Sam
Stephenson

Sam Stephenson is an open-source software author and veteran web and Unix programmer.

Two decades ago, he created Prototype.js and the Ruby on Rails Ajax helpers, enabling a generation of developers to build interactive web apps without JavaScript expertise.

He later created the rbenv and ruby-build projects to simplify the installation of multiple Ruby versions, the Bats testing framework to verify the behavior of command-line tools, and the Pow web server to host Rails apps on developer machines with zero configuration.

As a Rails core contributor, he led development of the Trix rich text editor, the Action Text framework, and Stimulus, and invented the technology behind Turbo and Hotwire Native. He left his job and the Rails community in 2021 following actions by leadership fundamentally at odds with his values.

In 2024, Sam released N₁₀, a Mac app that helps people stay focused on short-term goals while they work.

He’s now building his dream suite of open-source shell tools under the Brutal Unix name, starting with Brat, a parallel test harness for the POSIX shell.

Sam is currently available for consulting and contract work through Spinel Cooperative, a worker-owned co-op of longtime Rails, Bundler, and Ruby ecosystem maintainers.

He lives in Mexico City where he likes to feed the squirrels.