Next Up:
Anything

Went to Purdue for mechanical engineering with a physics minor, graduating in 2017. During school, I worked part-time (10-20 hours/week) for Caterpillar as a Data Analytics Engineer, analyzing data from trucks and engines in the field to help engineers solve problems. I worked full-time over summers from 2015-2017.

After graduating, I joined Caterpillar's rotational engineering program for 2 years, working in torsional vibrational analysis (physical sensors and dynamic FEA simulation), engine testing, industrial engineering, and engine performance. Most of my time was spent on large engines (20L+), especially the C175-20.

The Caterpillar C175 is 5.3 liters per cylinder, 175mm x 220mm bore/stroke, producing 1,500-4,800 horsepower at 1,800 RPM. It weighs over 10 tonnes and powers locomotives, ships, and haul trucks like the 793F and 797F.

Working on an engine at Caterpillar

In 2019, I left Caterpillar to pursue professional golf. I had reached a +2 handicap (2 below zero) at 18 years old, the summer after high school in 2012. I'd always dreamed of playing professionally, but was misled by the Purdue coach into thinking I'd have a chance to walk on. That never happened, so I felt I never got to fully develop my game.

For 6 months I lived in Scottsdale, practicing at TPC Scottsdale and playing various mini tours. It didn't work out for various reasons, and towards the end of 2019, I decided to walk away.

Knowing I didn't want to go back to corporate cubicle life, I self-taught programming and got into web development. Early 2020, COVID hit and I was playing a lot of Call of Duty: Warzone, which had just released.

Frustrated with the lack of good data for equipment decisions, I combined my new programming skills with my data engineering background. A couple months after Warzone's release, I started TrueGameData. I hand-tested tens of thousands of stats for thousands of attachments using high framerate footage, frame counting, and various other methods. I built analysis tools to help players make optimal choices.

Once the community found out about it, the site was explosively popular. It started with a few Reddit posts in the early days, which got picked up by large data-focused creators already in the community, mainly JGOD, TheXclusiveAce, and Drift0r. They were the catalysts that got my content and platform to the wider community.

I started the TrueGameData YouTube channel, which reached 200,000 subscribers in the first couple years, peaking at 250,000. I also became a partnered Twitch streamer. I learned a massive amount running this with my cofounder Kristina, who handled front-end development and most customer support.

The plan is to maintain TrueGameData's data and current features forever for both Warzone and Multiplayer for the community. But it's time for me to explore other opportunities.

Next Up: Anything has been in my head for a long time. I love teaching people interesting things. I love science, engineering, technology, and helping people in whatever form that takes. I wanted a way to share that without being stuck in a niche like Call of Duty. Tying a website with interactive tools and animations to video content felt like a unique approach.

I dream of this being fully community funded. No ads, no sponsorships, no (or very few) features locked behind subscriptions. Just people who appreciate the content and want to support.

I have no idea if this can be successful, but we're going to see. Thanks for being here.