Michael Cousins

Opentrons Labworks

• 5 years
• | Open-source liquid handling robots for biologists
• | opentrons.com

• Software Engineer IV — Mar. 2019 to present
• Software Engineer III — Mar. 2018 to Mar. 2019
• Frontend Software Engineer — Aug. 2017 to Mar. 2018

• Architecting a backend, to be built by a third-party, for sharing scientific protocols and helping biologists address experiment reproducibility problems

• Teaching engineers on my team testing best practices, increasing overall velocity by decreasing unexpected bugs and time spent in QA

• Designing and managing the implementation of a new execution and control layer of the OT-2's software, unlocking functionality and reliability across the stack, while keeping users' already functioning workflows intact

• Led the Robot Services engineering team as we resolved some of our device's thorniest issues, including networking and timekeeping bugs

• Configured and maintained CI and deployment systems for multiple products across multiple languages, operating systems, and CI providers

• Architected, developed, and maintained the Opentrons App for the release of the OT-2, built using Electron and React

Keen Home

• 2 ¾ years
• | Smart, connected HVAC products
• | keenhome.io

• Senior Product Engineer — Jul. 2015 to Jul. 2017
• Mechatronics Engineer — Nov. 2014 to Jul. 2015

• Rebuilt the Keen Home API's authentication and authorization systems, adding an OAuth frontend and backend for Amazon Alexa integration

• Designed and implemented software for assembly-line QC fixtures, and worked closely with our Shenzhen manufacturer to install and operate the fixtures

• Created and managed Node.js-based production scheduling systems, administrative tools, and automated acceptance tests

• Shipped production Smart Vent firmware on the SiLabs ZigBee stack

Wiley Cousins

• 1 year
• | Contract software & hardware engineering services

• Co-Founder and Hardware Engineer — Oct. 2013 to Oct. 2014

• Designed electronics and firmware for hand-crafted home products

• Taught a 12-week "Introduction to Circuits" class designed to take students from no experience to digital logic

tracespace/tracespace

• TypeScript, JavaScript
• Jul. 2014 to present

Printed circuit board (Gerber) viewer web-app and libraries. Renders CAD fabrication output as SVG. Used by various PCB manufacturers.

mcous/decoy

• Python
• Nov. 2020 to present

Mocking library that enforces opinionated best practices and guides architecture with TDD. Used at Opentrons to test core logic.

wileycousins/clockblock

• Embedded C++, KiCad, SolidWorks
• Sep. 2013 to Sep. 2014

LED clock embedded in a solid block of wood. Limited run art piece made with H. Cole Wiley and James Goedert.

Languages

• TypeScript and JavaScript
• Python
• Scala

Testing

• Test-driven development
• Automated acceptance testing
• CI setup and management

Frontend

• React and state management
• Constraint-based style systems
• Web and Service Workers

Backend

• HTTP API design
• Reliable concurrency
• Event-driven architecture

Spicy Takes

• Promises are better than async/await
• Mocks are great, but never used correctly
• Test-after might be worse than no tests

B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering

• Northwestern University, class of 2012
• Concentration in intelligent mech. systems
• One-year co-op with Newell Rubbermaid