The 1.21 Initiative is led by Kevin Thomas. Our philosophy is built on the conviction that the most challenging problems in quantitative technology demand a rare blend of scientific rigor and deep, systems-level engineering expertise.
This approach stems from a unique background: a first-principles mindset forged in the physical sciences (Nanotechnology, University of Oxford), combined with hands-on experience helping to build the C# programming language itself. This is not just theory; it's a practical understanding of what makes complex systems succeed or fail in the real world.
From Language Design to Production Systems
Contributing to a programming language provides a unique perspective on software quality. It forces you to think about correctness, performance, and maintainability from the ground up. This experience directly informs how we build for our clients:
- Reliable Resource Management: Our work on language fundamentals like
IDisposableensures the systems we build are stable and resilient, even under intense pressure. - Data Integrity by Design: Our contributions to features like record types reflect a core belief: data models should be correct by design, minimizing bugs and ensuring predictability.
- Pragmatic Concurrency: Deep, practical experience with C#'s
async/awaitmodel allows us to design concurrent systems that are responsive, deadlock-free, and performant.
This is the expertise we bring to every engagement—a commitment to building solutions that are not only powerful but also correct, maintainable, and built to last.
