A Builder’s Journey

Hi, I’m Larry Adames

Software Engineer · CPA · Builder

I started as a CPA after the dot-com bubble steered me away from tech. For over 10 years I worked in accounting and finance. The 2008 housing crisis and the rise of Bitcoin in 2009 changed my path — I returned to coding to build tools that create more transparency and opportunity.

Keep scrolling to begin the journey

Chapter One

The Awakening

After a decade in accounting, I realized I wanted to build again.

I taught myself modern web development and began creating scalable applications that help people and organizations operate more effectively.

Chapter Two

Returning to Code

Inspired by emerging technologies after the financial crisis, I made the career switch. I learned to code, took on challenging projects, and started shipping real products.

  • TypeScript
  • Rust
  • Ruby
  • PureScript
  • Haskell
  • React / Next.js
  • Ruby on Rails
  • PostgreSQL
  • Stripe / Plaid

Chapter Three

My Mission Log

A decade of building payment systems, distributed protocols, and the interfaces that make complex software feel simple.

  1. Dec 2025 – April 2026

    Shielded Technologies (Midnight)

    Performance & Automation Engineer

    Remote

    • Aggregated logs across distributed test-network nodes to monitor mempool and block production.
    • Built performance-tracking tools that kept the network stable under high-concurrency stress tests.
    • Optimized validation timing for shielded transaction protocols.

  2. Nov 2021 – Nov 2025

    Input Output Global (IOG / IOHK)

    SDET

    Remote

    • Wrote test suites for Substrate-based nodes covering cross-chain operations and consensus (GRANDPA / AURA).
    • Built CI pipelines with Earthly to streamline testing in distributed environments.
    • Shipped wallet connector and proof-of-concept apps for the Marlowe ecosystem.

  3. April 2020 – Nov 2021

    United for Respect

    Software Engineer

    Remote

    • Cut API response times 6× (6s → 1s) by tuning Rails serialization and attribute scoping.
    • Modeled relationships across thousands of organizers in Neo4j to surface community leaders.
    • Shipped Flutter mobile features for real-time labor organizing.

  4. April 2017 – April 2020

    GiveLively LLC

    Senior Software Engineer

    New York, NY

    • Led a nonprofit donation platform serving thousands of organizations (React, Rails, PostgreSQL).
    • Owned the Stripe Connect rollout for direct non-profit donations, including webhooks and payment syncing.
    • Cut page loads from 7s to under 1s through SQL and indexing work.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) — New York State (Inactive)

Get in Touch

Let’s Connect

Thanks for exploring my journey. I’m always open to new conversations and opportunities to build meaningful things.

Download Resume