About

Thanks for stopping by. Read below to learn more about myself and my background.

Kolbey Pruitt with Marlow

Background

I'm a software engineer based in Oklahoma who enjoys building stable, scalable backend systems. Most of my work revolves around Node.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, AWS, and turning messy problems into clean, reliable services built to survive real-world abuse and scale with actual businesses. I'm interested in software that pulls its weight—tools that solve problems, not props for a portfolio.

Before jumping into software full-time, I spent seven years as a CAD designer. I designed oil drilling rigs, gas line heaters, and natural gas compressor skids—big, unforgiving machines where a small oversight could cost a fortune. That background trained me to think in systems, respect constraints, and sweat the details. Those habits followed me straight into engineering.

Outside of tech, I'm deep in real estate. I design and build residential properties, renovate homes, and manage a growing rental portfolio. The overlap with engineering is obvious: long timelines, complex dependencies, and the need to think ten steps ahead.

Life outside work is busy in the best way. My wife and I are raising two daughters, ages three and two, which means every day has its own brand of controlled chaos. They're a constant reminder to use my time well and build things that matter.

When I'm not building something digital or physical, I'm usually roasting espresso beans and chasing the next dialed-in shot. Coffee is where the precision and experimentation turn from discipline into play.

Everything I do—software, CAD, real estate, coffee, and family—comes back to the same idea: learn constantly, build intentionally, and make things that last.

Education

My technical education comes primarily from hands-on experience rather than traditional classroom settings. The seven years I spent as a CAD designer provided invaluable lessons in precision engineering, project management, and systems thinking that directly translate to software development.

When transitioning to software engineering, I focused on building real projects and contributing to open source, learning through application rather than theory alone.

Skills

Technical Stack: Node.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, AWS, Express.js, React, Next.js

Backend Development: API design, database optimization, microservices architecture, cloud deployment and scaling

Engineering Approach: Systems thinking, accuracy-first design, constraint respect, long-term maintainability

Related Expertise: CAD design, project planning, real estate development, espresso roasting