// Builder. Leader. Maker.

Chris Strandt

25 years turning complex problems into running systems - from copper and fiber to cloud platforms to embedded firmware. I build the thing, then I build the team that scales it.

Explore My Work Get in Touch

Chris Strandt - builder, leader, and maker with 25 years of hands-on technical experience

// Pinckney, MI

// Metrics

By the Numbers

Years

Building systems at every layer of the stack - from physical cable to cloud orchestration.

Employees

Grew Liquid Web from a 7-person startup to a 450-person company across 3 data centers.

Exit

Led operational scale that drove a majority-stake acquisition by Madison Dearborn Partners.

Websites Hosted

Infrastructure I built and scaled at Liquid Web now powers over half a million sites worldwide.

// What I Do

The Full Stack

Leadership & Operations

COO of 450. Recruiting, team building, operations, culture.

Data Center Design

3 facilities from scratch. Power, cooling, $80M build.

Software Development

C++, PHP, React, Qt/QML, Flutter. Firmware to web.

Hardware Engineering

Custom PCBs, NXP iMX8MP, ESP32, board bringup.

Welding & Fabrication

MIG/TIG welding, steel to stainless, hydraulic systems.

Network Architecture

BGP, DWDM, SONET, Cisco, IX peering, DDoS.

Compliance & Policy

SSAE16, HIPAA, PCI DSS. Audits, SLAs, policies.

Construction

30x56 pole barn, basement reno, deck. Design to build.

CAD / CAM / CNC

Fusion 360, CNC milling, 3D printing, laser cutting.

Product Development

Concept through development. Full lifecycle founder.

M&A / Company Sale

$225M exit. Data room, financial models, acquirer presentations.

Linux & Systems

25 years of Linux. Kernels, RPMs, PXE, config management.

Leadership & Operations

COO of 450. Recruiting, team building, operations, culture.

Data Center Design

3 facilities from scratch. Power, cooling, $80M build.

Software Development

C++, PHP, React, Qt/QML, Flutter. Firmware to web.

Hardware Engineering

Custom PCBs, NXP iMX8MP, ESP32, board bringup.

Welding & Fabrication

MIG/TIG welding, steel to stainless, hydraulic systems.

Network Architecture

BGP, DWDM, SONET, Cisco, IX peering, DDoS.

Compliance & Policy

SSAE16, HIPAA, PCI DSS. Audits, SLAs, policies.

Construction

30x56 pole barn, basement reno, deck. Design to build.

CAD / CAM / CNC

Fusion 360, CNC milling, 3D printing, laser cutting.

Product Development

Concept through development. Full lifecycle founder.

M&A / Company Sale

$225M exit. Data room, financial models, acquirer presentations.

Linux & Systems

25 years of Linux. Kernels, RPMs, PXE, config management.

// Career

Five Chapters, One Thread

Each role built on the last - always closer to the full stack.

Late 1990s

Northville Public Schools

System Administrator

Built and maintained the school district's network - servers, cabling, and OS deployments.

Early 2000s

Merit Networks / UofM

Network Operations

ISP backbone operations - BGP, SONET, and the internet's plumbing.

Early 2000s

Innoveda (Ford Motor)

CAD/CAE Software

EDA tooling for automotive electrical systems at Ford.

2002 – 2015

Liquid Web

COO

Joined at 7 employees, helped build to 450, exited at $225M.

Now

Power Gauge Pro

Founder

Custom digital dash for race cars - hardware, firmware, and marketplace from scratch.