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:ID: 4b5921e3-9ce4-4e51-baf5-62274907a8af
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#+title: just-talking/user-profile
#+filetags: :project: :knowledge: :profile:

Who Aner is and what's currently in motion. See [[just-talking/conversations]] for the running session log and [[just-talking/relocation]] for detailed US-relocation criteria/financial modeling.

** Background
- Based in Israel, used to southern-Israel climate (hot, minimal cold/snow exposure) — this is the baseline he measures US weather against.
- ML/DL researcher background; 8200 IDF (SDR infra, GNURadio curriculum); Gita Technologies (WiFi/Bluetooth protocol security research); MSc thesis on AUC-maximizing loss under label noise (ROLL).
- Currently at Applied Materials (as of the 2026-08-31 entries), but accepted an offer at an Index Ventures-backed cyber startup as of 2026-09-28 — founding/early engineer, role shifting toward client-facing "solutions" work, starting around 2026-10-28.
- **Startup's product focus (learned 2026-09-29): scans and secures networks of utility companies** — i.e. OT/ICS/critical-infrastructure security, not general enterprise security. This should drive the vocabulary/domain vendor landscape (Claroty, Dragos, Nozomi Networks, not CrowdStrike/Palo Alto), frameworks (NERC CIP, Purdue Model), and protocols (Modbus, DNP3) he needs to learn. Tracked in the separate [[ot-ics-security-ramp]] project (~/projects/tutorials/ot-ics-security-ramp, migrated out of just-talking 2026-10-06).

** Current Situation (2026-09-28)
- Planning a US relocation tied to the new job's US client strategy, as the sole household earner on a $200K base salary.
- Family: spouse + kids; considering pregnancy — this is why reproductive-rights durability is a hard filter, not a soft preference.
- No US credit history or financial footprint yet — a real constraint on insurance/rental terms during the move. See [[just-talking/relocation]].
- Leading location candidate as of this date: Phoenix, AZ. Full ranked analysis in [[just-talking/relocation]].