Is This Test Worth It? Evaluating the Real Value of Testing
Unit, integration, contract, or end-to-end: the question that matters is what a test actually buys you.
I build APIs,
lead teams,
and give talks.
Engineering leader and backend architect, twenty-plus years into building API-first systems. I run engineering orgs and still ship code, and I don't think you have to pick one.
Lately I've been talking about
Tests, ownership, and yaks.
Let Go of Ownership
A keynote on swapping the ownership model for stewardship: in code, career, and community.
Yak Free Docker: Everyday Uses That Aren't Deployment
Docker for the everyday stuff that is not deployment: runtimes, dev tools, and throwaway utilities.
From the comment cards
What people said after.
-
Tim's public speaking is great: confident, vulnerable, and low-ego. He does a great job with examples and he seems to know the audience well.
Nick Pattison · php[tek] 2023 · on joind.in on Let Go of Ownership
-
Great talk. I'm stealing the "take stewardship" instead of "take ownership" approach to "I want you to take ownership" conversations.
Sandy Smith · php[tek] 2023 · on joind.in on Let Go of Ownership
-
The slide presentation set the standard for the rest of the conference, which no one supplanted.
Chris Meza · Lone Star PHP 2016 · on joind.in on Adventures of a Contract Developer
-
Tim is one of my favorite speakers, and I certainly appreciated his emphasis on giving us real, "you can use these today" examples. Even the Live Demo Gods approved!
Steve Grunwell · Northeast PHP 2016 · on joind.in on The API Toolbox
-
I'm literally just going to steal Tim's toolbox and share it with others as if I found all the tools.
Jason Lotito · ConFoo 2015 · on joind.in on The API Toolbox
-
Both last year and this year I thought I already knew a lot about his topics but I went because I knew he is good, and both times I ended up learning a lot.
Phillip Shipley · php[tek] 2016 · on joind.in on Robust Second-factor Authentication with PHP
-
Third time seeing this talk, and it keeps getting better. Any time someone talks about ownership at work (or worse, CODEOWNERS) I want to scream "STEWARDS!".
Steve Grunwell · PHP TEK 2025 · on joind.in on Let Go of Ownership
But first, in general
What I actually do.
I shape product strategy alongside business stakeholders while staying hands-on with architecture and implementation. I'm known for preventing unnecessary complexity, deferring irreversible decisions, and designing systems that stay adaptable as understanding evolves.
I'm also a recognized speaker and published technical author. I've given keynotes at developer conferences and a TEDx talk on creativity and where humans fit in an ever-changing world. I care about making complex ideas accessible, whether that's in a code review, on stage, or at a whiteboard.
I've also founded and led Lehigh Valley Tech, organizing meetups, hackathons, and startup weekends for the local technology community.
- Engineering leadership
- Hiring, performance management, mentorship, and building teams that work well together.
- Systems architecture
- API-first design, event-driven systems, and scalable backend platforms.
- Platform strategy
- API design, authentication architecture, and developer experience.
- Technical communication
- Conference keynotes, technical writing, and translating complex concepts for any audience.
I'm currently available for consulting, advisory work, and the right longer-term role.
Whether you have a thorny API integration, a team that could use some direction, or a system architecture that needs a fresh perspective, I'd enjoy the conversation.