Benjamin Joffe Bergstein

Software Engineer & Writer

I build software, write essays, and help technical teams find clarity. After 12+ years in engineering, I'm interested in the intersection of technology and meaning—how systems encode assumptions, how narratives shape what we build, and what happens when we question both.

About

My background spans Fortune 500 companies to founding engineer roles, building everything from payment systems to AI-powered education platforms. I've learned that the most interesting problems aren't usually technical—they're about understanding what we're actually trying to do and why.

Currently pursuing independent work that combines software development with critical and creative writing. I believe in building tools that acknowledge their limitations and writing that performs its own critique.

Current Work

Background

Education B.A. English Literature, Oberlin College
Companies Nasdaq, Match.com, Redbubble, Hipcamp, LitLab.ai, Vitalize
Technical Full-stack development, AI/ML, system architecture
Interests Recursive systems, philosophy of technology, literary theory
Location San Francisco, California