Bret Comnes

Professional software engineer experienced in full-stack product development, infrastructure, operations, platform engineering, and cloud architecture. Specialized in open-source tooling in JavaScript, TypeScript, and Go.

• portfolio: bret.io
• email: [email protected]
• location: Sutter Creek, CA
• github: github.com/bcomnes
• npm: npmjs.com/~bret
• linkedin: linkedin.com/in/bcomnes

Socket 2021–Present

Member of Technical Staff 2026–Present

Tech Lead for the Developer Surfaces team.

• Led technical direction through approximately 3,600% traffic growth and 415% fleet expansion.
• Re-architected Socket’s TypeScript/Node.js GitHub App around worker services, durable queues, concurrency controls, and rate-limit backpressure.
• Built and scaled Socket’s public API and scanning platform across PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka, Kubernetes, and Grafana.
• Established observability, integration testing, and operational practices for reliable high-volume processing.

Senior Software Engineer 2021–2026

Joined Socket as employee #5.

• Built Socket’s initial GitHub App, including authentication, installation flows, webhook handling, repository scanning, and automated pull-request reports.
• Automated background scanning during customer onboarding and repository or permission changes, improving time to first result.
• Expanded Socket’s public API and scanning capabilities, improving product coverage and reliability.

Technologies: TypeScript, Go, Node.js, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka, Kubernetes, GCP, Grafana, GitHub API

Littlstar → Rad.live 2019–2021

Principal Engineer 2021

• Designed and implemented an NFT minting and auction platform in approximately 10 weeks (Next.js/GraphQL).
• See Littlstar portfolio for more information.

Senior Software Engineer 2019–2021

• Developed full IAC provisioning and deployment pipelines with Terraform and GitHub Actions targeting AWS.
• Developed Little Core Labs’ peer-to-peer content delivery system.
• Implemented a rebrand of Littlstar to Rad.live.
• Redesigned and relaunched the product website using Next.js and SWR.
• Designed and implemented an organizational microservice pattern.
• Developed an organizational strategy for JWT authorization across microservices.

Hyperdivision 2019

Software Engineer 2019

Denmark 🇩🇰

• Led development of Heimdall, a cryptographically secure, peer-to-peer ledger and proposal system for managing cryptographic assets in cryptocurrency exchanges and other financial technologies (Electron, Node.js, JavaScript).
• Developed security-critical native and WebAssembly Node.js cryptography bindings (prebuildify, libsodium, wat2js).

Netlify 2017–2019

Platform Engineering 2018–2019

• Joined Netlify’s DevOps-focused platform team.
• Maintained and developed Netlify’s CI build environment, built with Docker, Go, Jenkins, and Kubernetes.
• Launched Netlify’s selectable build-image infrastructure and interface.
• Developed and maintained Netlify’s OpenAPI Go client, and architected and rewrote the JavaScript client.
• Performed 24-hour on-call duties.
• Monitored and maintained the health of Netlify’s multi-cloud infrastructure using Humio and Datadog.
• Scaled and deployed infrastructure with GitOps via Ansible, Bash, and Terraform.
• See Netlify portfolio for more examples.

Product Engineering 2017–2018

• Planned, designed, implemented, tested, and iterated on new features for Netlify’s React-based web app.
• Supported, maintained, tested, and released Netlify’s open-source JS and Go libraries.
• Architected and built Netlify’s next-generation, extensible CLI.
• See Netlify portfolio for more examples.

ZHealth 2016–2017

Software Engineer 2016–2017

• Developed EtchCV, a structured documentation suite for cardiac surgeons and hospitals.
• Designed and implemented APIs and microservices.
• Developed cross-platform desktop software using Electron, HTML, CSS, and SVG, powered by React and Redux.
• Implemented continuous Electron app delivery using Travis CI, AppVeyor, and S3/AWS.

Jaguar Land Rover 2015–2016

OS & Application Engineering 2015–2016

• Developed mobile apps, infotainment systems, and OS software using JavaScript, Node.js, HTML, and CSS.
• Targeted in-vehicle embedded systems, fully utilizing the onboard CAN bus.
• Architected a single sign-on service and documentation server for internal documents and project planning using Express.js.

Portland State University 2012–2015

HPC Operations & Python Development 2013–2015

Office of Information Technology ARC

• Developed web applications and performed systems programming with Python and Django.
• Developed custom database monitoring tools that tracked MySQL and Postgres usage metrics.
• Built, automated, and monitored PSU’s research servers, HPC Linux clusters, and colocated infrastructure.
• Initiated efforts to automate cluster deployment and management using Ansible.
• Introduced new users to ARC’s resources and shared Unix computing environments and trained them in their use.

Lab Instructor & TA+RA 2012–2014

PSU Physics Department

• Wrote custom control software and a web application that enabled remote viewing and operation of a scanning electron microscope over the internet using React, WebSockets, and WebRTC.
• Taught PSU’s general physics labs and assisted in the upper-division experimental physics labs.
• Developed two novel labs on microcontrollers and FPGAs, covering topics ranging from basic concepts to advanced subjects such as PID control theory.
• Taught introductory electronics and debugging skills to students.

Wiley 2012

Textbook Development Consultant 2012

• Developed interactive figures and demos for an interactive calculus textbook published by Wiley Publishing.

HSU Gravitational Research Laboratory 2009–2011

Research Assistant 2009–2011

• Designed and machined custom experimental instruments and developed the lab’s data collection, automation, and analysis software to study the gravitational inverse-square law at submillimeter distance scales.

National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center 2009

Arecibo Guest Researcher 2009

• Trained on and operated the world’s largest radio telescope at the time, and analyzed the collected data to search for previously undiscovered galaxies.

Education

• Humboldt State University B.S. Physics 2011
• Portland State University M.S. Applied Physics 2015 (completed coursework; degree not awarded)

Media

• Socket - GitHub App Improvements 2022-07-26
• JS Party – Episode #227: JS logging & error handling 2022-05-27
• JS Party – Episode #219: Making moves on supply chain security 2022-03-24
• Netlify Blog: A more flexible build architecture with updated Linux 2019-03-14
• Netlify Blog: Fearless deploys for your lingering processes 2018-11-28
• Netlify Blog: Netlify CLI 2.0 now in Beta 🎉 2018-09-10
• Netlify Blog: Buy and secure a custom domain through Netlify 2018-06-19
• Netlify Blog: Netlify now shows your deploy status on its favicon 2018-05-22
• Netlify Blog: Introducing Site Dashboards 2017-08-22
• Netlify Blog: Introducing Audit Log 2017-07-27

Community

• Datcast Podcast (2018 - 2019)
• PDX Node Meetup organizer (2015 - 2017)
• Node School Organizer & Mentor (2016)
• Code for Portland Organizer & Mentor • Open Civic Data Initiative (2014 - 2015)
• WebRTC Camp Speaker (2013)
• Indieweb Camp Organizer & Mentor (2012 - 2014)