Max Mcfarland Email & Phone Number

Mountain View, California, United States

I am a founder and partner at Insightful Mechanisms. Along with my partners, we help our clients develop new products and businesses based on new technologies. We assist others with business & technology ideation, technology strategy and roadmap, design and building of prototypes, and reference implementations. My focus is on full-stack (edge to cloud).

Portland, Oregon, United States

I founded this LLC to build a cohesive edge to cloud architecture that realize key concepts of edge based video capture – complimenting cloud side video processing. Designed and implemented numerous capabilities like remote device authentication, modular on-board software solution update, and system control, secure tunnels, onboard storage management, and.

San Francisco Bay Area

• Distinguished Software ArchitectRole:
• Architect business enabling solutions for Ricoh’s Smart Vision Cloud Business.
• Technical expert, responsible for the overall design, implementation, integration and operations of entire cloud platform.
• Implement and productize highly complex cloud based services that require in-depth disciplinary knowledge
• Closely partner with Businesses & Development teams, as well as IT around the globe (USA, Japan, India).
• Rapidly prototype and conduct business trials for solutions targeted for the cloud.

Tokyo, Japan

• International Assignment - Ricoh Japan
• Promoted to Deputy General Manager & extended international assignment
• Created and managed a new “New Business Creation” organization (45+ people).
• Created the organizational structure, methods, criteria, and culture to drive Ricoh people to creating new business opportunities based on direct customer evidence
• Integrated Agile methodology into new business creation process – allowing us to rapidly respond to changing customer needs and value.
• Created Three (3) New Business Candidates (so far) approved to move to next funding stage.

Tokyo, Japan

• International Assignment - Ricoh Japan
• Modernized Software Development in Ricoh Japan
• Released 5 New Products in 18 months (best in Company)
• Reduced Product Development Life-cycle from 14 months to 4 Months
• Implemented Agile, Test Driven, and Continuous Integration Software Methodology
• Trained & Lead a team of inexperienced developers to become company superstars

Cupertino, California

• Promoted to Director of Customer Research and Vice President
• Led team of 10 skilled professionals to explore emerging needs of mobile workers, digital collaboration, and how mega trends are impacting businesses needs
• Completed 15+ research projects (each 4-6 months) – partnering with external companies
• Successfully create new Business line for Ricoh – App2Me
• Awarded “World’s #1 Technology Award” for App2Me.
• Created first program to bring Japanese Engineers to Silicon Valley to learn Lean, Agile, Customer Driven methodologies.

Menlo Park, California

• Recruited into Ricoh’s R&D organization, run by world renowned Peter E. Hart.
• Founding member of Customer Research Group, combining ethnographic study and rapid prototyping (engineering) to field trial new ideas and determine actual customer value.
• Engineering Manager and Lead Engineer, rapidly integrating emerging technology or research concepts to deliver compelling value and user experiences.
• Successfully led engineering team to create new features for existing businesses, and help company understand the changing needs of modern customers.

Cupertino, California

• Recruited into Ricoh’s first startup
• Created the Ricoh eCabinet – a true network appliance for unconscious document capture
• Managed team of 5 engineers and was Lead Engineer for all core data and document processing (OS, back-end processing, OCR, and data storage
• Significantly contributed to the birth of a new business for Ricoh.

Mountain View, California

• Key engineer at Knowledge Management Startup
• Developed parametric searching software for data retrieval.
• Learned critically important lessons on why startups fail, such as building the wrong thing, not understanding real customer needs, and the challenges of startup management.

Cupertino, California

• Co-leader and senior member of Apple’s “Finder Team” – the front end user experience of the Apple experience.
• Author of first concurrent copy engine – allowing users to have multiple copy (and other) operations running concurrently.
• Developed and patented several new core user experience features (such as spring loaded folders, drawers, etc.)
• Shipped OS version 7.0, 7.1 and others up to OS 8.5.
• The most proficient “Bug Fixer” in the organization

Alamden Research Lab

• Developed software solutions for the State of California
• Recommended by UCSC Dean of Computer Engineering – Patrick Mantey to intern for IBM while working on my degree.