# **Trevin Chow** **Product leader building software that feels like magic, not machinery.** [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/trevin) • [GitHub](https://github.com/tmchow) • [Blog](https://trevinsays.com) • [Email](mailto:trevin@trevinchow.com) --- ## **About** I've been obsessed with software for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I'd check out BASIC programming books from the library and somehow convinced my mother to transcribe hundred of lines so I could then run, debug and modify the apps. Over the last 25+ years, that obsession has taken me as a builder and leader from small startups to large enterprises. What connects it all is turning complexity into simplicity — making products that just work. I've built across edTech, eCommerce, public safety (body cameras, digital evidence management), social media, gaming, marTech, and security research. These unexpected combinations give me a toolkit for uniquely solving problems in delightful ways. Right now, I'm obsessed with how AI changes the rules of building products — not the hype, but the chance to rethink things we've accepted for decades. I love the craft of building products and building teams that move fast, learn fast, and ship things people love. --- ## **Latest Writing** I write about product leadership, AI, and building software at [trevinsays.com](https://trevinsays.com). Latest posts are featured on the homepage. --- ## **Side Projects** - **CLI Printing Press + Printing Press Library** — Factory that turns APIs and captured web traffic into agent-native CLIs and MCP servers. Printing Press Library is the official catalog, publishing endorsed, installable tools with corresponding agent skills. [CLI Printing Press](https://github.com/mvanhorn/cli-printing-press) | [Printing Press Library](https://github.com/mvanhorn/printing-press-library) - **Compound Engineering** — Core maintainer of the Claude Code and Codex plugin that features skills and agents for engineers, product managers, and designers. 14k+ stars. [Source](https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin) - **HZL** — A task ledger for OpenClaw, providing task management for the OpenClaw AI ecosystem. [View Project](https://www.hzl-tasks.com) | [Source](https://github.com/tmchow/hzl) - **Image Sprout** — A local web app and CLI for generating consistent images from reusable project context, not one-off prompts. [Source](https://github.com/tmchow/image-sprout) --- ## **Career Highlights** I'm a **4× VP/CPO and 1× founder**. That range across industries has shaped how I build: stay curious, move fast, and make the complex feel effortless. At **Big Cartel** (ended March 2026), they make selling online *magically simple* for artists and small businesses. Whether it's a full-time career or a passion project, their mission is to help people turn their creativity into commerce. As Chief Product Officer, I led product, design, and product marketing to make that vision real — through clarity, experimentation, and empathy for independent creators. As VP of Product at **Axon**, I helped modernize public safety through body cameras, mobile apps, and digital evidence systems connecting police, prosecutors, and courts. At **Sketchy**, I led a visual learning platform used by nearly every medical student in the U.S., proving how art and story can transform memory and mastery. VP of Product at **TraceMe**, a Russell Wilson–backed startup later acquired by **Nike**. I helped bridge fandom and interactivity — then at **Nike** as Director of Product, led incubation projects for Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club, co-led the Nike Seattle office, and co-founded **Nike Athlete Studio**, redefining how the brand activates its Elite Athletes at scale. At **Microsoft**, I built across identity, commerce, and gaming — from Microsoft Account, authentication, and security research to founding member of its first B2C eCommerce businesses (Microsoft Store, Windows Marketplace) that hit $1B+ revenue, to Windows App Store and Xbox Games Store. I co-founded **Chewsy**, one of the earliest social and micro-location apps — born from a love of chicken wings and featured in *The New York Times* and *Forbes*. (Yes, really. Ask me about it.) --- ## **Things I Believe** - OKRs are mostly a waste of time. Alignment comes from clarity, not frameworks. - There's no such thing as a bad LLM answer — just bad questions. - Controlled chaos creates space for creativity and ownership. Rigid process to avoid it does the opposite. - The faster you iterate, the safer it is to fail. - Simple doesn't mean less — it means intentional. Smart defaults and thoughtful curation are features, not compromises. - AI is both overhyped and underhyped. Both miss the point. - Ben Affleck is the best Batman. I will die on this hill. --- ## **Beyond Work** When I'm not building products, I'm experimenting in the kitchen, tinkering with AI agents and IoT gadgets, or cheering from the sidelines at my kids' soccer games. I live in Seattle with my family — where the coffee’s strong, the weather’s moody, and my “smart” home occasionally has a mind of its own. --- ## **Get in Touch** Let’s build something great together. [Email me](mailto:trevin@trevinchow.com) or [connect on LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/trevin)