A lifelong computer dude
10+ years as a professional. A lot longer than that with computers.
Read the whole storyDhul Wells
Just a dude from Chicago.
Software engineer with 10+ years building enterprise systems across telecom, SaaS and e-commerce. I build production AI systems and platforms that stay reliable after launch, and I have been a computer dude since I was 11.
- Chicago area, Illinois
- PhD in AI and Robotics, in progress
Now
- Working Engineering enterprise commerce platforms
- In progress PhD, Computer Science (AI and Robotics), Mississippi State University
- Studying MS in Computer Science, University of Illinois Springfield
- Building HireHelpers, a home-services marketplace
At a glance
In the field
10+ years
Professionally, across telecom, SaaS and e-commerce. A computer dude for life.
Independent ventures
3
FactfulNews, HireHelpers and Rappers.com
What I work on
Three threads that run through my engineering work, my ventures and my research.
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Production AI systems
Agentic and LLM-backed systems at enterprise scale: custom data pipelines, vector embeddings, and the evaluation, guardrails and cost controls that keep them useful after launch day.
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Platform architecture
Event-driven integrations, cloud migrations and clear system boundaries across several product teams. I favor reliability and modernization over novelty.
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Building ventures
Taking products from idea to production on my own time: marketplaces, data pipelines, search visibility and the operations behind them, built and run independently.
Ventures
Three independent businesses, built on my own time and kept separate from my day job.
FactfulNews
AI-assisted fact-checking for news articles: paste a link, see which claims hold up and why.
HireHelpers
A home-services marketplace that connects homeowners with local contractors through simple per-lead pricing and no monthly fees.
In development HireHelpers.com(opens in a new tab)Rappers.com
A platform for rappers, producers and brands: split sheets, payouts through a licensed payments partner, and verified credits.
Coming soon Rappers.com(opens in a new tab)
Research and study
Formal study keeps the practice honest. The doctorate points that curiosity at AI and robotics.
- In progress
PhD, Computer Science
Mississippi State University
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MS, Computer Science
University of Illinois Springfield
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BS, Information Technology
Purdue University Global
Earlier work
A few outcomes from earlier roles. The full chronology is on LinkedIn(opens in a new tab).
EsriSenior Application Developer
Led design and development of a custom AI-powered chatbot for the online platform, and shipped enterprise web features that cut operational load.
WalgreensSenior Web Developer
Migrated a legacy intranet application used by 300,000+ employees to a modern architecture and handed it off cleanly for long-term maintenance.
VonageSenior Software Engineer
Owned the analytics instrumentation strategy for a meetings product serving 4M+ users: event schemas, tracking contracts and data quality standards.
GrubhubLead Web Developer
Led the enterprise marketing web ecosystem at 15M+ monthly visitors, with CI/CD pipelines and conversion reliability across platforms.
SAC WirelessWeb Developer
Built a contractor payroll application from scratch, delivering $2M in annual cost savings, and modernized legacy operations systems.
Let's talk
For collaboration, research conversations, or advisory work on AI and platform architecture. I read every message and reply within a few business days.
- me@dhulwells.com
- linkedin.com/in/dhulwells(opens in a new tab)
- Chicago area, Illinois