Featured Projects
Comprehensible
Breakable Toy
Comprehensible is a user populated language learning/flashcard app based on the principle of comprehensible input. The main features include the YouTube iframe API and a spaced repetition algorithm.
I built Comprehensible to make my own language studying easier and more effective. This app is an attempt to solve the issue of content discovery when trying to study a language through comprehensible input.
JavaSipped
JavaSipped is a CRUD coffee shop review app developed by a 5 member team at Launch Academy. Main features of the app: adding a coffee shop to be reviewed, leaving reviews on a coffee shop, deleting reviews, and upvoting and downvoting reviews.
Our team built this app to help us find places to code in the Boston Area. Our team relied on a strict git workflow, agile development, and pair programming to build the app over 2 weeks.
About Michael Schwartz
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Technical Interests
JavaScript, Web Development, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning
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University/College Attended
NYU
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Degree Received
BS in Finance with Minor in Math & Computer Science
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Hobbies/Interests
Linguistics, Coffee/Tea Brewing, Weight Lifting, Hiking, Poetry
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Foreign Langauges
Spanish (beginner/intermediate)
Get to know Michael Schwartz
What are you looking for in your next role?
Mentorship and a level of responsibility that pushes me to grow.
Why did you decide to change career and/or educational paths? What was your prior path and how did you end up down that road initially?
During college and the years following graduation, I devoted a lot of my time to entrepreneurship. In all of my ventures, I felt limited by my ability to contribute technically to the products I aimed to create. In fact, most of my projects struggled heavily due to a lack of technical resources. Therefore, I decided to dive into software development to better arm myself in solving global problems and contributing to innovation.
Where have you been involved in the tech community (events attended, volunteer activities, etc.)?
I haven't gotten involved as of yet; however, I plan on joining Code for Boston, a group focused on solving civic and social problems through the use of technology, and participating in their weekly hack nights after the Launch Program ends.
What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your journey towards becoming a web developer? What's been your biggest challenge and how have you overcome it?
Learning to recognize patterns and understand the core logic of development problems has served as a major source of fulfillment. Early on in my journey, I struggled to fully comprehend the code I would implement. I could follow along with a video tutorial or code snippet on Stack Overflow; however, I wouldn't improve my skills or domain knowledge. Hence, developing a strategy for deeply learning about an issue I encounter has proven immensely useful for my growth as a programmer.
If you had an unlimited budget and resources, what would you build?
I would build a global smart energy grid to enable ubiquitous access to and use of clean energy. Addressing climate change and transitioning away from fossil fuels is a paramount issue globally; however, successfully transforming our energy systems will require a massive, coordinated investment that will take decades for someone without an unlimited budget and resources to accomplish.