A look inside the systems I build.
Explore the portfolio ↗
01 / Ignition

Every system.
A spark.

A little curiosity. A lot of moving parts. Scroll to see what makes mine tick.

JS — 001PERSONAL SYSTEM
ASSEMBLED WITH INTENT
Anatomy of a curious mind
SCROLL TO DISASSEMBLE ↓

Explore the
systems I build.

Software & data engineer. Production AI, data platforms, and a lab of my own.

Production impact

Query optimization

My contribution

Built an ML workflow to identify costly query patterns across enterprise data platforms at USAA.

TelemetryClassifierHuman review
Explore the project
Choose a connection to explore. Or just keep scrolling.
Jake / Command menu
↑ ↓ navigate · Enter open · Esc close
A terminal question for the curious: whoami
/ 01 — PROJECTS

Selected work

16 projects
apps · systems · concepts
updated · Sep 2026
/ latest — 01Public · Free

Agent Skills Marketplace & Manager

A free VS Code extension for discovering, vetting, and managing AI agent skills across multiple marketplaces. Combines trust filters, security scanning, guided setup, AI-assisted skill authoring, and reproducible installs in one workspace.

MARKETPLACE275 installs
LICENSEMIT
PLATFORMVS Code

Unique installs checked September 16, 2026. The Marketplace listing shows the current count.

typescriptvscode apisecurity scanningagent skills
/ latest — 02Private concept

Sparqo

A working ad-streaming concept connecting brands and live creators. Integrated web and desktop applications carry campaigns through creator approval, OBS overlay delivery, earnings tracking, and payout administration.

Built as a private end-to-end workflow exploration. No public release planned.

electronnext.jsfastifypostgresqlobs websocket
/ latest — 03In development

AudioPilot

An offline audio-production assistant for Windows, built as a standalone app and VST3 plugin. Guided vocal cleanup, pitch correction, mixing, and mastering pair measured suggestions with manual controls, reference matching, and original/processed audition.

Active development; real-recording quality and DAW validation are ongoing.

c++jucevst3audio dsp
/ latest — 04Free · Open source

Relay

A software capture-card alternative that shares screen and audio between Windows PCs over a local network. Hardware video encoding, encrypted pairing, separate desktop and microphone audio, recording, and a replay buffer support the sharing workflow. Per-game audio and display profiles restore settings when focus changes.

rusttaurireactwebrtcwasapi
/ latest — 05Live

Sterns Wedding

A personal wedding website built around the guest experience: invitation-aware RSVPs, travel and hotel guidance, attire details, photos, and song requests. A responsive, content-driven design brings planning and celebration into one place.

next.jstypescripttailwind cssrsvp workflow
/ flagship — 01 Deployed

AI-Assisted Query Optimization Workflow

Near-real-time agentic workflow combining query telemetry, platform resource metrics, and multi-database context across UDB, Oracle, and SQL Server. MCP-style tool integrations expose structured performance context to LLM-driven automation, with a human-in-the-loop review model.

SAVINGS$Multi-M / mo
STACKPython · MCP · LLM
SCOPE3 DB platforms
pythonmcpclaudeopenairag
/ 02 Deployed

Query Performance ML Classifier

ML pipeline classifying millions of rows of query telemetry to surface inefficient patterns. Production tool delivering sustained $10K+/month cost reduction.

xgboostscikit-learndbscanhdbscan
/ 03 Training

Secure, local-first AI agent platform orchestrating distributed nodes, agents, and tools via typed protocols, policy controls, and audit events. Full-stack control plane over WebSocket.

pythonwebsocketagentic
/ 04 Deployed

OpenClaw / Mission Control

Self-hosted multi-agent AI environment extended with custom governance, service integrations, tool routing, gateway communication, and runtime observability.

multi-agentobservabilitytool routing
/ 05 Deployed

Hermes Agent

Internal AI agent for structured automation, tool orchestration, and context-aware task execution across integrated services. Reusable agentic skill pattern.

pythonagentictool-orchestration
/ 06 Deployed

Centralized Tool Registry Hub

Internal AI-powered knowledge platform using LightRAG to centralize tool governance, review status, use cases, cost visibility, and adoption guidance across teams.

lightragrag-anythingpython
/ 07 Live

NEXUS OS · Agent Command Center

Self-hosted multi-agent runtime with a custom CLI, integrated terminal dashboard, animated sprite UI, remote system controls, and hot-key privacy shortcuts. 12 specialized agents in a tiered cost-routing architecture.

