ABOUT THE HAWKES
Hawkes (as most people refer to me as) has been writing mediocre and subpar java code for the past 20+ years. Along the way, I have picked up sub optimal management skills and convinced more than one company to let me lead their engineering organization to prosperity. I have been acquired so many times, I have lost count but seem to be the magic feather that makes the deal happen.
Along the way, I have had the honor of being the father of 7 children (six boys and one girl) and the dog parent of 2 dogs. Somehow I also convinced the most beautiful woman in the world to marry me and help me navigate the ups and downs of life. I am truly blessed in so many ways and I think it is time I give back to those who have given me so much.
ABOUT THE SMASH
A long long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was just a simple Java developer with an Electrical Engineering degree. After a brief career at DSC, I joined a startup called IPCell and was acquired by Cisco Systems in less than a year. After 17 years at Cisco, doing every job from developer, to Senior Manager of Engineering, to Product Owner for the Cisco Phone Portfolio, I decided to once again take the plunge and go back to small companies where I could make a real impact.
It was at that time, that I joined a company called Examsoft, and in less than a week had bought down Production via some API Automation tests I had written in JMeter. My buddy Mike McMurray was so impressed/pissed off he yelled "Hawkes Smash" and this domain was born.
The Origin Story
Like Bruce Banner's transformation into the Hulk, my journey into AI was triggered by exposure to something powerful - the realization that artificial intelligence isn't just changing technology; it's revolutionizing how we solve problems at scale. Ok maybe the AI wrote that line, but I kindof like it and think it is true.
What I Do
💪 AI Strategy & Implementation
Transform your business with practical AI solutions that deliver real ROI, not just buzzwords.
🧠LLM & RAG Systems
Build production-ready retrieval-augmented generation systems that actually scale.
âš¡ Rapid Prototyping
From idea to MVP in days, not months. We move fast and break things (in a good way).
MCP(s) Tailored to YOUR Ecosytem
We can build a custom MCP(s) system tailored to your specific needs and ecosystem. This allows us to deliver solutions that are both secure and scalable. From API Management to Security to Orchestration to Automated Testing to we can build it all and build it faster than the Hulk could run a Mile.
The Mission
Every day, I experiment with cutting-edge AI technologies, push boundaries, and share what works (and what doesn't) with the community. This blog is my lab notebook - raw, unfiltered insights from the trenches of AI innovation.
Whether it's implementing Claude for enterprise clients, building custom GPT solutions, or exploring the latest in prompt engineering, I'm here to SMASH through the complexity and deliver practical wisdom you can actually use.