David Mays
Data Engineer. Lifelong Learner. Builder of Durable Things.
I'm passionate about designing, building, and sharing tools and systems that make data work better for people and businesses. I enjoy exploring problems deeply, creating clear solutions, and helping others learn along the way.
Featured Projects
A selection of projects that reflect my approach to solving problems and building systems.
Harbor
Harbor is my personal end-to-end DataOps Platform, laying a foundation with my preferred data engineering and analysis tech stack for all future data projects.
Learn more →Dreadlog
Dreadlog is my first personal full-stack data product, a Wiki, archive, and analytics hub for horror films. A one-stop shop to geek out on the genre.
Learn more →datamays.com
My personal data engineering portfolio, blog, and platform for future data products. This very website!
Learn more →Read the story →
How I Think About Data Engineering
I treat data engineering as an applied discipline at the intersection of software engineering,
systems design, and decision-making. I prioritize clarity, explicit tradeoffs, and architectures
that respect the people who maintain them.
For every data engineering project, I follow this general approach:
- → Start with the why and understand the need
- → Optimize for human comprehension
- → Design systems that evolve safely
- → Make it work, then make it right, then make it fast
Let's Build Better Systems Together
I'm always exploring new ideas in data engineering, sharing tools, and thinking about how systems can be made clearer, safer, and more maintainable. If you're interested in discussing a project, swapping insights, or just geeking out over data, feel free to connect!