Hi, I'm Jesse.

About Me

Why Anthropic

I use Claude Code every day. It changed how I work. I've put over 2 billion tokens through it in the last couple of weeks alone. It's the most impactful tool I've adopted in my career, and I want to help other people and organizations experience that same shift.

Something shifted for me recently. I started using Claude Code and realized that everything I went to school for — the way I learned to build software, the skills I spent years developing — the ground underneath all of it is moving. Engineering is changing at a fundamental level, and the thing that matters most now isn't what language you know or what framework you've memorized. It's whether you can think in systems and use these tools to build things that actually work.

What's been jarring is how few people around me see it. I try to explain what Claude Code can do to coworkers and leadership, and it doesn't land. VPs of technology who should be paying attention aren't. And I don't think they're wrong or behind — I think the shift is just that fast and that hard to grasp until you've lived in it. I have. And I want to be somewhere that gets it.

The Forward Deployed Engineer role is the intersection of everything I've been doing for the past eight years: building production software for enterprise customers, teaching technical concepts to non-technical audiences, and figuring out how to make complex systems work in the real world. At Equitable, I do this with CMS platforms and financial tools. At Hack Upstate, I do it with coding education. At Anthropic, I'd do it with AI — helping organizations cross the gap between where they are and where this technology can take them.

I also happen to live in Syracuse — right where this role is posted. No relocation needed. I can be on-site with customers immediately.

Beyond the day job, I'd love to be Anthropic's ambassador in Syracuse's tech community. Through Hack Upstate, I've spent years building relationships with local developers, organizations, and economic development partners. I've organized hackathons with 100+ attendees and directed a coding bootcamp that served over 100 students. That infrastructure doesn't go away — it's a direct pipeline for Claude adoption, developer evangelism, and community events. I'd love to partner with Hack Upstate to run a Claude-athon: a hands-on hackathon where local developers and teams build real projects with Claude. It's an existing network that Anthropic could tap into from day one.

I believe in what Anthropic is building. Responsible AI development isn't a marketing line to me — it's the reason I want to work here specifically, and not somewhere else.

Experience

Education

Rapidly Prototyped Projects

Recommendations

“What stands out about Jesse isn't just that he can build software — it's how he thinks. He has a rare ability to translate complex technical concepts to people who aren't engineers, which is something you can't really teach. I've watched him do it with students who came in with zero background and left with marketable skills and jobs. I've also watched his thinking evolve around AI over the years. He's living in it, building with it every day, and asking the right questions. The way he talks about what Claude Code has unlocked for him reminded me of how early Bitcoin engineers talked about what they were building.”

— Doug Crescenzi, Partner at Hack Upstate LLC · April 1, 2026 Read full letter

“Jesse approaches problems systematically. He doesn't look for quick fixes or gets distracted by complex solutions. Instead, he works through the problem methodically — mapping out options, weighing tradeoffs, and arriving at decisions that hold up when you actually have to engineer them. Beyond the technical side, Jesse has a rare ability to bring people together. This kind of role demands both — systematic reasoning and the ability to build trust across audiences. Jesse has spent years developing both. I recommend him without reservation. He'll make an impact quickly, and he'll do it by doing the hard work of understanding problems deeply and building the right solutions.”

— William Kennedy, Mentor · April 3, 2026, via LinkedIn

“Delivering a life-changing program like this takes a lot of vision, organization skills, and the ability to make quick decisions; Jesse handled all of it calmly and always had his eye on student outcomes. What I appreciate most about him is his ability to get it all done and make it look effortless. Jesse's technical fluency and his ability to navigate complex program logistics while leading a team make him a rare asset in the coding world. I highly recommend working with him if you happen upon the chance.”

— Laura Thorne, Career Coach at Careers in Code · April 3, 2026, via LinkedIn

“I had the pleasure of working with Jesse at Equitable, where he consistently found innovative ways to improve our public and advisor-facing websites. While building our Cap Rate webpage, he handled changing specs and requirements with ease—never complaining, always quickly pivoting to an effective solution. He is a master problem solver with a true can-do attitude and was an absolute pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend him to any team looking for a driven, adaptable, and results-oriented technologist.”

— Tom Dominic, Colleague at Equitable · April 2, 2026, via LinkedIn

“I've worked with Jesse for several years at Equitable on our digital annuity tools, and he's one of the best partners I've had the pleasure of working with. He's someone you can rely on both in building solutions and when challenges come up. He consistently brings creative ideas, communicates clearly, and stays calm under pressure. He brings a positive attitude to everything he does and makes the team better.”

