David is a staff engineer at MongoDB focused on server performance. He focuses on increasing the understanding of how MongoDB's software performs for its customers.

In practice this includes: Asking hard questions about MongoDB performance and then trying to answer them (or having someone else try to answer them); Challenging assumptions and commonly accepted wisdom around MongoDB performance; Encouraging everyone at MongoDB to think about performance, including adding new performance tests relevant to their ongoing work (e.g., adding new performance tests for new features or refactors); And explaining the current state of performance to others.

He helped build and design MongoDB's performance testing infrastructure from the bottom up. At various times this required focusing on complete end-to-end automation, control of test noise and variability, working around test noise, and building processes to make sure that issues identified by the infrastructure were properly recognized and addressed.