Maximilian Maksutovic
On the Cusp of A Great Career in Music Software Development
Max Maksutovic has worn many hats professionally so far – he’s been a professional musician, a composer, and an audio engineer. But for the last six years, he’s been focused on software development. “I’ve been looking to fuse my two loves, music and software, and in 2019 I think that’s becoming a reality.”
Max is the co-founder of Augmented Triad Software. Max and his dear friend and co-founder Andrew Hobbs premiered a beta release of their new app, Changes, at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) recently – take a look at: changesmusicapp.com
He observes, “From a structural standpoint, software development for me is so close to music composition. In each, there is a finite set of tools and options that allow a nearly infinite amount of combinations together to make a product. It’s an infinite skill ceiling; you can spend your entire life understanding the tools better, making new tools, and discovering new combinations to evolve the art to a new standard.”
“I have a huge well of curiosity and passion for understanding and interacting with technology, art, social systems. I had the absolute good fortune to work for Biomeme, a Philadelphia startup that made a DNA detector for iPhone. For my product, Changes, I brought my former intern and dear friend from Biomeme, Atharva Valdya, to Petaluma to work with me. I needed someone as obsessed with music as I was with the art of software development, and that is Atharva through and through.”
Max moved to Rohnert Park from San Diego when he was 4, and has lived in Sonoma County for 20 years. He graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor’s in Music Composition and Clarinet Performance, and a minor in Computer Science.
Very close to his mother Helen and his grandparents Alice and Hadden, Max calls his brother Alex “the light of my life, and my greatest teacher.” Alex is severely autistic, nonverbal, and has epilepsy. Max “was instrumental in my brother’s care since I was a little child, along with my mother. Because of my mother’s tireless courage to provide the best quality of life for Alex, he is today far more capable, independent and engaged than if we had just left it up to The Establishment.”
Impressions of WORK Petaluma? “Overall, WORK Petaluma is absolutely wonderful – the location, the décor, and the members are truly special. There are times it seems a bit quiet for me, as I am quite a loud person. Apologies to my coWORKers! For example, I hum and conduct imaginary orchestras while I work, and I love my keyboard, which clacks as I type. Ultimately, it is in particular the owner, Natasha, who makes WORK Petaluma the truly special place it is.”
* * *