— Nick Ronan, Colleague at Equitable · April 3, 2026, via LinkedIn

“I had the pleasure of working with Jesse at AXA Equitable, where we built several projects together both at work and on the side. Jesse has a genuine passion for innovation and was always pushing us to try new technologies and experiment with ideas. His curiosity and critical thinking are contagious, and he naturally motivates the people around him. One thing that really stands out is his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a simple way that anyone can understand. He's a great teammate, a strong leader, and someone who brings positive energy to any team he's part of.”

— Paul Kwoyelo, Colleague at Equitable · April 6, 2026, via LinkedIn

“Jesse has an unwavering commitment to innovation and exploration in everything he does. As my first mentor, he taught me an incredible amount simply through his "let's-do-this" approach to complex, multifaceted problems. Jesse is an exceptional communicator who can bridge the gap between deep engineering and cross-functional stakeholders, creating a culture where ideas are vetted based on merit rather than hierarchy. The bottom line: Jesse cares. He is deeply mission-driven and solves difficult problems not just with a track record of success, but with a persistent optimism and genuine care for his colleagues. P.S. He also shreds on the guitar.”

— Max Gerlach, Program Manager at Careers in Code · April 3, 2026, via LinkedIn

“I have had the distinct honor of working with and being mentored by Jesse Peplinski. His deep skill set in web-based technologies and AI tools is clearly evident throughout his extensive resume, and I have witnessed his technical prowess firsthand while working with him at Hack Upstate and Careers in Code. Spending time around Jesse has led me to observe what is arguably his greatest quality: his unmatched thirst for technical knowledge. I have never met anyone who dives in as quickly to learn a new tool, framework, or technology.”

— Andrew Wladis, Mentee · April 1, 2026, via LinkedIn

“Jesse was my first true 'boss' and helped mentor me into the person I am today through our work together at Careers in Code, a coding boot camp. Even more than his warm, kind personality, Jesse's innate ability to lead by example, intelligently navigate complex issues and run projects with a solution-oriented mindset has been nearly unmatched in my career. I watched as he was able to spearhead a meaningful project with real impact on the community — an effort that similarly taught me the value of thoughtful communication, excellence in organization and problem solving both in the terminal and face-to-face with people. I'd highly recommend Jesse for any role — particularly one where his leadership skills can be put on full display.”

— Will Guisbond, Program Manager at Careers in Code · April 1, 2026, via LinkedIn

“Jesse is an incredibly smart and passionate developer. Jesse was organized, communicative, and very responsive to any questions that I or students had. He helped create and guide the full stack web development curriculum and managed a team of approximately 10 staff including instructors, TAs, and support staff. I highly recommend Jesse and believe that you will find him to be a hard-working, intelligent, and supportive team member!”

— Jason Scharf, Student Success Rep at Careers in Code · April 7, 2026, via LinkedIn

“I watched him develop from a sharp developer into a true systems thinker and someone who naturally steps up as a leader. Jesse has always stood out because he doesn't just fix the immediate issue — he steps back and looks at the bigger picture to understand why the problem happened in the first place. On top of his strong technical skills, Jesse is an excellent collaborator. He has a real talent for taking high-level business needs and turning them into clean, scalable code while keeping everyone on the same page. Jesse is a thoughtful problem solver, a generous mentor, and someone who sees the bigger picture.”

— Zachary Peck, Colleague at Equitable · April 7, 2026, via LinkedIn

“Jesse is a person with a 'can do' attitude who will not take no for an answer. He is unique in his determination to find an innovative way to get the job done. He also has a knack for teaching. He inspires those around him and works well collaboratively to help others succeed in their projects and endeavors.”

— Mark Wladis, Mentor · April 1, 2026, via LinkedIn

“I've worked at Equitable with Jesse for 8 years, and it's been incredible to see his evolution into such a strong and dependable software developer. He combines technical skill with a calm, strategic mindset, always taking the time to understand the "why" behind problems before jumping to solutions. His work with Careers in Code has always been something that I've admired about him and truly believe he has made a difference in some many peoples lives. He's not only someone you can count on to deliver when working on projects, but also someone who brings positive energy and motivates those around him. Any team would be lucky to have him.”

— Lizmarie Von Langen, Colleague at Equitable · April 15, 2026, via LinkedIn

The Meta