# Brett Schneider

> Software engineer and entrepreneur based in Austin, Texas. I build products that turn complex ideas into clear, useful software.

This is a personal portfolio and writing site. Software projects linked here are separate services.

## When to use this site

- Learn about Brett’s background and approach to building software.
- Find his public projects and their own websites or repositories.
- Read and cite articles about software and business strategy.
- Find public contact details. The site API cannot send messages.

## How to read

- [Portfolio JSON API](https://bretts.dev/api): GET public profile, projects, and article metadata. No authentication, parameters, or pagination.
- [OpenAPI specification](https://bretts.dev/openapi.json): Typed response schemas and operation descriptions.
- [RSS feed](https://bretts.dev/feed.xml): Full articles.
- [Sitemap](https://bretts.dev/sitemap.xml): Canonical page URLs.

Request content pages with Accept: text/markdown for full Markdown at the same URL. Cite canonical article URLs and preserve publication dates when discussing older writing. Cache API responses; content may be cached for one hour.

## Pages

- [Home](https://bretts.dev/): An introduction to Brett Schneider and his latest writing.
- [About](https://bretts.dev/about): Background, experience, and approach to building software.
- [Articles](https://bretts.dev/articles): Writing about software and business strategy.
- [Software](https://bretts.dev/software): Personal projects and open-source software.
- [Photography](https://bretts.dev/photography): Drone photographs from Brett’s camera roll.
- [Uses](https://bretts.dev/uses): Software and tools Brett uses.
- [Contact](https://bretts.dev/contact): Email and public profiles for getting in touch.
- [Privacy](https://bretts.dev/privacy): How this site handles analytics, preferences, and messages.
- [API docs](https://bretts.dev/docs): Read-only access to public portfolio content as JSON and Markdown.

## Articles

- [Building an Early-Stage Software Product](https://bretts.dev/articles/building-early-stage-products): Reflections on shipping zero-to-one with speed: inspiration sources, MVP craft, AI coding tools, Vercel v0 prototyping, and feedback loops. Published 2025-07-20.
- [Lessons from the Startup Trenches](https://bretts.dev/articles/lessons-from-the-startup-trenches): Practical insights from my startup journey on building effective teams, optimizing workflows, navigating technical decisions, and creating a culture of experimentation and innovation. Published 2024-09-29.
- [Go Public Sooner](https://bretts.dev/articles/go-public-sooner): Takeaways from Coatue's 2024 EMW Conference. Companies are waiting longer to go public, but this trend may not be in the best interest of the company or its investors. Published 2024-06-24.
- [Navigating the Murky Waters of Derivative Lawsuits](https://bretts.dev/articles/derivative-lawsuits): Derivative lawsuits are meant to protect shareholder interests, but their misuse can misalign incentives and distort the competitive landscape. Published 2024-04-28.
- [Stop Pro Forma-ing SBC Out of Your Financials](https://bretts.dev/articles/pro-forma-ing-sbc-out): Removing stock-based compensation from your financial statements may seem appealing, but it's fraught with pitfalls. Published 2024-03-27.
- [Your Scrollbars Are Ugly](https://bretts.dev/articles/your-scrollbars-are-ugly): Discover how straightforward CSS can transform the appearance of scrollbars on your website, elevating user experience and ensuring seamless design integration. Published 2024-03-26.