Nico Westerdale

Info

Professional experience, published articles, conference talks, and exhibitions

Resume

Download my complete resume in PDF format or online.

Professional Experience

IndeVets

As Chief Technology Officer at IndeVets, a PE-backed, 3x Inc. 5000 HealthTech company, I lead the entire Product & Technology organization. I architected a capital efficient strategy to maximize enterprise value by building the proprietary algorithmic optimization engine, backed by machine learning, that enabled a strategic pivot in the company's business model. This data science approach created a data driven playbook for scalable, de-risked market expansion while driving substantial SG&A reduction through precise supply and demand modeling.

IndeVets

Wharton CTO Program

As a Guest Lecturer for the Emeritus CTO Program at Wharton Executive Education & Cambridge Judge Business School, I develop and deliver sessions for senior technology leaders focusing on the critical strategic tradeoffs in high growth environments. My curriculum covers key topics such as balancing velocity against risk, managing technical debt as a financial instrument, and scaling engineering organizations from MVP to enterprise readiness. This role allows me to share practical insights from scaling teams at companies like Gopuff and IndeVets with the next generation of technology leaders.

Wharton CTO Program

Accelerator CTO

I founded Accelerator CTO to provide fractional CTO services to high-growth companies. My approach focuses on three core areas; establishing clear product roadmaps, implementing pragmatic agile methodologies, and mentoring technical leaders to build self-sustaining organizations. Key engagements included guiding Beneration's transition to in-house engineering, modernizing technology stacks for vehicle routing platforms like Hailify, directing HealthTech AI ventures including XRP blockchain solutions, and conducting technical due diligence for private equity evaluations.

Accelerator CTO

Gopuff

As Director of Engineering, Consumer Product at Gopuff, I led all consumer-facing engineering and UX during a period of historic hypergrowth as the company raised $3B and reached a $9B+ valuation. I helped scale the Product & Engineering organization from 7 to over 200 engineers, building world-class teams focused on growth, loyalty, shopping experience, and delivery operations. Key technical achievements included championing and building the company's first product experimentation platform, enabling data-driven A/B testing that delivered multiple percentage point lifts in Average Order Value (AOV), and leading a full-scale cross-functional brand rebuild with integrated loyalty program redesign.

Gopuff

IncentFit

As the first technology leader and CTO at IncentFit, I built and scaled the platform from MVP into a successful corporate wellness solution serving over 200 clients including Corning and Blue Cross Blue Shield. I architected the core financial engine - a complex micropayments system that securely processed over $500 million annually. The platform featured a robust data ingestion system with multiple pipelines unifying health data from dozens of sources (Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Health, Google Fit), plus a sales onboarding tool that enabled instant creation of custom wellness plans, directly increasing client conversions.

IncentFit

Comcast

As Senior Developer, Advanced Platforms at Comcast, I developed several of the company's first internet-based streaming services beyond traditional set-top boxes, laying foundational R&D for modern Xfinity streaming platforms. I led development of the flagship Xfinity TV application for Xbox 360 and played instrumental roles launching applications for emerging platforms including Samsung Smart TV and Roku. This work established the technical architecture and user experience patterns that enabled Comcast's strategic transition from hardware-dependent cable boxes to IP-based streaming services.

Comcast

BitsDuJour

As Founder & CTO of BitsDuJour, I pioneered one of the first "flash sale" e-commerce platforms, creating a new go-to-market channel for the Independent Software Vendor industry. I engineered a high-volume marketing automation platform that delivered 500,000+ emails daily and built the business from the ground up, leading all product, technology, and marketing operations. After growing and managing a cross-functional team of six, we won the "Best Independent Software Vendor Service Award" and I successfully led the company through a profitable exit after eight years of self-sustaining operation.

BitsDuJour

Iconico

As Founder & CTO of Iconico, Inc., my first entrepreneurial venture, I built and marketed a suite of award-winning UX and development software tools, identifying a clear market need for specialized developer utilities. I led the entire product lifecycle for a portfolio of tools, including industry standards like Screen Calipers and ColorPic - the world's most downloaded color picker for PC - which garnered hundreds of thousands of downloads. I grew the business into a profitable, fully automated operation with outsourced support, enabling a successful transition to passive ownership.

