I've been an independent programmer and consultant since 1999, and I've been writing software for over 15 years. Most recently I helped build one of the first commercial Rails apps and then another high-profile Rails app. In late 2009, I created my first iPhone app. My open source software is available on GitHub. I tend to stay fairly busy, but frequently take on new client projects to keep things fun and interesting. If you're looking for help on your project, e-mail me.

In 2005, my wife Nicole and I launched a series of developer training courses and conferences through The Pragmatic Studio. Since then, over 1500 folks have learned Ruby, Rails, Cocoa, iPhone, Erlang, and other timely topics in our Studios. I'm also a frequent public speaker at software development conferences and user groups, including OSCON, RailsConf, and the O'Reilly Mac OS X Conference.

I'm the author of Advanced Rails Recipes, Pragmatic Project Automation, and co-author of Agile Web Development with Rails. I've also written a number of articles covering software development for Apple Developer Connection, Better Software Magazine, and others.

I'm passionate about a lot of other things, too. I enjoy exploring the outdoors, traveling, and making photographs. I'm also an avid fisherman. I grew up under the big sky of Montana and still spend a lot of time there. At an early age I fell in love with aviation, which led me to get a degree in Aviation Computer Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

You can keep up with me on my blog or by following me on Twitter. You can reach me by e-mail at mike@clarkware.com or by phone at 303-886-5202.