Hi, I'm Nathnael 👋
I'm a software engineer with 6 years of experience building products on the web. My sweet spot is frontend development; crafting clean, intuitive interfaces with React, TypeScript, and GraphQL. But I've also spent plenty of time working on the backend with Node.js and Elixir (LiveView has been one of my favorite tools to explore).
What drives me in software engineering is the craft of building. I love the problem solving aspect, paying attention to the details that make things work beautifully, and having the design taste to create what's truly good for users. I'm quick to learn, technically sharp, and I care a lot about building things that feel smooth and enjoyable to use. But just as important, I like to keep things fun and collaborative. Teams work better when the people in them actually enjoy working together.
Outside of work, I love creating things for others to use. Recently I've been building explore-addis.com, a guide to help travelers get the most out of Addis Ababa in just a couple of weeks. It's one of the ways I combine my love for creating things with my curiosity about how people move, explore, and connect across the world. My enthusiasm for Africa, especially East Africa, runs deep. There's something about the energy, the cultures, and the untold stories of this region that captivates me.
I love traveling, hiking and learning something along the way in each place. Each journey is an opportunity to understand different cultures, meet people, and hear their I'm passionate about both in travel and in life.
I'm also diving into side projects, cooking experiments, and finding ways to make life a little easier (and tastier) along the way. As someone who's worked as a barista and is learning to cook, I have a deep love for food and drinks from around the world. There's a lot of beauty in how flavors can connect us across cultures. I'm drawn to stories of people. I try to approach every interaction with curiosity and a genuine desire to listen and understand people better.
Right now, I'm continuing to grow my craft and working on products that have real impact at Turn.io, with great teams where I can contribute, learn, and thrive.
Learning and curiosity are some of my core values. I spend much of my free time exploring the world through maps and geography videos, diving deep into geopolitics to understand how our world works. My interest in geography and geopolitics comes from wanting to understand the forces that shape our interconnected world.
Beyond software, I've embraced learning in all its forms. I've picked up scuba diving, surfing, learned to ride a bicycle and swim, and I'm currently beginning to explore real estate. Each new skill is a reminder that growth never stops.
When I'm not coding, map-gazing, or learning something new, you'll find me playing the best game ever made, Dota 2. Other times I'm getting lost in fantasy-genre books, or watching classic movies that never get old.