Make the system understandable
People should be able to form an accurate mental model: what is happening, why it matters, and what they can do next.
About / 01
I work where product, UX, and engineering meet.
I'm Pete Zenger. I like complicated software, clear interfaces, small teams, and the moment when a hard problem finally becomes easy to explain.
Start a conversationThe through-line
Useful software is a coordination problem before it is a UI problem.
For more than a decade I've shipped products from scratch, scaled systems, led engineering teams, and worked close to the details that make software feel calm, capable, and trustworthy.
“The details are not the details. They make the design.”
The work I enjoy most lives between disciplines: translating product intent into system behavior, turning technical constraints into understandable choices, and making sure the experience still holds together after the prototype becomes real software.
I write here because good decisions are reusable. The articles capture patterns from building; the reviews apply the same attention to games and the value of someone's time.
02 / Working principles
The standards I bring to the work.
Reduce the cost of momentum
A good workflow removes setup tax, preserves context, and lets the next useful action feel obvious without becoming rigid.
Use evidence without losing taste
Prototypes, product signals, and honest feedback improve decisions. Judgment still matters—it just has something real to push against.
03 / Current coordinates
Where I'm applying the thinking.
Now
Product UX at Redpanda Data
Improving how people understand and operate a high-performance data platform—where clear state and trustworthy feedback matter.
Studio
Big Hit Maker
Select product, UX, and engineering work for teams that need a sharp outside perspective and a practical path to shipping.
Practice
A decade of building
Products from zero to one, systems serving millions, engineering leadership, and plenty of lessons from the space between a good idea and a useful product.
04 / Contact
Bring the interesting problem.
For product and UX work, technical writing, consulting fit, or a thoughtful note about something I wrote.
Best for projects and longer conversations
hello@bighitmaker.com