About Nicholas DeTello

About Nicholas DeTello

I’m Nicholas DeTello (Nick DeTello), a passionate software engineer and technical leader with a focus on building scalable, resilient systems that solve real-world problems. My work spans multiple domains, from legislative technology to defense systems, always with an emphasis on creating robust, maintainable solutions.

Professional Background

As a software engineer, I specialize in:

Full-Stack Development

  • Building end-to-end web applications with modern frameworks
  • Expertise in functional programming with Elixir and the Phoenix ecosystem
  • Creating real-time, interactive user experiences with Phoenix LiveView
  • Database design and optimization with PostgreSQL

Legislative Technology

  • Developing platforms for legislative tracking and advocacy coordination
  • Building multi-tenant SaaS solutions for government transparency
  • Real-time data processing for political and legislative information
  • Creating tools that enhance civic engagement and democratic participation

Defense & Security Systems

  • Working on secure, reliable systems for defense applications
  • Understanding compliance requirements and security best practices
  • Building systems that operate under strict reliability constraints

System Architecture & Design

  • Designing distributed systems that scale and remain resilient
  • Implementing robust background job processing with Oban
  • Creating fault-tolerant architectures using OTP principles
  • Optimizing system performance and reliability

Technical Expertise

Languages & Frameworks

  • Elixir: Advanced proficiency with OTP, GenServers, and supervision trees
  • Phoenix & LiveView: Building real-time, interactive web applications
  • JavaScript/TypeScript: Modern frontend development
  • SQL: Database design and query optimization

Infrastructure & DevOps

  • NixOS: Infrastructure as code and reproducible deployments
  • PostgreSQL: Database administration and optimization
  • Docker: Containerization and deployment
  • Cloud Platforms: DigitalOcean, AWS experience

Tools & Practices

  • Test-driven development and comprehensive testing strategies
  • Git workflows and collaborative development practices
  • Performance monitoring and observability
  • Agile development methodologies

Current Projects

BillTracker Platform

I’m currently the lead developer on BillTracker, a comprehensive legislative tracking platform that serves advocacy organizations across the United States. The platform features:

  • Real-time bill monitoring and notifications
  • Multi-tenant SaaS architecture serving multiple organizations
  • Collaborative tracking boards for advocacy coordination
  • Integration with legislative data sources
  • Built with Elixir, Phoenix LiveView, and PostgreSQL

This project represents the intersection of my technical skills and passion for civic technology, creating tools that enhance democratic participation and government transparency.

Philosophy & Approach

I believe in building software that not only solves immediate problems but also stands the test of time. My approach emphasizes:

Resilience First

Systems should be designed to handle failure gracefully. I leverage Elixir’s “let it crash” philosophy and OTP principles to build fault-tolerant applications that recover automatically from errors.

Developer Experience

Good software is not just about the end user - it should be maintainable and enjoyable to work with. I focus on clean code, comprehensive documentation, and developer-friendly APIs.

Real-World Impact

Technology should solve meaningful problems. Whether it’s improving government transparency through legislative tracking or building systems that enhance national security, I’m drawn to projects that make a tangible difference.

Continuous Learning

The technology landscape evolves rapidly. I stay current with emerging technologies, best practices, and industry trends through continuous learning and experimentation.

Writing & Knowledge Sharing

I regularly write about software engineering topics on my blog, covering subjects like:

  • Building resilient background job systems with Elixir and Oban
  • Microservices architecture and design patterns
  • Deployment automation and infrastructure as code
  • Lessons learned from operating distributed systems in production

My goal is to share practical knowledge that helps other developers build better, more reliable systems.

Personal Interests

Beyond software engineering, I’m passionate about:

  • Civic Technology: Using technology to improve government transparency and citizen engagement
  • Open Source: Contributing to and maintaining open source projects
  • System Reliability: Studying how complex systems fail and how to make them more resilient
  • Functional Programming: Exploring the benefits of immutable data structures and functional paradigms

Let’s Connect

I’m always interested in discussing challenging technical problems, collaborating on meaningful projects, or sharing knowledge about software engineering.

Professional Connections:

  • LinkedIn - Connect with me professionally
  • GitHub - Explore my code and contributions

Contact: Whether you’re looking to discuss a potential collaboration, have questions about a blog post, or want to chat about software engineering challenges, I’m always excited to connect with fellow developers and technical professionals.

Feel free to reach out through LinkedIn or check out my latest projects on GitHub. I look forward to connecting with you!

Nicholas DeTello is a Software Engineer & Technical Leader specializing in full-stack development, legislative technology, and defense systems. He builds scalable, resilient applications using Elixir, Phoenix LiveView, and modern web technologies.