
About
I'm Mali Franzese — principal engineer, fractional CTO, and founder of The MASS Lab in Austin, TX. I build and ship production SaaS platforms, developer tools, and AI-powered systems — usually solo, always at pace.
The Story
I started in electrical engineering at ASU, then pivoted to software through Hack Reactor in LA. After that I built my own practice — The MASS Lab — taking on client projects and building internal products.
The MASS Lab is my engineering practice — where I take on fractional CTO engagements and build internal products like MASS Lead Connect.
Along the way I worked at Inter-Con building Python APIs on AWS, became lead engineer at Beat The Odds building a real-time fantasy sports platform, and shipped platforms for clients ranging from yacht transport logistics to nonprofit financial literacy.
The shift to AI-native development changed everything. Starting in early 2023 with GitHub Copilot and evolving to Claude Code as my primary tool, I went from building features to shipping entire multi-tenant SaaS platforms solo. 960+ commits across 22 repos in 7 months — not by cutting corners, but by giving AI deep autonomy while maintaining senior-level review on every line.
Currently pursuing a B.S. in Cybersecurity at WGU while continuing to ship.
Shipping Velocity
How I Work
My workflow is built around Claude Code with a custom configuration I've refined over months: 11 slash commands, 6 specialized agents, and 4 safety hooks. The /ship pipeline handles everything from code generation to security review to deployment.
I give AI deep autonomy — but every line gets senior review. Tests, types, and security passes are non-negotiable. The result is a development pace that lets one engineer do what typically requires a team, without sacrificing quality.
What I'm Looking For
Open to full-time senior or principal engineering roles, applied AI positions, and fractional CTO engagements. I'm interested in teams where AI-assisted development is a core competency — not a novelty.
Outside Work
Based in Austin. When I'm not building, I'm probably exploring the city, tinkering with hardware projects, or finding the next great coffee spot.