Talofa reader,
I know it's been some time between posts, but thanks for making the move with me from Substack to Beehiiv.
Welcome to the new home: www.uncommonengineer.com
With the new location, it feels like a good time to get reacquainted—and to be clear about what The Uncommon Engineer actually is, because it might not be what you originally signed up for.
I write about technology, power and what it’s like being one of the few Pasifika at my level inside the tech industry. Sometimes it’s about AI and sovereignty. Sometimes it’s about hackers selling out. Sometimes it’s personal— shutting down failed projects or working through contradictions of living inside the very system I’m criticising.
This isn’t neutral tech coverage. It’s my perspective from inside “the machine”.
So, what makes me and my ideas different?
I’m Samoan, Tuvalu, Chinese. Son of a preacher. Second eldest of 5 brothers. Married, Father of a 2 year old. Twenty years in tech across multiple senior disciplines. Snr Solution Architect at Amazon. Former Professional MMA fighter. Former Touring musician across ANZ. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt. Samoan matai with a pe'a. Fourteen years sobriety in 2025. I've lived and travelled across ANZ, The Pacific, UK, Europe, Russia.
That’s some of the lenses I see the world through, so bear that in mind as you read through my writing.
If nothing else, you'll leave thinking about things a little bit differently.
You won't find tutorials here, or step-by-step guides on tech or careers (you can find that kind of writing on my blog at https://ronamosa.io/).
What you will find: my thoughts on AI, Cloud, hacking, corporate culture, the tech industry, my Pasifika communities and their struggles, and the intersections of all of those things.
I’m not here to be controversial for the sake of being controversial.
I had a fellow leader in my community tell me he had recommended me to some Pasifika people looking for some AI help, and they said “not him”. Which I find funny, cos I don’t think I’ve said anything terribly controversial in my community, and it still rubbed someone the wrong way.
And that’s the point— you can’t please everyone all the time, and you’ll be lucky to please some people, any of the time.
So you may as well say your piece, be open to some good faith dialogue, and learn from the experience.
I will send one piece to your inbox, fortnightly, Sunday evenings NZT.
If that's not what you're looking for, no hard feelings—you can unsubscribe anytime below. But if you want to hear my thoughts from inside the machine— you’re in the right place.
Talk soon,
Ia manuia.
— Ron