About Me: Robin Darby
Hi, I’m Robin. I’m a system architect and engineer who’s been building software and platforms for decades, starting back when I was hacking away on a BBC Micro in BASIC and inline assembly to build games as a kid in England.
From there, it’s been a wild and fulfilling ride through the tech industry: from those early Turbo Pascal experiments, to university days learning software engineering on Slackware Linux and Modula-2, to writing Perl on early web servers and diving deep into object-oriented design. That hands-on, deep curiosity for systems design has never left me.
The Craft
I’m not just interested in code; I’m fascinated by how systems work at scale—how architecture shapes performance, security, and team velocity. I’ve led engineering and DevOps teams, guided modernization efforts, and rebuilt everything from monoliths to microservices. Tools change, but core principles endure.
These days, I specialize in:
- Cloud architecture (AWS, Azure)
- Kubernetes and observability
- Zero Trust security
- Secure SDLC and infrastructure modernization
I enjoy applying sound engineering principles to complex domains like manufacturing automation, AI/ML pipelines, and mobile app platforms.
The Journey
I’ve held engineering and architecture roles at Amazon, Vail Resorts, Verizon, INTURN, and Divergent 3D. Whether it was building the billing portal for AWS, scaling navigation apps to tens of millions of users, or designing secure microservice workflows with Temporal.io, I’ve always cared about making systems better: faster, safer, and more scalable.
I currently live in Colorado with my wife Tracy, whom I met while we were both working at Amazon (yes, we love the “you really can get anything at Amazon” joke). When I’m not diagramming infrastructure or mentoring engineers, you might find me tinkering with embedded systems, polishing up a side app, or getting outside for a walk in the foothills.
Looking Ahead
I’m now branching into independent consulting to help teams solve deep architectural challenges—cutting cloud costs, securing platforms, accelerating DevOps pipelines, and guiding migrations. If you’re a growing company facing complexity and scale, I can help you design systems that hold up under pressure and evolve with your business.
Let’s build something strong and sustainable.