The Consultant

About Hank Gay

Senior full-stack engineer. Direct. Accountable. Based in Suwanee, GA.

Background

I’m a full-stack engineer with a history of working in mostly small shops on a variety of problems: the kind of environments where you own the outcome, not just the ticket. Over more than two decades in the industry I’ve touched everything from UI to infrastructure, from startup MVPs to mature SaaS platforms. I studied Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (1998–2005), where I built a rigorous foundation in software engineering, algorithms, and systems design that has informed every project since. Colleagues have described me as “one of the most enjoyable and competent teammates” they’ve worked with—someone who brings genuine expertise in Java and JavaScript while consistently advocating for the quality standards that make software worth maintaining long-term.

How I Work

When you engage Suwanee Software Solutions, you work with me directly. There are no account managers translating requirements through layers of abstraction, no hand-offs to junior developers once the contract is signed. I write the code, I attend the meetings, I make the architectural decisions, and I stand behind the results. My approach is grounded in pragmatism: the right tool for the job, the simplest solution that actually solves the problem, and the rigor to ensure it keeps working six months from now. I don’t oversell timelines, and I don’t pad estimates.

Experience Highlights

Staff Engineer at RescueTime

Aug 2014 – Present · Remote

Full-stack engineering on RescueTime's productivity analytics platform, a product used by hundreds of thousands of people to understand and improve how they spend their time.

Senior Consultant at Glue

Feb 2024 – Present · Remote

Designed and built the initial backend for Glue, a SaaS product that uses modern LLMs to help hardware test engineers turn specification documents into full test suites, dramatically compressing the time required by traditional processes. Architected a multitenant system on SQLModel + PostgreSQL with a FastAPI REST API, Auth0 for IAM, and LangGraph state machines to enforce consistent human-in-the-loop and tool-calling behaviors across all LLM interactions. Built a multi-stage document parsing pipeline for Word and PDF specs, plus structured LLM flows to generate test procedures, select appropriate tooling, and produce executable test automation scripts.

20+ Years Across Small, High-Ownership Environments

2000s – Present

A career built in companies where engineers own outcomes rather than just assignments — shipping features, fixing production issues, designing systems, and mentoring colleagues across a wide range of domains.

Suwanee Software Solutions, LLC — Founder & Principal

Current · Suwanee, Georgia

Independent consultancy providing custom software development, technical consulting, and data engineering services to clients across a variety of industries.

Education

Georgia Institute of Technology

Computer Engineering · 1998–2005 · Atlanta, GA

A rigorous CS curriculum at one of the nation's top engineering programs — providing the theoretical foundation and systems thinking that underpins every engagement.

Working Together

I’m available for project-based engagements, ongoing retainers, and fractional technical leadership arrangements. I work with clients across the United States remotely, with occasional on-site availability in the greater Atlanta metro area. The best engagements start with a clear conversation. If you have a problem you’re trying to solve—or you’re not yet sure what the problem is—reach out.

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