Top Mentor

Dan Ford

Principal Software Developer

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Top Mentor

Dan Ford

Principal Software Developer

Save

5.0

(40 reviews)

Former Principal SDE @ AWS with 15+ years experience as a software engineer, interviewer, and mentor

United States of America Active this week Usually responds in a day or two

Skills

Services

$180 / month

Keep me on retainer as we meet sporadically, as your schedule allows it.

1 call per month (55min/call)

Unlimited Q&A via chat

Expect responses in 2 days

Hands-on support

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$290 / month

The most popular way to get mentored, let's work towards your goals!

2 calls per month (55min/call)

Unlimited Q&A via chat

Expect responses in 2 days

Hands-on support

Save to wishlist

No spots left, but you can save the mentor to your wishlist to get notified about their open spots!

$530 / month

Get the extra bit of support needed to reach your goals faster.

4 calls per month (55min/call)

Unlimited Q&A via chat

Expect responses in 2 days

Hands-on support

Save to wishlist

No spots left, but you can save the mentor to your wishlist to get notified about their open spots!

Starting from

$180 / month

Regular calls/month depending on plan

Unlimited Q&A via chat

Extra Coaching Session (for monthly clients only) 55 minutes, $75 per session Coaching Mini-Session 25 minutes, $75 per session Coaching Session 55 minutes, $125 per session

Book now

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About

Hi there! 👋

My name is Dan, and I'm a freelance software engineer, technology consultant, and coach/mentor based in Seattle, Washington, USA.

I spent 15 years working as a professional software engineer (most of it for Amazon and AWS, up to the Principal / Staff level), then in 2022 I decided to strike out on my own with a one-man consulting firm. In addition to my mentoring/coaching, I work part-time on other software projects that interest me, and the rest of the time is spent with my family (super cool wife and two awesome kids!) and hobbies.

During my time at Amazon/AWS, I participated in over 1,000 hiring panels as a "Bar Raiser". This special role meant that not only was I interviewing each candidate, but I did all the pre-interview planning (topics for each interviewer to cover), led the hiring panel discussion, guided the group to a hire/no-hire decision, and ultimately I could "veto" a candidate if I felt they were not right for Amazon in the long-term.

As a Bar Raiser, I also conducted "behavioral interviews" in addition to technical interviews within my own expertise (software engineering), meaning I was talking to each candidate, diving into their past experience, and evaluating how well they fit Amazon's "leadership principles" in a broad way. This meant I interviewed a broad range of candidates in addition to SDEs, such as SDE-Ts, QA Engineers, Technical Program Managers, Engineering Managers, Product Managers, and many others, from entry-level up to Principal / Staff (L4-L7).

I now leverage this unique experience to do a lot of "interview coaching" on the other side of the hiring desk, helping candidates to prepare for technical and behavioral interviews.

I offer both monthly mentorships as well as one-off sessions, and I'm happy to do whichever one fits your needs best.

Feel free to send me an inquiry if you have any questions!

What mentees say

Sort by: Recommended

Dan has been an amazing mentor. Over the past year, he provided valuable guidance and clarity as I navigated my move to a new country, eventually found a role, and settled into it. He has the ability to help you gauge situations and see them through different angles. I was able to prioritize the right things during my time searching for a new role in Canada because of Dan's suggestions. He also helped me navigate my new work environment. I was new to the US/NA market at that time and didn't understand the work culture here fully. With Dan's mentorship, I've learned how to make an impact in my team. I was also able to work through a lot of beliefs about my abilities as a Software Engineer. I was able to identify the ones that have held me back and change them. I look forward to working with him in the future as I grow in my role and move towards a Staff Engineer or Engineering Manager role.

Saad

Standard Plan • 13 months • September 30, 2025

Dan is an outstanding mentor. Extremely knowledgeable, laid back, and thorough. He's been great for my career improvements and in guiding me on how to build my own products.

Rodrigo

Standard Plan • 21 months • December 27, 2024

Dan helped me develop the skills and the confidence to interview at the level I needed to get the job I wanted. My time working with him has been invaluable.