I build and scale software systems that operate under real-world constraints.
Founder and technology leader working at the intersection of infrastructure, security, and large-scale operations. I focus on systems that must work — not demos.
What I work on
- Company building — founding and scaling software businesses
- Complex systems — infrastructure, access control, logistics, and compliance
- Leadership & judgment — decision-making at scale
How I think
Selected writing on building and leading systems that don't get second chances.
Why most technical leadership fails at scale
Competence doesn't collapse systems. Poor judgment does.
The difference between software that demos well and software that survives reality
Most teams optimize for the wrong feedback loops.
Security is an operational problem, not a tooling problem
Tools don't enforce discipline. Systems do.
What large organizations actually need from engineers
Hint: it's not cleverness.
Why infrastructure work is invisible until it breaks
And why that changes how leaders should think.
Proof
- •Founder, Island Digital
- •Led delivery of online manufacturing and logistics systems supporting the largest oil & gas operation in Sub-Saharan Africa
- •Built SaaS-based access control and movement management systems securing large industrial sites
- •Currently building Taxable.ng, Nigeria's first digital tax filing platform
For advisory, speaking, or collaboration: hello@davidsalami.com