About Me🔗

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Hi! My name is Spence, and this is my personal website, home to whatever makes spence 😅. I live in Bologna, Italy, and am a professional software engineer. Here's some info about my personal life.

My Bio🔗

I'm originally from Austin, Texas, where I studied computer science at The University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, I moved to San Francisco to begin my career in technology and found myself living in the beautiful Presidio. There, I had the privilege of founding a co-living community nestled in a patch of forest overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. Today, that community thrives, with three large neighboring houses carrying on its spirit.

One day, I had a devastating ski accident, and for a time, the possibility of walking again wasn't assured. However, during this recovery, my previous employer was acquired - a fortuitous moment that caused me to pause and reflect on the bigger picture. When I got back on my feet, I thought to myself, "Hey, I should use them!" and decided to travel while considering what I wanted to do next.

I spent about a year in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I made new friends and coded like never before. Although I had previously led an engineering team and developed code that reached millions daily, this was an entirely different experience. I had the freedom to dive into startups, experiment with various ideas, and think beyond just writing great code but in terms of products and experiences. I realized that I felt true happiness when making great things, and living in a foreign country served as a thrilling and romantic setting in which to do it. I decided to continue onward, this time taking an even bigger step, and moved to my ancestral homeland of Italy.

I realized that I felt true happiness when making great things

In the time since leaving San Francisco, the world has changed in significant ways, and a large part of me is relieved that I didn't reactively dive head first into my next job, trade one venture for another under only a different name. This unique path has allowed me to better reflect on meaning, and to more carefully understand what values I have, and how I can better offer them to the world. Time spent alone - even wandering - is valuable, and an undeniable benefit, if only one is fortunate enough to do so.

Time spent alone - even wandering - is valuable, and an undeniable benefit, if only one is fortunate enough to do so.

At some point throughout this process, I started this website to serve as a digital space for me that exists outside of social media. You can still find my socials here, but I enjoy this website in particular because it is wholly my own. I hope to continue to invest time and energy into it, and to make it a place worthy of others' time and attention, so thanks for stopping by!