01 / Background
From satellites and power plants to the web.
I studied engineering physics at Taylor University. In college I co-led a project to design and build an attitude-control system for a micro-satellite, which we tested using NASA's zero-gravity facilities. Attitude control is the part of a spacecraft that knows which way it is pointing and keeps it there.
After graduating I designed energy plants and, later, pipelines, first as a design engineer and then leading a design group. The job was drawings, calculations and troubleshooting. Every pipe, valve and instrument had to be on paper and had to be right before anything was built.
I started Adapt Innovation in August 2009, building websites and automating work for small businesses on the side. From 2014 to 2018 I led web and software development for a small music record label and publishing group. In 2018 I started partnering with Bright Cloud Studio, building websites alongside their design and SEO team. Since then development has been the whole job: custom websites, web applications, integrations, upgrades and the occasional tool that replaces a spreadsheet.
02 / Log
The short version.
Over 17 years of writing code professionally, and an engineer's habits from the years before that.
- 2006
Engineering physics
B.S. from Taylor University. Attitude control for a micro-satellite, tested using NASA facilities.
- 2007
Design engineering
Energy plants, then pipelines. Design engineer, then leading a design group.
- 2009
Adapt Innovation
Websites, automation and IT for small businesses, alongside engineering work.
- 2014
Music label and publisher
Led web and software development for a small record label and publishing group through 2018, including the website and point of sale.
- 2018
Bright Cloud Studio
Began a partnership with Bright Cloud Studio: their design and SEO, my development, on websites for their clients.
- 2018
Development, full time
Custom Contao and WordPress builds, extensions, web applications and integrations for businesses and agencies.
- Now
Custom work, faster
Websites and web applications built faster and more accurately with my own development tools: site generators, importers, automated checks and project knowledge bases. Plus NinjaTrader trading tools.
03 / How I work
Habits from the plant floor.
Engineering taught me to distrust a number until it has been checked, and to write the system down so the next person can run it. That carries straight into software.
Back up before every push
A full backup and a written way back, every time something goes live.
Verify against reality
Notes and assumptions have been wrong before. The live data gets the final word.
Show the math
Every number a tool produces should be checkable against one the client already trusts.
Build it once, reuse it
Shared components and written knowledge, so the next project starts ahead.
Let tools do the repetitive work
Site generators, importers and automated checks do the same job the same way every time. The hours you pay for go into the parts that need judgment.
A person checks every fix
Automated tests catch a lot. Someone still looks at the page.
Agencies
Development behind your brand
I work in conjunction with agencies, building their designs on Contao and WordPress and handling the specialist work their teams don't have time for.
Design & SEO
Bright Cloud Studio
Partners since 2018. I develop for Bright Cloud Studio, and recommend them for design, SEO and full website projects.
Next step
Have something that needs building?
Tell me what you have and what needs to change. See what I build, or start with a message.