Backend engineer / architect from southern Brazil. Twenty-five years of mostly Python, mostly Postgres, mostly async. Sometimes wiring network cables, often coding things that matter.
import typing as t
from dataclasses import dataclass, field, InitVar
@dataclass
class Being:
"""An entity with code, hobbies, and opinions.
>>> me = Being(
... name="Richard Kuesters",
... based_in="southern Brazil",
... since=2000,
... stack=("Python", "PostgreSQL", "async"),
... underrated=("frogs", "insects", "documentation"),
... initial_loves=("wifey", "son", "dog", "beach"),
... )
>>> me.based_in
'southern Brazil'
>>> "frogs" in me.underrated
True
>>> "beach" in me.loves
True
>>> me.love("FOSS")
>>> "FOSS" in me.loves
True
"""
name: str
based_in: str
since: int
stack: tuple[str, ...]
underrated: t.Iterable[str] = ()
initial_loves: InitVar[t.Iterable[str]] = ()
currently: tuple[str, ...] = ()
tooling: dict[str, str] = field(default_factory=dict)
coffee: bool = True
_loves: frozenset[str] = field(init=False, default_factory=frozenset)
def __post_init__(self, initial_loves: t.Iterable[str]) -> None:
self.underrated = frozenset(self.underrated)
self._loves = frozenset(initial_loves)
@property
def loves(self) -> frozenset[str]:
return self._loves
def love(self, *items: str) -> None:
"""Add to loves. You can add. You can't remove."""
self._loves = self._loves | frozenset(items)
if __name__ == "__main__":
richard = Being(
name="Richard Kuesters",
based_in="southern Brazil",
since=2000,
stack=("Python", "PostgreSQL", "async"),
underrated=("frogs", "insects", "documentation", "the Theory of Constraints"),
initial_loves=("wifey", "son", "dog", "beach"),
currently=("running the multi-quarter roadmap", "Claude Code as a platform"),
tooling={"ai": "Claude Code", "shell": "zsh"},
)
assert richard.name == "Richard Kuesters"
assert 2026 - richard.since == 26
assert "frogs" in richard.underrated
assert "beach" in richard.loves
assert richard.coffee
richard.love("FOSS", "long-running OSS friendships")
assert "FOSS" in richard.lovesI helped run Sanic for a while (former core dev) and got a public "shout out to @vltr for all his work" from the sanic-jwt lead maintainer. That one's archived in the docs, which is nice. I also authored a handful of PyPI packages that did their job before the ecosystem caught up.
These days I'm the sole backend voice at a US workforce-management SaaS, running the multi-quarter roadmap that keeps the lights on. I treat Claude Code as a platform to engineer around (hooks, skills, MCP servers, agents), not just to prompt.
Off-keyboard: CNC, 3D printing, wood-carving, GNOME Shell tinkering, Arch Linux as a hobby, craft brewing, F1, and a strong opinion that insects and frogs deserve more love.
LinkedIn · email in profile.
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ribbit