Wei Zhang

Full-stack developer, iOS automation architect, and founder. Based in Ann Arbor, MI.

The Work

I've spent most of my career working across the full stack — .NET backends, iOS apps, automation workflows, and now AI-orchestrated systems. The common thread is that I like building things that work reliably and are worth maintaining.

My .NET work specializes in modernization: taking applications built in 2008 and making them ready for 2025. My iOS work specializes in automation — using App Intents, Shortcuts, and Apple's ecosystem to build workflows that save real time.

The Writing

This site has four modes. Build is the technical portfolio. Think is essays and blog posts. Measure is quantified self data. Automate is Shortcuts and workflow tools.

I write the way I explain things to a smart colleague — no assumed expertise, no condescension.

The ADHD Part

Diagnosed as an adult, mid-career. It recontextualized everything. The coping mechanisms I'd built unconsciously became visible, and I started building better ones deliberately. I write about this because the standard productivity advice was useless to me, and developer-specific ADHD content barely existed.

The Name

"Simple Philosopher" is an aspiration: think clearly, write simply about complex things. Philosophy doesn't have to be inaccessible. Neither does software.

  • Based in Ann Arbor, MI
  • 10+ years .NET development
  • iOS developer since Swift 1.0
  • Diagnosed ADHD (adult)
  • Founder, active projects
  • C# / .NET 8
  • Swift / SwiftUI
  • TypeScript / Astro
  • Python (ML/data)
  • Obsidian
  • Apple Shortcuts