Who is Jonathan Szeto?

I’m a data engineer who specializes in database architecture, business intelligence, and ETL. I’ve spent nearly twenty years working in SQL: designing systems, building pipelines, and turning messy data into something teams can actually use.

I’m also a New Hampshire resident who spent more than 25 years living in Kentucky. That combination shapes how I approach technology: practical, grounded, and skeptical of anything that sounds impressive but doesn’t hold up in the real world. I prefer clear results over academic theory or pure tech fashion.

Before data, I was a manufacturing engineer in the automotive industry and a military veteran. Those earlier chapters still shape how I work: I think in systems, I pay attention to failure modes, and I prefer practical solutions over theory.

This site is where I write about the lessons that came with all of it—technical and personal.

How I got here

I didn’t start in tech. After a string of terminations in manufacturing, I found myself on the verge of bankruptcy with no programming background. I taught myself SQL because I had to. That pressure forced clarity: learn what actually works, ignore what doesn’t, and deliver results under constraint.

That path led to a career in data engineering. I’ve built and maintained database systems, designed data integration processes, and helped organizations get reliable information out of their data. Along the way I reached the point where I could leave jobs on my own terms—something that once felt impossible.

What I bring to the work

Living for decades in Kentucky and now back in New Hampshire keeps me oriented toward the common-man view of technology. I’m not interested in solutions that only make sense inside a specialized bubble. I care about systems that are robust, understandable, and useful to the people who actually have to live with them day to day.

Military experience taught disciplined planning and execution. Manufacturing and FMEA work trained me to look for what can go wrong before it does. The years of financial and career uncertainty made me pragmatic: I care about solutions that hold up in the real world, not just on a whiteboard.

I write here about technology, but also about the less tidy parts of life: mindset, resilience, decision-making under uncertainty, and the systems (technical and human) that shape outcomes. You don’t need to be a data person to follow most of it. The technical posts are written to be accessible; the personal ones are written because those experiences still matter.

Why this site exists

I believe the things I’ve lived through (and the patterns I’ve noticed) can be useful to other people. Some readers come for the data and systems thinking. Others come for the personal essays. Both are intentional.

If you’re dealing with data architecture, BI, or ETL challenges and want a straightforward conversation, feel free to get in touch. And if you’re just here for the writing, welcome; I hope something here’s useful.