multi-agentclidockerfastapipostgres
/ 08 Live

Cross-Tool Skill Authoring Pipeline

Single source-of-truth for version-controlled skills, instructions, prompts, and rules — published to 8 agentic targets: Copilot, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, BlackBox AI, Hermes, OpenClaw. 157+ skills and counting.

claude-codecopilotcursorclinecodex
/ 09 Live

LLM Guardrails & Memory Consolidation

Layered guardrail system and memory consolidation pipeline for LLM agents — context compression with LeanCTX (80% reduction), structured long-term memory, schema-indexed Obsidian vault with 1,500+ entries, and policy-gated execution across the agent tier.

guardrailsleanctxragobsidianllm-config
/ 10 Live

Global News & Signal Scraper Network

Active scraper fleet pulling AI, GitHub, and world economic news into the knowledge base in near real-time. Feeds downstream research agents and the trading pipeline's signal stage. Auto-downloads and security-scans trending agentic skills from open marketplaces.

scraperspythoncronlightragauto-assign
/ 11 Live

MCP Server Registry · 98 Servers

Internal registry of 98 MCP servers exposing 500+ tools — governed, versioned, and auto-assigned to agents by profile and role. Integrated with orchestration routing and the tool registry hub for adoption tracking and cost visibility.

mcptool-routinggovernancepython
/ 02 — DOSSIER

Background

since 2018
distributed
open to roles
MAY 2020 — PRESENT

Software Engineer · Data Insights & Analytics

USAA · San Antonio, TX

Built production ingestion and automation across 10+ enterprise data platforms — SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, UDB, Cassandra, Couchbase, Aurora/Postgres, Neptune, Netezza. Active Product Owner: scoping, prioritizing, and translating technical trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.

2024 — PRESENT

ML Query Performance Workflow

USAA · Production Tool

Designed and shipped an ML-based classification workflow (XGBoost, DBSCAN, HDBSCAN, scikit-learn) identifying high-cost query patterns across multi-platform environments — generating $10K+/month in sustained savings. Now extending it with a near-real-time AI-assisted agentic recommendation layer.

2020 — PRESENT

CI/CD & Deployment Modernization

USAA · SDLC Initiative

Modernized enterprise SDLC by integrating Talon Batch automation, automated testing, and ticket-generation into deployment pipelines — improving consistency, release throughput, and operational traceability.

SIDE · OPEN SOURCE

n8n Contributor & Personal Agent Platforms

AgentLink · OpenClaw · Hermes · Tool Registry

Contributing to n8n with hands-on exposure to workflow automation. Building local-first agent runtimes, RAG knowledge platforms, and reusable agentic skill patterns aligned with GTM automation.

EDUCATION

B.S. Computer Science (Cybersecurity)

Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi · GPA 3.85

Graduated with strong systems and security foundations.

/ 03 — STACK

Equipment

50+ skills
calibrated · today

AI / ML

14
  • Claude (Anthropic)96
  • OpenAI APIs92
  • MCP (Model Context Protocol)92
  • Agent orchestration92
  • LLM guardrails90
  • Memory consolidation90
  • LLM configuration & tuning90
  • RAG / LightRAG90
  • Prompt & skill engineering94
  • Cost-aware tier routing88
  • XGBoost · scikit-learn90
  • DBSCAN · HDBSCAN84
  • Copilot · Cursor · Cline · Codex92
  • Telegram / Discord automation86

Data

12
  • Snowflake90
  • Oracle · SQL Server90
  • UDB / DB284
  • Aurora / Postgres88
  • Cassandra · Couchbase80
  • Neptune (graph)74
  • Netezza · IMS · DocDB78
  • dbt82
  • Control-M · Cron88
  • Streamlit84

Software

10
  • Python (primary)96
  • SQL94
  • Go78
  • C#76
  • Docker · Kubernetes88
  • OpenShift · GitLab CI86
  • Grafana · OTel · Datadog88
/ 04 — HOMELAB

Sovereign AI

157+ skills · 12 agents
1,500+ KB entries
self-hosted

A self-hosted AI command center running on a mini-PC in a spare room.

No cloud platforms. No vendor lock-in. Everything lives on hardware I own and control. Twelve specialized agents in a tiered cost-routing architecture, a multi-stage trading pipeline, and a hardened infrastructure stack — all running 24/7 on local silicon.

