About

Paul Kirkpatrick

Paul Kirkpatrick is a Software Engineer with experience building and maintaining production applications and data pipelines. He has worked across the stack using Javascript, Vue, and modern frontend frameworks, as well as Python or Typescript for backend APIs or data processing. His work has included launching new SaaS features, improving data visibility, and debugging production issues by collaborating cross-functionally. Paul loves optimization, maintainable code, and finding simple solutions to complex problems.

When he isn't coding, Paul loves spending time with his wife and three children. He enjoys playing Ultimate or disk golf, playing his bass guitar, and reading Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Professional Contributions

Recent professional work was performed in proprietary codebases. Descriptions are high-level and focused on impact and responsibilities rather than source code.

Discovery Experience for Contextual Data Exploration

Meso AI · Next.js · Typescript

Problem

Users could access valuable data only through pre-built charts, limiting exploration, context, and discoverability. The existing interface made it difficult to understand relationships between creators, songs, and performance metrics.

Solution

I designed and implemented a Discovery section that exposed existing data in a navigable, contextualized format. The goal was to move from static visualization toward exploratory interaction, enabling users to drill into individual creators and songs.

Implementation

Using TypeScript and Next.js, I built reusable components and implemented dynamic routing so each creator and song had its own dedicated page. I experimented with server-side rendering and selectively shifted components to client-side rendering to improve initial load performance.

During development, inconsistencies in backend data surfaced, and I worked closely with backend and data engineers to clarify data contracts and determine what could be reliably displayed. I also implemented delayed loading and re-checking for slow assets (such as images), allowing content to appear as soon as it became available rather than blocking page load.

Outcome

  • Significantly improved data visibility compared to chart-only views
  • Faster perceived load times despite slow upstream assets
  • A more flexible foundation for future discovery features

Asynchronous Ingest Pipeline for Crawled Data

Meso AI · Python · Pydantic · MongoDB

Problem

The platform needed a reliable way to ingest large volumes of crawled data, normalize it, and prepare it for downstream use—while handling delays, retries, and partial failures without corrupting stored data.

Solution

I designed and built an ingest server responsible for scheduling requests, receiving crawled data, extracting relevant fields, and transforming that data into predefined, queryable structures.

Implementation

Built with Python, Pydantic, and MongoDB, the server used asynchronous operations to manage multiple ingestion flows concurrently. I implemented retry logic with capped attempts to prevent runaway re-requests and ensured idempotent handling of partial data.

A significant focus was data integrity: filtering irrelevant fields, enforcing schemas with Pydantic, and ordering records for time-series use. I collaborated closely with the crawler operator to align request expectations and validate end-to-end behavior before releases.

Outcome

  • Enabled scalable ingestion across multiple data sources
  • Improved data reliability for downstream features
  • Established a repeatable, testable ingestion pattern

Self-Service Location Management Interface

Big Blue Swim School · Typescript · Vue

Problem

New and existing franchise locations relied on developers to update basic public-facing information such as hours, address, and phone number. This created unnecessary engineering overhead and delayed updates to customer-visible content.

Solution

I designed and built a self-service location management interface that allowed authorized franchise owners to manage their own location data safely and independently. The interface replaced an earlier CRUD-style admin page with a task-based flow focused on common user goals, such as updating operating hours or publishing a new address.

Implementation

Built with Vue and TypeScript, the system required careful state management to ensure form data, validation, and save states remained consistent across tasks. I implemented role-based authorization so only permitted users could read or modify location data. The UI emphasized clarity and intent over raw data exposure.

Outcome

  • Reduced developer intervention for routine updates
  • Improved accuracy and timeliness of public-facing location information
  • Delivered a more approachable, goal-oriented experience for non-technical users