I learned to program as a hobby in my teens and then paid my way through my BA in English Lit working as a software developer. I’ve been a professional since 2008, and I’ve been consulting since 2012.

I’ve been required by my career to use a broad swath of languages, like PHP, Java, Javascript, C++, Obj-C, Python, Ruby, Go, and BASIC.

I’m most comfortable in Ruby and Javascript, but I regard working with the language at hand to be part of the professional responsibilty, and I’m a quick study.

I offer these services.

My priority is working with ethical companies who care about serving their customers and embrace responsibility for the work they put into the world.

I’ve worked with many clients across industries, including:

• E-commerce
• Marketing
• Real Estate
• Heavy machinery shipping
• Warehousing
• Television networks
• Health services
• Political organizations
• Community organizations

I’ve also worked with clients from all over the world — from right here in Canada to as far away as Australia and New Zealand. (Those were fun engagements but the time difference can pose some challenges.)

My goal is always to move you forward in small steps in short periods of time.

That can be done in a lot of different ways, like for example:

• Documenting your existing setup
• Performing user interviews and research
• Researching technical viability for a project or a feature
• Bootstrapping a new software project
• Creating a rapid prototype of a feature
• Fleshing out a prototype to release to users

Important: when I finish each of these steps, you have something to show for it. If we can deliver something to you one day, then we’ll do it in one day. If we can do it in a week or a few weeks, we’ll do it in a week or a few weeks. But if we can’t do it in a few weeks, then it’s worth evaluating whether we’re trying to do too much or whether we should do it at all.

Caring for my clients also means being up-front when they reach the limits of my capacity to offer them good service, and I will happily refer my clients to colleagues or help them vet replacements for me should the need or desire arise.

Many of my engagements tend to grow from a few weeks to a year or two in length as we find richer opportunities to collaborate. I have one client that’s been working with me for more than a decade, and I most recently wrapped up with a client that was ongoing for the last seven years.

I hate when I read some FAQ and the only thing that people say about pricing is ‘it depends!’ So forgive me for saying something similar.

I’m in the businesses of helping my clients succeed and unf$@%ing software. I’m only interested in charging an arm and a leg if my clients get three or four really cool fully functional cyborg limbs with attached laser beams as a result. I don’t accept projects that aren’t likely to lead to a greater return on investment for my clients.

For clients that need my services on a short-term basis, I offer retainer rates, and I also offer a fixed-price discovery-and-documentation engagement for new and rescued projects.

Beyond that, the projects I do for clients vary tremendously in scope and requirement, so giving an exact price is difficult. Send me an email with the details of your project and I can give you a rough ballpark.