I spent 2025 helping Notion with native macOS functionality.

Some highlights

  • Implemented meeting detection logic for AI Meeting Notes
  • Built native macOS and Windows installers for their suite of apps
  • General macOS expert for their Desktop Infra team

I’m starting to look for what’s next in Q1 2026.

What is next?

Similar to How To Hire Be (in 2024), both IC and Leadership roles are a good fit. I’ve been doing a lot more hands-on development lately. Here are some suitable job titles

  • Staff/Principal iOS/macOS Engineer
  • Engineering Manager
  • Director of Engineering
  • CTO (for startups or smaller companies)

What is new?

Year of the desktop

Desktop was the trend of 2025. Gone are the days of developing with an IDE, Slack, and a bunch of browser tabs. More and more companies incorporating native desktop OS features to their web platforms. Despite my native snobbery, I must admit Electron has driven a big part of that shift.

That trend will continue. And there is a large opportunity to use desktop hardware acceleration to drive AI functionality.

Upskilled in Web

After 15 years of focusing on Apple platforms, I wanted to broaden my skillset with more web and backend knowledge. I had lead web teams as a Director, but didn’t have a good grasp of the day-to-day life of a web dev.

This year I got the chance! I wrote a bunch of Typescript and shipped React code used by millions. And worked with a top Web Infra team.

To be clear, no one is going to hire me as a React dev. But the added knowledge will help me be effective in future leadership roles!

Back to my roots

It was fun to get back to my roots with some Core Audio work. And I even wrote some low level Window code which was even farther back in my history. In 2025, I wrote more Objective-C and C++ than Swift. This would be a first in 10+ years.

Where do I sign up?

Does any of the the above fit what you’re looking for? Hit me up at jaim@sharpfivesoftware.com!