography, and doing everything I can with my 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family and our 🐾 dogs.