I'm Mason Walters — a data engineer in Austin. I trust what I can measure twice.

Margin note: once is an anecdote.

By day I make a software company's numbers trustworthy. The rest of the time I experiment on my own training and health — what to eat, how to lift, when to back off — looking for what keeps me at my best, and posting the results here. I don't think there's one right answer for everyone. I do think there's no skipping the slow work of getting better, in the gym or anywhere else. What's here is what worked for me. Take what's useful.

Read my writing About Work ↗

Right now — working my way down to 270 pounds by 2027, re-reading my favorite book about data systems, and untangling how one company counts its customers. Details on /now.

Things I've built

the one I care about most ↓

  • Site

    This site

    Rails 8, hand-built, rebuilt more than once. The colophon covers how and why.

  • Tool

    Macro calculator

    Daily calorie and macro targets, two ways. Runs in your browser; no signup.

  • Code

    Plateau detector

    Fifteen lines of Ruby that flag flat stretches in my weight data.

Recent writing

All essays →

Who's filling out my contact form?

My contact form had been quietly collecting spam for six weeks. Here's what showed up, why my defenses missed it, and what finally stopped it.

Cynical isn't a strategy

I played at Texas, and I've gotten jaded about what college football turned into. So I built a place for former players to say what they think.

Want to hire me — or push back on something here?

Hiring and consulting questions are welcome, and so are corrections. I read everything and reply within 48 hours.

Get in touch