About -> Me
I'm Nicholas Quandt. I'm good with Nick, or Quandt or.. I guess anything works.
Formal names are always weird to write out when referring to yourself.
I'm currently a Staff Software Engineer at Milwaukee Tool, where I build and maintain digital products spanning https://milwaukeetool.com, https://milwaukeetool.jobs, https://empirelevel.com, internal product data integrations, and (insert other thingies). I work primarily in dotNET (framework 4.8, core 8.0) and React, and I've had the privilege of contributing to cross-departmental architecture initiatives and AI pilots like Copilot and Cursor.
I've worn many hats, though the contstant has been doer.
My Starting Point
I started programming at 11 with Small Basic and Visual Basic, making little graphics widgets and Windows Forms applications; I feel like its what most kids did when Visual Studio 2008 was their first IDE. My first professional work, at 15 years old, was an Autodesk Inventor plugin using C# that let a manufacturing company generate 3D models from pricing sheets. Beyond that, I've spent years tinkering: building toy browsers, experimenting with GTK, playing with embedded assemblies and dynamic AppDomains, and creating basic compilers (lexers etc). The barrier to entry in software is fairly low in my opinion. Once you have a computer why not try everything?
I like to imagine the thoughts developers had as they formed their opinions and decisions for various softwares.
I was excited to see dotNET become open source. I enjoy learning about a system through the source code.
What I Believe About Software
I believe the best software solves real problems. It improves quality of life, quality of work, quality of experience. There's too much bloat in the world as of now. Over-worked, over-spread and over-copied software doesn't serve anyone well. I want to build things that fill genuine gaps, that provide value where it's needed.
I try hard to not rebuild existing things. (It's actually really difficult)
I'm inspired by people like Evan You, Rich Harris, and David Fowler, developers who've created tools and frameworks that genuinely move the craft forward. My goal isn't to be the guy, but to be a guy that people look at and say, "huh, he has something there." I want to contribute to the greater good of software, whether that's through tools, patterns, ideas, or just sharing what I've learned along the way.
Where I'm At Now
I've been at Milwaukee Tool for over four years. I'm a Milwaukee native, and I've always rooted for the company. I used Milwaukee tools long before I worked here. The role came through a friend's referral, and it aligned perfectly with my interest in dotNet.
Beyond the Keyboard
When I'm not coding, I'm tinkering in other ways. I boulder (indoor rock climbing w/o ropes) often at Wisconsin gyms, and I built my own climbing wall in my basement. I somewhat frequent Chicago to try different gyms as well. I was a collegiate pole vaulter, and was able to translate much of that talent to climbing.
I have a 1990 Nissan that I wrench on, and I prefer to do all my own house and car maintenance. I have a PC setup under my floor. I like doing things myself. I find satisfaction in handling my own needs and understanding how things work.
I'm married, have a dog and a cat, and I've lived mostly in Wisconsin with a stint in Arizona. I mostly read non-fiction, articles, textbooks, self-help, how-to, cooking, etc. I can never really get into fiction reading. I'm a coffee fanatic, I appreciate good beer, and I'm a big fan of anime, The Matrix, Speed Racer, and Transformers. I think that means I'm a nerd, geek, dork, weeb or other, but I'd say I'm also pretty active, especially with climbing.
At some point, I want to document more of these projects, maybe as write-ups on my website: the climbing wall, the deck, the under-floor PC setup. Its all a part of impulse I have: build things, figure things out, share what I learn.
On AI
I think AI is a tool like the IDE before it, or like Microsoft Word as an extension over Notepad. It's an aggressive shift in patterns, but fundamentally, it's an augmenter, not a replacement. The most effective way to use AI is as a learning companion or subject matter expert. Use it as something that helps you grow your understanding by at least 1%. If you're just asking it to complete your work, you're missing the point.
Use it to learn. Give it context. Be specific. Don't expect to holeshot anything. And remember: automate what you know well so you can explore what you don't.
What I'm Building Toward
I want to contribute, learn, and be excited; and I want to do that alongside people who share that energy.
My goal is to bring value where it's needed and be accountable where I am.
You can also find me on GitHub and LinkedIn . Reach out if you want to talk about dotNet, climbing, building things, or anything in between.
I'm actively building this website… So be on the watch for updates.