2025 - Present - CodeWheel
Founder & Fractional AI Architect. Shipping AI SaaS platforms with Next.js + TypeScript + PostgreSQL, MCP tooling, and AI-assisted code improvement workflows. Every engagement bundles build + security testing.
About
CodeWheel — AI Engineering Studio in the Bay Area
I'm Matt Owens, founder of CodeWheel. We build open-source developer tools like PromptWheel and MCP packages, and publish technical content on AI platform architecture, agent security, and production engineering.
15 years of production engineering across Tesla, SaaS platforms, and federal health portals — now focused on building tools that help engineering teams ship better AI systems.
Current focus
- PromptWheel — open-source code improvement CLI
- MCP packages — error codes, PHP toolkit, and Drupal integration for the MCP ecosystem
- Technical content — deep dives on AI architecture, agent security, and production patterns
What we bring to the table
Design, build, and test — under one roof
Architecture and execution from the same team — no handoffs between strategy and implementation.
15 years shipping production systems (Tesla, SaaS, healthcare) with multi-tenant and compliance constraints.
AI-native: MCP agents, RAG pipelines, and modern Next.js stacks are our daily work.
You get direct access to senior engineers and candid communication, not filtered updates.
Timeline
How I got here
2021 - 2025 - Tesla
Staff Software Engineer. Built API endpoints, AI-powered service automation, Composer/Symfony microservices, and agent-based data retrieval for Tesla's global service centers.
2019 - 2021 - Federal health portal contracts
Lead full-stack roles building federal health portals. Custom modules, editorial workflows, and USWDS themes while owning security patching and long-lived platform upgrades for CMS.gov infrastructure.
2014 - 2019 - Full-time engineering + Servers Connect LLC
Senior engineering roles focused on Drupal/Node modernization, Jenkins CI, and enterprise reporting. Founded Servers Connect LLC, delivering applications for EnergyStar.gov and enterprise clients. Servers Connect LLC remains active — CodeWheel operates as a DBA.
2010 - 2014 - Early engineering
Lead Drupal Architect, SocialToaster, Magento Developer. Learned how to ship high-volume CMS and commerce systems with strict performance requirements.
Working principles
What to expect when we work together
Honesty over polish
We would rather tell you "we haven't done that yet" than pretend we have. If something is outside our lane, we'll introduce you to someone better suited.
Production-ready from day one
Every build includes testing, code review, and guidance on logging/monitoring. Quality and security are part of the process, not a separate phase.
Direct access
You message us on Slack, email, or text. We keep a shared Notion doc updated each week with decisions, risks, and next steps so you always know what's happening.
Documentation over hype
Instead of forcing daily social posts, we share detailed Notion updates and postmortems. They show how decisions get made and give you artifacts you can share internally.
Why hire CodeWheel instead of a traditional agency?
CodeWheel
- Direct access: You work with senior engineers, not a PM filtering messages.
- 15 years experience: Seed through enterprise launches.
- One codebase style: No inconsistencies from handoffs.
- Build + quality: We test what we build.
- Clear pricing: Flexible retainers or scoped engagements.
- Fast decisions: Senior engineers make the call directly.
Typical agency
- Filtered access: PM relays requirements to devs.
- Mixed experience: Senior PM + junior dev team.
- Multiple styles: Code quality varies per contributor.
- Separate teams: Dev, QA, security handoffs.
- Opaque pricing: Large retainers with surprise scope changes.
- Slow decisions: Internal approvals for everything.
When agencies make sense
Agencies shine when you need a full product team (design, frontend, backend, mobile, QA) working simultaneously for 6+ months.
If you need senior engineers to architect an AI platform, build MCP agents, or prepare for investor diligence, a traditional agency adds overhead and dilutes execution.
Get in touch
Have a question about our tools or content? Want to collaborate on an open-source project? Drop us a line.