Software Engineer
Building thoughtful software and reliable systems.
I’m Derek Serrano, a software engineer and pianist with a passion for building thoughtful systems and exploring creative ideas through technology. I enjoy solving complex problems, writing clean code, and continuously improving both as an engineer and a person.
Selected work
Technical projects.
A gesture-controlled 3D modelling application that enables basic CAD operations using hand tracking from a webcam. Built with Python, Open3D, and PySide6, with gesture recognition powered by Google MediaPipe and communication between ML and UI subsystems handled through a custom TCP protocol.
Crypto Trading System
An automated cryptocurrency trading system built during a hackathon. The platform analyzes market data and executes trades using algorithmic strategies while providing a real-time dashboard for monitoring performance.
Distributed Rate Limiter
A distributed rate-limiting service designed to coordinate request throttling across multiple nodes. Implements token bucket algorithms and explores backend infrastructure concepts such as consistency, concurrency, and scalable request control.
Beyond engineering.
Piano performance and improvisation.
Outside of software, I’m also a pianist with a strong focus on improvisation and expression. Music has long been one of my most meaningful creative outlets, and it continues to shape the way I think about discipline, refinement, and artistry.