# Eugene Leontev The Engineer

> Eugene The Engineer. Innovate, Code, and Inspire since 1984. Empathetic engineer, pragmatic code and critical thinking. People-oriented approach to software development.

## About

Eugene Leontev is I fix slow, expensive backends | 100× latency gains, 100K MAU in 3 months | Fintech · PostgreSQL · AWS | Remote | Empathetic engineer, pragmatic code and critical thinking. People-oriented approach to software development.

- Role: Fractional CTO & Lead Backend Engineer

## Key Topics

- Ruby on Rails
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- AWS
- Fintech
- 100x latency gains
- 100K MAU in 3 months

## Posts

- [The Hat Technical Leaders Refuse to Wear](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/the-hat-technical-leaders-refuse-to-wear/): After Staff level, technical depth stops being your bottleneck. The Ambassador Hat is the career ceiling most engineering leaders never see coming.
- [The Level 3 Trap: Eight Levels of Product-Minded Engineering](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/the-level-3-trap-eight-levels-of-product-minded-engineering/): A fintech team shipped 40+ tickets a sprint while activation stayed flat. An eight-level framework for assessing where engineers operate and why Level 3 is not mastery.
- [How We Reduced PostgreSQL Query Time from 250ms to 20ms](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/how-we-reduced-postgresql-query-time-from-250ms-to-20ms/): A production story about wrong indexes, planner regressions, and the query rewrite nobody wanted to do. Rails, PostgreSQL, PgHero, partial indexes.
- [The AI Model Is No Longer The Bottleneck](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/the-ai-model-is-no-longer-the-bottleneck/): Model benchmarks get the attention, but workflows, agent design, and toolchain architecture drive real AI coding productivity. Why workflow-first beats model-chasing.
- [I Built a Local AI Scorer for My LinkedIn Posts](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/ai-system-linkedin-content-analysis/): LinkedIn metrics lack signal. I built a local pipeline: scrape posts, score against a CTO goal, classify topics—Ruby, Postgres, Ollama, caching, RAG.
- [Single-Threaded on the Outside, Multithreaded on the Inside](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/redis-is-single-threaded/): Learn how this in-memory datastore is single-threaded on the outside, but multithreaded on the inside. Read the full case study!
- [When Loading Data Isn't Simple: Decisions Under Uncertainty](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/ux-when-initial-app-loading/): Learn how we eliminated UI flicker and reduced load time in a Telegram Mini App by loading all user data in a single PostgreSQL query.
- [Why an AI Assistant Won’t Replace Your Architectural Thinking](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/ai-assited-coding-statement/): Learn why effective AI-powered development starts with your own architectural thinking and task decomposition. Discover how to think architecturally.
- [90% of Startups Die Because the Customer Doesn’t Feel Pain](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/startups-will-die/): 90% of startups fail because customers don’t feel real pain. Learn how to validate ideas, avoid AI chaos, and turn vision into a working product.
- [When a Job Interview Turned Into a Cybersecurity Investigation](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/recruiter-hacker/): Beware fake recruiters on LinkedIn. A real case of malware disguised as a job test, targeting crypto wallets and system data. Learn how to protect yourself.
- [How to Formulate Prompts in Cursor: The TARS Technique](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/tars-prompting/): Learn how to formulate prompts in Cursor using the TARS technique (Task, Assumptions, Requirements, Specification) to get more accurate and helpful results.
- [Ruby gem 'gasfree_sdk': Send USDT Without TRX on TRON](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/introducing-ruby-gasless-sdk/): Learn how to send USDT TRC-20 on TRON without needing TRX or energy using Ruby gem gasfree_sdk. Build gasless transactions and simplify Web3 UX.
- [How I Hired a Fast AI Junior Developer for $192 a Year](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/ai-junior/): How I use Cursor.ai as a fast AI junior developer for $192/year to speed up coding, automate tasks, and boost productivity by 2-3x. Learn more!
- [Top 5 Must-Read Books for Engineering Leaders](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/top-five-books-for-engineering-leaders/): Top 5 must-read books for engineering leaders to boost team dynamics, drive innovation, and master flexible leadership. Read more!
- [Product-Minded Software Engineer: Key Asset for Teams](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/product-minded-engineer/): In today's tech industry, successful engineers are product-minded, deeply involved in product decisions, user behavior, and business success.
- [Evolution of Problem Solving: Newell and Simon's Impact](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/human-problem-solving/): Explore Human Problem Solving by Newell and Simon, a groundbreaking work in cognitive psychology about processes and strategies humans use.
- [Top 5 Leadership Hats for Engineering Managers](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/leadership-hats/): Discover 5 unique leadership styles for Engineering Managers, from scientist to pirate captain. Learn how versatile leadership drives innovation.
- [Russian Programmer's Journey: Starting Anew Amidst Struggles](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/russian-programmer-way/): Follow a Russian programmer journey of starting life anew. Discover valuable insights into transitioning to a new environment while pursuing tech.
- [Real Drivers of Quality Hiring: Beyond FAANG Complexity](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/real-driver-of-quality-hiring/): Discover how true motivation factors like leadership, curiosity, and freedom improve hiring quality, while FAANG-style complexity wastes resources.
- [Constructive Feedback: Why You Need It More Than Coffee](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/constuctive-feedback/): Discover why constructive feedback is essential for developers. Learn how specific, actionable feedback transforms code quality and team performance.
- [Protecting Your Treasure: The Hilarious Guide to Seed Phrases](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/crypto-wallet-basic-security/): Learn how to protect your crypto wallet seed phrases with this fun, pirate-themed guide. Essential security tips for cryptocurrency safety.
- [Discovering Your IKIGAI: Foundation of Strategic Job Search](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/ikigai/): Learn how to discover your IKIGAI to guide your tech career. Find the intersection of passion, skills, mission, and profession for strategic job searching.
- [The Man Who Killed Google Search: A Cautionary Tale](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/the-man-who-killed-google/): Explore how prioritizing revenue over user experience led to Google Search decline. A cautionary tale about corporate decision-making.
- [Imposter Syndrome: How Employers Can Use It Against You](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/imposter-syndrome/): Discover how imposter syndrome affects tech workers and strategies to overcome self-doubt—a personal story of workplace-induced imposter feelings.
- [Sailing Through Product Development](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/sailing-through-product-development/): Discover the parallels between sailing and product development leadership. Learn valuable lessons in decision-making, adaptability, and team management.
- [Optimizing SQL Queries or Tracking Dangerous Criminals](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/sql-optimization-or-criminal-tracking/): Learn SQL optimization techniques through a real case study. Discover how to balance development speed, code readability, and performance.
- [My life path or how I've become a Ruby developer](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/about/): Discover Eugene Leontev's journey from Siberia to becoming a Ruby developer after 30. Learn how to transition into IT and start a successful tech career.
- [How to staying alive if you are an ENTP?](https://madmatvey.github.io/posts/what-is-entp-and-mbti/): A practical ENTP and MBTI guide with tests, resources, and personal insights on understanding your personality type.

## Links

- About: https://madmatvey.github.io/about/
- Twitter: https://x.com/EugeneLeontev
- GitHub: https://github.com/madmatvey
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugeneleontev