About Mandie

Curious about systems.
Accountable to people.

I’m most engaged when a problem is complex, the answer is unclear, and solving it takes more than one perspective.

I bring structure to those moments by understanding how things work, asking the question nobody has answered yet, and helping people see a path forward together.

Explore my skills See my career experience

How I work

I start with the current state.

Before asking a team to change a system, I want to understand its behavior, constraints, and the people who depend on it.

That means researching production behavior, repositories, APIs, business rules, technical documentation, and customer experiences. I use AI to help analyze information and surface gaps, then check the findings against evidence and people who know the system.

I whiteboard with designers, architects, and senior engineers to connect the pieces. We make assumptions visible, work through alternatives, and define where ownership and decisions belong.

I set direction and priorities, then determine the order of work based on technical dependencies and team schedules. When program plans need to change to reflect implementation needs, I explain the tradeoffs and guide those adjustments.

I translate that direction into testable requirements and stay close to delivery so the team can respond when new information changes the plan.

How I think

The principles behind my decisions.

I care more about finding the right answer than being right.

Understand before deciding

I ask why, trace the current behavior, and test assumptions. The first request rarely describes the whole problem.

Make room for the best idea

Good ideas can come from anyone. I listen to engineers, designers, operators, and business partners before choosing a direction.

Challenge ideas with care

I speak up early when something does not add up. I use evidence to challenge a decision while respecting the people making it.

Follow through

I make ownership and expectations clear, keep my word, and stay connected to the work through delivery.

Skills & tools

What I bring to the table.

Technical fluency helps me connect the product decision to what it will take to build and operate it.

Product direction

Problem discovery, roadmap ownership, prioritization, dependency sequencing, backlog design, requirements, and program alignment.

How I use it

I set direction and priorities, determine the order of work, and guide adjustments to program plans based on technical dependencies and team delivery schedules.

Systems & integration thinking

APIs, payloads, data contracts, repository analysis, systems mapping, dependencies, and ownership boundaries.

How I use it

I trace how a change moves through the system and identify risks before teams commit to an approach.

Engineering & implementation

React, TypeScript, Expo, React Native, Cloudflare D1, GitLab, CI/CD, AWS, and MkDocs.

How I use it

I build independent products and internal tools, and use that experience to ask better technical questions.

AI-assisted delivery

Agent workflows, requirements analysis, change-impact analysis, Gherkin scenarios, evidence tracing, and human review.

How I use it

I use AI to surface gaps and prepare better work, with people responsible for the consequential decisions.

See these skills in my projects

Beyond the job title

I lead like a football center.

Prepare. Read the defense. Adjust under pressure. Clear a path for someone else to score.

Texas Elite Spartans · Starting centerSix championship ringsTwo All-American honors

Playing center taught me that leadership often happens out of sight. Preparation and communication matter as much as the moment everyone sees.

I bring that same approach to product work. I want the team to understand the play, see the risk early, and trust each other enough to adjust. The team’s win matters more than the credit.

Background & community

Helping people find their next opportunity.

My work has also included developing early-career talent and creating access to technology experiences.

ITSMF Emerge Academy: 2025 cohort
University of Texas at Dallas: Recruiting Lead
DFW Hackathons: Directed 25+ events engaging 7,000+ students
Education: B.S. Information Systems & Accounting
Millikin University
Certification: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) · Scrum Alliance