Hi, I'm Sal.

I'm a hands-on software engineering leader. I build products and the teams behind them, and I still love writing code.

Right now I'm in live streaming: I was a founding member of live streaming at Amazon Prime Video, where I lead the Live Playback Content organization. Our systems handle encoding, packaging and playback for more than 350,000 live events a year and 4,000 linear stations, including Thursday Night Football, which earned three Emmy Awards.

Before that, I worked across almost every layer of software: mobile apps, web, desktop browsers, embedded retail devices, compilers and developer tools, marketplaces, and large-scale distribution systems. The industry changes; the job doesn't. Understand the problem deeply, build something people rely on, and grow the people who build it with you.

Things I've built

Live video at scaleAmazon Prime Video: live encoding, packaging and playback for millions of viewers, from NFL games to the Olympics.
Mobile and web appsNordstrom's iOS and Android app and web product pages, built with React and React Native, for a $5B+ business.
Browsers and desktopMicrosoft Edge and Internet Explorer features used by billions, and macOS and Android apps at Microsoft.
Languages and developer toolsEarly TypeScript libraries at Microsoft, the IBM Java compiler, and IBM WebSphere Application Server.
Embedded and retail devicesEmbedded systems for Fujitsu's robotic self-checkout machines, deployed in stores worldwide, and cashierless retail technology at Microsoft.
MarketplacesKixify and KicksOnFire, sneaker marketplaces I co-founded and grew to more than 10 million users.

Current side projects

SignalScopeslmnkhn.com/signalscope · code on github.com/slmnkhn/signalscopeA live video feed inspector. Point it at an SRT or HLS feed and see every layer: link health, stream structure, video, audio, captions and SCTE-35 ad markers. Try the built-in test signal. EngLeadersengleaders.aiA job board for engineering managers, directors and VPs, with roles checked daily, AI matching, and interview prep. Dripbigdrip.ioDaily pick challenges: pick the winners every day, go perfect, and win sneakers and streetwear.

Where I've worked

Amazon Prime Video2019–presentSoftware Development Manager, Live Playback Content. Founding member of Prime Video live streaming.
Nordstrom2017–2019Sr. Software Development Manager. Rebuilt the mobile app and web product pages; started an internal computer science bootcamp.
Microsoft2013–2017Senior Software Engineer and Lead. Browser platform features for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, and early TypeScript libraries.
Kixify & KicksOnFire2013–2017Co-founder and CTO. Sneaker marketplaces that grew to more than 10 million users.
Fujitsu2011Software Engineer. Embedded systems for robotic self-checkout machines deployed in retail stores worldwide.
IBM2009–2010Software Engineer. The IBM Java compiler and the WebSphere Application Server.