Matthew Alton Rachwal
Jesus Christ first. Husband and father always. Then I build things. Specializing in Node.js, TypeScript, React, Docker, and Debian systems. Co-Founder of Hostral, a game server hosting platform. I like turning messy ops into simple, reliable tools and documentation.
Curiosity about God’s creation keeps me going. I try things, learn, and iterate. I’m not the most brilliant person, but I refuse to give up. I keep moving forward—whatever the pace. That attitude has led me to places I never expected, and I’m deeply grateful for this life.
I document as I build—filmmaking is my notebook. I share working setups, failures, and repeatable patterns so others can reuse them. You’ll find tutorials and build logs across my channels (TechPlant, Matthew Alton, and Everyday Korean).
- Location: Wisconsin, USA
- Focus Areas: Node.js, TypeScript, React, Docker, Linux, AWS, CICD
- Interests: Programming, Exotic Plants, Tissue Culture, Homelab Infrastructure, Security Hardening, Korean language
- Languages: English (native), Korean (learning)
- Current Study: Cybersecurity, Programming, Tissue Culture, Electronic Engineering
Professional Summary
Current Roles
Software Engineer
- Built and maintained scalable RESTful microservices backed by both relational and non-relational databases (DynamoDB, MySQL, RDS)
- Created backend data transformation solutions to align with evolving business requirements and support downstream consumers
- Automated release playbook creation/maintenance using GitLab and Confluence, later adopted by many teams
- Developed robust and flexible tooling for DynamoDB data migration, enabling seamless schema evolution
Co-Founder
- Led the development of a game server rental platform
- Prioritized simplicity, cost-effectiveness and lean principles to minimize reliance on 3rd party applications/codebases
Technical Skills
Languages & Frameworks
Node.js (20/22 LTS), TypeScript, React, Express
Infrastructure
Docker, Debian 12–13, pfSense, WireGuard, GitHub Actions, GitLab Runners, DinD testing
Data & Security
MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Suricata, Fail2Ban, VLAN segmentation