Building Ask Warren: A Production RAG System with 47 Years of Investment Wisdom
How I built a retrieval-augmented generation system that lets you chat with Warren Buffett's shareholder letters - to understand RAG trade-offs in production.
Building AI automations &
bullet-proof backends
fast
I'm Steven Mays, a Software Architect building scalable, serverless solutions and AI-driven platforms that reduce costs, accelerate growth, and drive measurable business outcomes.
About Me
Hi, I'm Steven Mays
A Lead Software Architect with nearly two decades of experience building cloud-native, serverless, and AI-enhanced solutions. I've architected high-impact systems across fintech, e-commerce, public utilities, and SaaS—consistently optimizing for scalability, cost efficiency, and business value.
Architected and scaled robust backend systems across fintech, e-commerce, utilities, and SaaS.
Specialized in event-driven architectures, real-time data processing, and AI-powered automation.
Impact & Results
Driving Business Value Through Technology
Measurable outcomes that demonstrate the power of strategic technical architecture.
50% Cost Reduction
Migrated legacy infrastructure to serverless architecture, dramatically reducing operational overhead.
$1M+ Revenue Impact
Built automated ad deployment system handling $100K+ daily budgets across Facebook, Google, and TikTok, replacing a 10-person team.
40% Performance Boost
Optimized database queries and API responses for high-traffic production systems.
400% YoY Growth
Scaled consulting firm from solo founder to 12-person team in under 2 years.
Technical Proficiency
Core Competencies
100%
Backend Engineering
100%
Cloud Architecture
95%
Marketing Technology
90%
DevOps & Infrastructure
Core Expertise
Proven Impact, Scalable Results
Delivering real-world solutions that transform complex business problems into measurable successes.
Serverless Backend Architectures
Architecting event-driven microservices, APIs, and real-time data processing systems on AWS, reducing operational overhead and costs.
AI Integration & Automation
Building production-grade AI tools like the startup generator, leveraging Google Gemini API with robust JSON parsing and cost-effective serverless architecture.
Mentorship & Technical Guidance
Elevating engineering teams through hands-on mentorship, code reviews, and effective knowledge-sharing programs.
Technical Stack
Cutting-Edge Tools & Frameworks
Deep experience across modern development languages, frameworks, cloud infrastructure, and databases.
Languages & Frameworks
Node.js, TypeScript, Go, C#, GraphQL, NestJS, Serverless Framework, ASP.NET
Cloud & Infrastructure
AWS (Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, API Gateway, CloudFormation), Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD
Marketing & Ad Tech
Facebook Marketing API, Google Ads API, TikTok Ads, CAPI, Google Tag Manager, Segment, Lookalike Audiences
Databases & Storage
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, DynamoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
Messaging & Events
Event-Driven Architecture, NATS, RabbitMQ, AWS SQS/SNS, Kinesis
AI & Machine Learning
Generative AI Integration, LLM Prompting, Google Gemini, Claude, GPT
Industry Experience
Wide-Ranging Domain Expertise
I've led successful engineering initiatives in diverse sectors, driving innovation, efficiency, and growth through technology.
E-commerce & AdTech
Automated ad deployment system managing thousands of campaigns with server-side tracking, affiliate portals, and custom attribution systems generating $1M+ annual revenue impact.
Fintech
Secure and compliant backend systems powering mobile payments, loyalty programs, and investment management.
Enterprise & Utilities
Robust backend solutions for real-time warehouse automation, asset tracking, and enterprise integrations.
Technology Consulting
Founded a tech consultancy, scaling rapidly and providing CTO-level technical architecture and strategic guidance to early stage startups.
Let’s Build Something Extraordinary
Need a seasoned engineer or AI strategist? Let's collaborate and turn your ideas into impactful realities.
Insights & Strategies
View all posts »Sharing practical advice and proven techniques from decades of engineering and development experience.
Building an AI Resume-to-Startup Idea Generator with Claude Code
How I built a complete AI-powered web application using agentic coding - from concept to production in hours, not days.
Coding with AI - High Leverage LLM Techniques
Unlock the full potential of your coding workflow by mastering high-leverage techniques with AI.
Raising Children Before Memory
Right now, my daughters won't remember any of these early years—their first steps, first words, the little moments we share each day. But this time is still critical. This is when their Self is formed, and each interaction is helping shape that inner voice they'll carry through life.