moidx

Now

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What I’m working on, reading, and thinking about — updated periodically. A page in the spirit of nownownow.com.

Working on

Leading OpenTitan at Google — building secure, reliable provisioning across hardware and software for ChromeOS, data center, and beyond.
Sharpening engineering practices and review culture across a multi-team, multi-org program.

Reading and learning

Capability-based hardware architectures — CHERI and CHERIoT.
Memory-safe systems languages and how they interact with secure hardware.
The leadership tradeoffs of running zero-to-one projects inside large organizations.

Writing

Posts on engineering, leadership, and the lessons of building real systems with real constraints.
On the near-term radar: secure provisioning at scale, capability hardware in production, engineering leadership at the staff and principal level.

Outside work

Strength training and running, with an eye on long-term resilience.
Time with family, two cats, and the occasional guitar session.
Looking for ways to stay grounded in the AI moment without losing curiosity.

Last updated: April 2026.

Staying Grounded

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A reflection on artificial intelligence, presence, and the simple joys of life in a rapidly evolving world.

Wondering About CHERI/CHERIoT?

Fri, 30 May 2025 20:50:42 -0700

Cover image taken from the cheriot-ibex GitHub project..

Ever found yourself staring at a debugger, chasing a memory corruption bug that seems to defy logic? Or maybe you’ve sunk countless hours hardening C/C++ code against the ever-present threats of buffer overflows and use-after-free vulnerabilities? If you’re an embedded systems developer, you’ve likely been there. These memory safety issues aren’t just annoyances; they’re prime vectors for security exploits. But what if we could tackle these problems at their very root – right down in the hardware?

Thriving in Your First Tech Job

Sun, 25 May 2025 20:59:42 -0700

Congratulations! You’ve successfully navigated interviews, completed team matching, and finally landed your first tech job. Starting fresh in a professional environment can feel overwhelming—I certainly felt that way when I began my journey as a hardware engineer at Motorola in 2007. Remember, everyone starts somewhere. Whether you’re fresh out of school or transitioning from another field, your first year sets the foundation for your career.

This guide shares practical insights from my experiences, intended to help you confidently navigate your first steps in tech.

The Cost of Climbing the Ledge: Leadership, Engineering, and Burnout

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 18:17:42 -0700

I’ve been in this game for almost two decades — from debugging pre-silicon firmware with an oscilloscope in hand, to leading 40+ engineers across organizations to deliver production silicon. I’ve shipped chips, built secure boot flows, led zero-to-one projects, and steered open-source hardware like OpenTitan into Google’s data center infrastructure.

But if I’m being honest, leadership can feel like a climb to a ledge — and some days, it feels like the only way down is to jump.

Hi, I'm Miguel O

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m a Staff Software Engineer at Google and a longtime builder of secure, reliable, and scalable systems.

Over the years, I’ve led projects across the full stack of root-of-trust hardware, from early architecture and security design to production silicon and deployment at scale. These days, I’m leading OpenTitan at Google — working across hardware and software to support security and provisioning for ChromeOS, data centers, and more.

Outside of work, I write about engineering, leadership, and the lessons I’ve learned from building real systems with real constraints.

Stay in the Loop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I write about engineering, leadership, and building secure, scalable systems — and the personal lessons along the way.

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