Derek Lieu

I am a dedicated software engineer with a strong focus on developing innovative solutions that enhance user engagement and streamline processes. Currently, I am part of the technical staff at Perplexity, where I engineered a real-time AI summarization interface that increased result engagement rates by 25% among logged-in users. My expertise in React, TypeScript, and AWS technologies has enabled me to design and deploy robust backend APIs and microservices, significantly improving system reliability and response times.

Previously, I served as a Senior Software Engineer at Figma, where I led the development of an AI design assistant that drove a 35% increase in power user task completion. My role involved architecting a plugin SDK that empowered external developers to publish over 50 integrations, which were adopted by 800K users. I take pride in mentoring junior engineers and enhancing code quality through collaborative design reviews, ensuring that our team consistently delivers high-quality products.

With a solid foundation in computer science from UCLA, I have honed my skills across various roles, including at Mapbox and Development Seed, where I delivered open-source satellite visualization platforms and improved performance for geospatial applications. I thrive in dynamic environments and am passionate about leveraging technology to create impactful solutions.