Alex Mc Kinney
About Alex Mc Kinney
Alex McKinney is a Founding Engineer at Fern, with a background that includes roles at Uber, Buf, and Compass. He has expertise in developing SDK generators, particularly for the Go programming language.
Work at Fern
Alex Mc Kinney currently serves as a Founding Engineer at Fern, a company that is part of the Y Combinator Winter 2023 batch. He has been with Fern since 2023, contributing to the development of innovative software solutions. As the primary author of Fern's Go SDK generator, he focuses on creating idiomatic HTTP clients from OpenAPI specifications, enhancing the efficiency of software development processes.
Previous Experience at Uber
Prior to his role at Fern, Alex Mc Kinney worked at Uber in two capacities. He served as a Software Engineer from 2016 to 2019, where he gained extensive experience in software development. In 2019, he transitioned to a Senior Software Engineer position for a period of nine months in the Greater Seattle Area, further honing his technical skills in a fast-paced environment.
Experience at Buf and Compass
Alex Mc Kinney was a Founding Engineer at Buf from 2020 to 2022, where he played a key role in the company's early development stages in Seattle, Washington. Before Buf, he worked at Compass as a Senior Software Engineer for seven months in 2019, also in the Greater Seattle Area. His work at these companies contributed to his expertise in software engineering and development.
Education and Expertise
Alex Mc Kinney earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, completing his studies from 2012 to 2016. His academic background laid the foundation for his technical expertise, particularly in developing SDK generators, with a focus on the Go programming language. He has also served as a lecturer at both the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and the University of California, Berkeley, sharing his knowledge with students.
Teaching and Volunteer Work
In addition to his engineering roles, Alex Mc Kinney has engaged in teaching and volunteer work. He worked as a Lecturer at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering for two months in 2024 and at the University of California, Berkeley for two months in 2016. Furthermore, he volunteered as a Computer Science Teacher with the TEALS Program in 2017, where he contributed to promoting computer science education.