Harel Asher — Software Developer

I'm a Software Developer specializing in high-performance web systems and Generative AI integration.

A graduate with Academic Honors from John Bryce's Full-Stack & AI program, dedicated to building intelligent, scalable software that bridges complex data with seamless user experiences.

From search engines to real-time networked games, I've built projects that prioritize both speed and architectural integrity.

I thrive on optimizing backend workflows, mastering databases, and turning complex algorithmic challenges into production-ready results.

A relentless learner with a "mission-first" mindset.

As Head of a Special Forces Selection Unit, I bring the same precision and reliability to code that high-stakes operations demand.

Projects

Selected work

Toggle Blueprint mode to see system architecture diagrams.

Flagship

PlotSeekerAI

AI-Powered Book Discovery Engine

A self-contained book discovery platform that uses AI-powered semantic search to match readers with books based on meaning, not just keywords. Built around a local catalog of 45k+ titles so every query is fast and independent of external APIs.

  • Three-layer hybrid search: pgvector semantics, trigram fuzzy match, and full-text — merged by weighted score.
  • search_cache stores AI embeddings to skip redundant OpenAI calls on repeat queries.
  • Local catalog of 45k+ books with vector embeddings and ISBN-to-affiliate mappings.
localhost:5173
PlotSeekerAI book discovery interface

Networked Blackjack

Multiplayer Game over Raw Sockets

A fully networked multiplayer Blackjack game built from scratch — no game framework, just raw sockets. The server manages all game state, enforces rules, and handles multiple concurrent tables while clients connect over an encrypted custom protocol.

  • Threaded server handles each client independently across up to three concurrent tables.
  • Custom fixed-width protocol with AES-CBC encryption between Pygame client and server.
  • All game logic is server-side — bets, cards, and seats can't be manipulated client-side.
  • SQLite stores profiles, chip balances, and a leaderboard with hourly chip top-ups.
localhost:5173
Networked Blackjack Pygame client

Skills

Technical stack

AI Engineering

  • RAG / Embeddings
  • LangChain
  • Agents
  • Prompt Engineering
  • pgvector

Full-Stack

  • C#
  • TypeScript
  • Python
  • React
  • Node.js
  • Express

Infrastructure

  • SQL
  • Docker
  • REST APIs
  • Git
  • Client-Server

Leadership

Military Leadership

Head of Special Forces Selection Unit · Aug 2023 – Jun 2026

  • Certificate of Excellence for leadership and operational performance.
  • Mentored a team of 5 soldiers managing complex placement systems for elite units under extreme workload.
  • Designed custom software and database scripts as the primary interface for real-time placement decisions.
  • Automated candidate analysis with SQL, Excel, and SAP—improving selection accuracy and throughput.