👋 Hi, I'm Avi Flombaum
Engineer • Educator • Entrepreneur • CTO @ Innovent Capital
I'm a product engineer and creative technologist who believes in building tools that make people's lives better. Based in NYC, I'm passionate about Ruby's elegance, Rails' conventions, and the power of web standards.
🚀 What I'm About
I'm a first-generation American autodidact who dropped out of college to pursue my passion for technology. In 2012, I founded Flatiron School, where I served as Dean and Chief Product Officer for 8 years, helping thousands learn to code. After Flatiron's acquisition, I joined Revature as CPO, continuing my mission to transform technical education at scale.
Currently, I'm the CTO of Innovent Capital, where we invest in early-stage startups with products and customers ready to grow.
💻 Technical Philosophy
def values
{
code: "Simple, shippable solutions over complex abstractions",
stack: "Ruby on Rails + Stimulus/Hotwire/Turbo + Tailwind",
mindset: "Convention over configuration, productivity over perfection",
focus: "Ship early, iterate often, learn constantly"
}
end
🛠 Core Technologies
- Languages: Ruby, JavaScript, HTML/CSS
- Frameworks: Rails, Stimulus, Hotwire, Turbo
- Philosophy: Web standards, progressive enhancement, server-side rendering
- Expertise: Developer platforms, educational technology, product engineering
📚 Recent Projects & Writing
The LMS I built at Flatiron School that used real tools and social learning to create something magical. Software that's been used by hundreds of thousands and sold for over $10M.
An open source component library for Ruby on Rails - something I desperately think we need in the Rails ecosystem.
A comprehensive series on building a drag-and-drop uploader directly to S3 with Rails. Featured in RubyWeekly.
🎯 What I'm Working On
- Leveraging AI in every way possible, from workflow to features.
- Building tools and products that showcase Rails' modern capabilities
- Investing in and advising early-stage startups through Innovent Capital
- Writing about product development, engineering leadership, and technical education
🌟 Fun Facts
- 🧗♂️ Rock climber
- 🧘♂️ Yogi
- 🎵 House music aficionado
- 📺 Documentary buff
- 🗽 New Yorker
- 🇮🇱 Supporter
💡 My Superpower
Turning complex problems into simple, shippable solutions. I've led engineering teams of 60+, built products used by hundreds of thousands, and have over a decade of experience with developer platforms and experiences.
📫 Let's Connect
I'm always interested in working on hard problems that require creative technology solutions. Whether it's a product-centric company with incredible people, an interesting technical challenge, or just a conversation about the future of web development - I'd love to hear from you.
🔗 Find Me Around the Web
"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty. Think big." Daniel Burnham