> New Schematic is the online portfolio and blog of Christopher Boette, a software engineer focused on the web. Posts cover software development, web engineering, and related topics.

# newschematic.org

> Personal site of Christopher Boette — senior software engineer (TypeScript, React, Node.js, Python, AWS) based in Pittsburgh, PA. Currently at ServiceNow (via data.world acquisition, 2025). Writing spans orbital mechanics, Rust, LLM tooling, agentic AI, and the intersection of software and physical making. CMU background (Masters in Entertainment Technology, B.A. Creative Writing).

The site is a technical blog and project portfolio. Christopher has ~12 years of professional software experience, with depth in frontend product engineering, full-stack TypeScript/React, and LLM integrations.

Current making interest: a web service that generates STEP files from user-specified parameters, learning CAD to validate the concept.

## Blog

- [Herzog's Rules for Startups](https://newschematic.org/blog/herzogs-rules-for-startups/): An idea of how to reframe Herzog's famed rulers for filmmakers 
- [It's actually velocity debt, not technical debt](https://newschematic.org/blog/its-actually-velocity-debt-not-technical/): PM's need to think "velocity debt" when they hear "technical debt," which is a loaded term already
- [How brutal is the rocket equation?](https://newschematic.org/blog/how-brutal-is-the-rocket-equation/): An analysis of delta-v costs and why momentum-exchange tethers are compelling for orbital logistics
- [How to save $327.6 million using Rust](https://newschematic.org/blog/how-to-save-327-6-million-using-rust/): Uses the 1999 Mars Climate Orbiter unit mismatch as a lens for Rust's type system and compile-time safety guarantees
- [Debugging Claude's MCP Server with Nix](https://newschematic.org/blog/debugging-claude-mcp-nix/): Walkthrough of diagnosing `spawn ENOENT` errors when running MCP servers in a Nix-managed dev environment
- [Default On vs Default Off](https://newschematic.org/blog/default-on-vs-default-off/): Short essay on two modes of operating: proactive vs reactive, and what each costs
- [All posts](https://newschematic.org/blog/): Full archive

## Projects

- [Specialization is for insects](https://newschematic.org/projects/specialization-is-for-insects/): A structured guide (after the Heinlein quote) for developing breadth across practical and intellectual skills. WIP.
- [The Sunday Paper](https://newschematic.org/projects/the-sunday-paper/): A weekly-ish public Twitch stream reading and annotating CS papers. RIP.
- [Dada Photo Booth](https://newschematic.org/projects/dada-photo-booth/): Generative art installation; glitches users' portraits as animated GIFs. Shown at EAST Austin.
- [Markov Q. Aurelius](https://newschematic.org/projects/markov-q-aurelius/): A Twitter bot that generates philosophical quotes using Marcus Aurelius and a Markov chain.
- [All projects](https://newschematic.org/projects/): Full list.

## Background

- [Resume](https://newschematic.org/resume): Full professional history — ServiceNow, data.world, Volusion, and earlier. Skills, education (CMU, Bradfield CS Intensive), and projects.
- [Now](https://newschematic.org/now): What Christopher is currently focused on, reading, and making.

## Optional

- [Talks](https://newschematic.org/talks/): Two recorded talks — Dada Photo Booth (Go/art) and Tesselbox (lightning talk, 2016).
- [Reference](https://newschematic.org/reference/): Personal reference notes.