Michael Stebel

About Michael Stebel

I’m Michael Stebel, an indie app developer and lifelong technologist focused on building high-performance software that turns complex ideas into precise, usable tools. After 40+ years as a senior executive leading public and private companies, I now run a one-person studio developing iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS apps with a strong emphasis on performance, determinism, and technical transparency.My flagship app, Mandelbrot Metal, has emerged as a breakout success. As of early 2026, it climbed to #3 in the Paid Graphics & Design category, holding top-10 positions alongside products from multi-billion-dollar companies. For a mathematically driven, niche fractal explorer built by a single developer, that level of sustained visibility is rare. Since its launch in October 2025, the app has remained in the Top 100 of its category every week, reflecting consistent demand rather than a short-lived spike.Technically, Mandelbrot Metal is often cited as a showcase for Apple’s Metal® engine, pushing both GPU and CPU pipelines to their limits. It supports ultra-deep zoom (up to 10¹⁶×), HDR color workflows, and 8K+ resolution exports, serving digital artists, educators, and math enthusiasts who care as much about correctness and performance as they do about visual results.I’m driven by systems that are explainable, deterministic, and engineered with intent—where performance is a design goal, not an afterthought.

Experience

1. Founder & Lead Engineer

   Mandelbrot Metal

   May 2025 — Present · Delray Beach, FL, US

   Mandelbrot Metal is an independent software studio focused on creating breakthrough experiences at the intersection of art, science, mathematics, and high-performance computing. Founded by developer Michael Stebel, the studio pushes the limits of hardware and graphics technologies to build apps that are not only technically advanced but also visually extraordinary.Our flagship app, Mandelbrot Metal, is a breakout success on the App Store. The app brings the infinite complexity of the Mandelbrot set and related fractals to life on iPhone and iPad through high-performance, real-time rendering. It climbed as high as #3 in the App Store’s Paid Graphics & Design category and has remained in the Top 100 every week since launch, consistently charting alongside long-established creative tools. Engineered as a showcase for Apple’s Metal® framework, Mandelbrot Metal supports ultra-deep zoom (up to 10¹⁶×), HDR color workflows, 8K+ exports, 3D visual effects, and over 155 curated color palettes, transforming abstract mathematics into a precise, immersive visual experience.

Education

• Hofstra University

  BA, Physics, Music

• Hofstra University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Operations Research

• NCR College of Management

  Strategy, Management, Product Management

  1994

• Hofstra University

  Masters, Computer Science

Skills

• Product Launch
• Management Consulting
• Leadership Development
• Business Strategy
• Executive Management
• Business Planning
• Operations Management
• Software Development
• Product Development
• Enterprise Software
• Sales Management
• Sales
• Strategic Partnerships
• Saas
• Engineering Management
• Program Management
• Acquisitions
• Software Product Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Product Management
• Strategy
• P&L Responsibility
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Due Diligence
• Sdlc
• Corporate Finance
• Social Media
• Team Leadership
• Vendor Management
• Competitive Analysis
• Start-Ups
• Budgets
• New Business Development
• Agile
• Strategic Planning
• Management
• Team Building
• Product Marketing
• Insurance