Sovereign Multi-agent Cost-routed Local-first WireGuard Docker

NEXUS OS · Agent Roster

12 agents · tiered routing
Tier 1 — Orchestration & review
A1WinstonOrchestrates the swarmUP
A2TonkaWrites & refactors codeUP
A3ChopVets security postureUP
A4ChampAssesses risk & exposureUP
A5RubyReviews for precisionUP
A6MarleyStrategic alignment checkUP
Tier 2 — Planning, research, observability
B1BeansPlanning & decompositionUP
B2WoofyExternal researchUP
B3MaggieKnowledge retrievalUP
B4RoscoeTelemetry & loggingUP
B5SugarSummarizationUP
B6OdinObservability watchdogUP
INFRASTRUCTURE STACK
WireGuard VPNencrypted site-to-site tunnel
Active
UFW Firewalldefault-deny · SSH locked to LAN
8 rules
Fail2Banwatching SSH
0 failed
DockerNext · FastAPI · worker · Postgres · Redis · Caddy
6 ctnrs
LeanCTXtoken optimizer
80% comp.
Obsidian Vaultindex · schema · change log
Synced

By the Numbers

Live counts · grows weekly
157+
Version-controlled skills
98
MCP servers
500+
Tools registered
1,500+
Knowledge entries mapped
36
Scheduled jobs · all passing
12
Active agents
8+
GitHub repos auto-pulled
5
Internal repos (private)

Capabilities

Beyond the agent roster
  • NEXUS OS CLI
    Locally specific command shell with integrated terminal in the dashboard view.
    internal
  • Agent-specific routing & orchestration
    Tasks auto-assigned to the next-best agent by profile and role.
    automated
  • Global news & signal scrapers
    AI, GitHub, and world economic news streams feeding the knowledge base in near real-time.
    live
  • Skill marketplace ingestion
    Auto-research, security-scan, and download of new and trending skills — auto-assigned to the best-fit agent.
    vetted
  • Custom prediction markets
    Automated review and forecasting layer over agent outputs.
    private
  • Telegram & Discord channels
    Two-way comms with approval chains and channel alerting baked into the runtime.
    configured
  • Remote system controls
    Hot-key shortcuts for privacy posture and exposure containment across the host machine.
    hardened
  • Cross-tool skill authoring
    One source-of-truth skills, instructions, prompts, and rules — published to Copilot, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, BlackBox AI, Hermes, OpenClaw.
    8 targets
  • Animated sprites & UI
    Personality layer — every agent has presence in the dashboard.
    UX

Operating Principles

  • Automation over repetition.If a human does it twice, an agent does it forever.
  • Security gates on every path.No execution without a vetted boundary.
  • Cost awareness in every routing decision.Cheapest tier that can handle the job correctly.
  • Sovereignty over convenience.Hardware I own. Data I control.
/ 05 — CONTACT

Get in touch

latency < 24h
tls 1.3
global
/ EMAIL

Direct line

jakesterns21@gmail.com
Receiving
/ GITHUB

Repository

github.com/jakesterns
Open source
/ LINKEDIN

Professional

www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sterns-511a4a180
Open to roles

/ 06 — AFTER HOURS A little further down the rabbit hole

Off the clock.
Still building.

A spare room. A few good questions.
A whole universe of things to connect.
Follow the story. Find your next stop.

Comic illustration of Jake at his desk, reaching toward a glowing orange orb.
01 / THE SPARKWhat if…

It starts with a question.

Follow the curiosity.

From systems and security to data, automation, and AI.

Explore my background
Comic illustration of a miniature computer lab with glowing cables connecting a server to agent workflows.
02 / THE CONNECTIONMeanwhile, in the lab…

One idea becomes a system.

Small room. Big ideas.

Self-hosted infrastructure. Twelve agents. Plenty left to explore.

Step inside NEXUS OS
Comic illustration of a glowing terminal and a paper airplane taking flight: the beginning of a new conversation.
03 / THE NEXT CHAPTERTo be continued.

The next connection could be you.

Let's build what's next.

An interesting problem. A new opportunity. A good conversation.

Let's talk
END OF PAGE. NOT THE STORY.
Thanks for looking a little closer.
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NOTES FROM THE WORKBENCH

Explore my background