I’m Paul Rondeau. I live in Vancouver where I build the future.

I’m Paul Rondeau. I live in Vancouver, a city that perfectly balances the energy of urban life with the beauty of the outdoors.

My love for technology started young. I was the go-to “tech support” at home, setting up my parents’ Windows 95 and 98 computers. Growing up, I couldn’t afford the computer I wanted to play video games on, so I got a job at 12 working at a bakery and restaurant. Those early days taught me the value of hard work—and sparked a love for cooking that’s stuck with me ever since. A few months later, I bought the computer I’d been dreaming of and realized that creating things was just as fun as using them. By the time I reached high school and built my first program in a computer science class, my passion for technology had fully taken root.

That drive to create led me to study computer engineering at the University of Waterloo, an intense but rewarding experience. The co-op program opened doors to six internships. I worked at companies of all sizes, ranging from large corporations to early-stage startups, gaining a broad perspective on the unique challenges and opportunities at each scale. Landing a position at Nest (Google) in California felt like a huge milestone, and it cemented my passion for crafting software that combines speed and scalability with thoughtful design.

Over the last 8 years of my career, I’ve worked at Google and CloudKitchens, tackling challenges from building large-scale distributed systems to leading frontend development for a new product vertical while also improving the frontend platform that supported the entire company. I’ve learned that the best work happens at the intersection of speed and sustainability—moving quickly while keeping an eye on the future. The most successful projects come from highly autonomous, motivated teams who take control of their own destiny.

Outside of work, I love living in Vancouver for its unbeatable mix of activities, both in the city and out. I spend my free time hiking, camping, snowboarding, and playing tennis, and I always make time for cooking, checking out new restaurants, and working from some of the incredible coffeeshops. On occasion, I like to take my building skills out of the digital world and into the physical one, working on many DIY projects around the house. For example, I designed and built a custom set of floating shelves for my living room, combining functionality with a modern aesthetic. I even built a custom camping platform for my SUV—complete with drawers and a full-length sleeping area—that’s made backcountry trips more comfortable than ever.

Looking ahead, I’m fascinated by the potential of large language models. Their ability to learn and adapt at scale resonates with my experiences building scalable systems, and I’m excited about how they can streamline workflows, enhance creativity, and open up entirely new ways of solving problems. Their scale and reach are only beginning to unfold, and I’m particularly excited about how they’ll change economics around certain businesses or even governments. The possibilities we have now, and those that will emerge in the next 2 years, were unimaginable just half a decade ago—and they continue to inspire new ways of thinking and creating. My goal as an engineer is to stay curious, always learning while embracing the ever-expanding possibilities of technology.