Iconico

Articles & Interviews

Philly Power Moves - Nico Westerdale is the new CTO for IndeVets

Nov 1, 2023

IndeVets announces that Nico Westerdale is now the company's full-time CTO after working as its fractional CTO for two years.

2023 GenUI Tech Predictions

Jan 3, 2023

Roundtable discussion in the leading technology platforms for web, mobile, AR/VR, cloud, data, and - notably - AI/ML

Wider, simpler, less targeted - Inside the pivot of social platform Upspace

Oct 27, 2022

Months after their initial announcement, the Upspace team discusses their platform pivot and new direction.

RealLIST Engineers - Software's Most Influential

Dec 15, 2022

Recognizing the most influential software engineers and technologists in the Philadelphia region.

How technologists reflect on their career growth

Dec 8, 2022

Tech professionals share insights on career development, learning, and professional growth in the industry.

Tech imposter syndrome - How to overcome self-doubt in your career

Nov 17, 2022

Addressing the common challenge of imposter syndrome in tech careers and strategies to build confidence.

Upswing fitness app aims to revolutionize workout tracking

Sep 22, 2022

Local startup Upswing develops innovative fitness tracking technology to help users optimize their workouts.

Philly coding bootcamps list 2023 - Where to learn to code

Mar 15, 2023

A comprehensive guide to coding bootcamps and programming education options in the Philadelphia area.

Bad tech job titles - Why agile UX product manager roles are confusing

Aug 11, 2022

Examining problematic job titles in tech and how unclear role definitions impact hiring and career growth.

How I Got Here. Nico Westerdale's journey from dot-com era designing to fractional CTO

Jul 23, 2021

Paige Gross from Technical.ly interviews Nico on his career at Comcast, Gopuff and as a Fractional CTO

5 Philly tech predictions for 2022

Jan 4, 2022

Fractional work, sustainability and a big IPO

What Gopuff's rumored 2022 IPO could mean for Philly tech

Dec 17, 2021

Having a success story of this magnitude is something that Philadelphia's tech community needs.

Is a college degree needed to work in tech?

Nov 2, 2021

No, but it sure helps in some cases

Grocery delivery, the UX best practices behind Gopuff's success

Nov 1, 2020

TheAppFuel does a deep dive into how the Consumer Product team at Gopuff engaged users and increased retention.

BestTechie Interview about BitsDuJour

Mar 23, 2011

Web VIP Series Discussing BitsDuJour.com

Art Exhibitions

Avalon Art Show

Avalon Art Show

13th Feb 2004

Friday the 13th of February saw an art show in the Chapel of the Avalon club, which was formerly the Limelight, and before that a church. More info on the Avalon website or on the DJ's website.

Soho Art Show

Soho Art Show

28th Nov to 23rd Dec 2003

Nine paintings as part of the eleventh Young Designer's Showcase, titled "Dreams" open throughout December. The gallery is open 11am to 8pm daily, and is located at 149 Spring Street between Wooster and West Broadway.

Solo Exhibition

Solo Exhibition

Monday 24th Nov 2003

In collaboration with Jazz pianist Rick DellaRatta from Jazz For Peace I'll be showing selected oil portraits at the Piano Museum at 291 Broadway in lower Manhattan from 7pm to 9pm. The show accompanies Rick's Jazz performance in the hall.

Group Show

Group Show

Saturday 8th to Friday 14th Nov 2003

Shine Society Gallery is the East Village's newest art salon. As part of the gallery's first show I'll be exhibiting several paintings for one week as part of a group painting show.

Group Show

Group Show

Thursday 7th Aug 2003

As part of AntagoVision selected oil portraits from this exhibit were shown in Manhattan's East Village, at 7th Street and Avenue A. Thanks to all those who came by.