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- Engineering
Learn what a forward deployed engineer does, how the role differs from traditional software engineering, and why hire one to support enterprise customers.
Kelsey Nichols
Long Beach, CA, USA
Product and Technology
Hi, I’m Kelsey- I'm a fractional CTO, startup advisor, product strategist, and system untangler who helps early-stage teams move faster, without falling apart.
I began my career in education before pivoting into tech. Over the last 10 years, I've built and scaled ideas, organizations, and codebases.
I specialize in turning early-stage chaos into clarity, whether that means building MVPs, hiring teams, scaling systems, or shaping product strategy.
Testimonials
Kelsey is authentic. She fosters a human-first culture, and her ability to connect with people enables her to effectively rally them around a common vision. Her pragmatism allows her to navigate challenges while keeping sight of both short-term objectives and long-term goals. Kelsey creates collaborative and innovative environments, empowering teams to contribute their best work, and her empathetic leadership style fasters a culture of inclusivity and creativity, driving a company's success.
KV Katy Vogt
Director of Product, Landing Furnished ApartmentsKelsey's super power is getting things done. She is extremely effectively at making ideas into a reality with technology. However, more importantly is her ability to put herself in the position of a customer and to fully immerse herself in a customer's viewpoint to consistently make strong product decisions. This means she builds things that matter. Her honesty and clarity make her a strong communicator to all levels of an organization, from executive leaders to individual contributors.
MH Mark Hutter
Senior Vice President of Engineering, Landing Furnished Apartments
Work
DevClarity - AI Development Trainer
https://www.devclarity.ai/Teaching developers and engineering leaders how to build durable AI coding practices — not just prompts, but the systems and culture around them.
Moxi Childcare - Fractional CTO and Strategic Advisor
https://www.moxichildcare.com/Built 0 to 1. I drove product, technical strategy, and execution from concept to market, leading the development of the app, admin platform, and all mvp go-to-market technology for Moxi's mission of transforming childcare.
LeaseBot - Cofounder and Founding Engineer
https://www.leasebotai.com/AI powered leasing assistant for small landlords.
Prismm - Fractional Fullstack Engineer
https://getprismm.com/Partnered with Prismm to bring their rebrand to life through a redesigned web app, aligning UX, product flows, and engineering execution.
ProxyLink- Technical Advisor
https://proxylink.co/Proxylink rethinking how services are discovered, negotiated, and fulfilled in a world where AI acts on your behalf.
Occupi - Fractional CTO
https://www.rentwithoccupi.com/Helped scale the MVP product (https://occupi.app/) to handle additional landlords, tenants, and features. led hiring and engineering efforts.
ThirdParties - Fractional CTO
https://www.thirdparties.com/Real Estate due dilligence. CTO services focused on technical strategy, product development, and team leadership. I collaborated with founders to define product roadmaps, architect sustainable systems, and guide engineering teams through execution for MVP build.
Veer- Technical Advisor
https://www.goveer.ai/Guided MVP development and smart scheduling architecture for home healthcare. Contributed to core features, patient/provider matching logic, and roadmap definition.
Experience
OnXmaps, Inc.
Director of Engineering
Jul 2025 - Present
Coach Nichols Tech
Founder
Jul 2024 - Present
As an early-stage product and technical advisor, I help with engineering roadmap development, tech stack selection, and product development strategy. I'll assist you with architecture design, code reviews, team recruitment, and mentorship.
Landing
Chief Technology Officer - Product, Engineering, and Design
Feb 2019 - Oct 2024
Joined as the first employee and founding engineer, working directly with the CEO to build Landing from whiteboard concept to $375M-backed business. Over nearly six years, led the architecture and launch of core platforms, scaled and leveled teams across multiple business lines, and ultimately owned company-wide product, engineering, and design functions. Played a key role in every growth phase, from MVP to acquisition integrations, team scaling, and product strategy.
[ACQUIRED 2025] Clutch!
Co-founder and Engineer
Nov 2017 - Jan 2019
Clutch! (imclutch.com) is an online marketplace for game day parking and tailgating at sporting and entertainment events, connecting fans who need parking with sellers offering space in the community surrounding the event venue. Itʼs the airbnb of game day parking and tailgating.
[ACQUIRED 2017] Shipt
Software Engineer - Frontend
Jan 2017 - Feb 2019
Depot/U - Coding Bootcamp
Teaching Assistant and Instructor
Jul 2016 - Jan 2017
Hoover City Schools
Middle School Teacher
Dec 2013 - Jul 2016
Alliance Academy International
ESL Teacher
Aug 2012 - Jul 2013
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