Services / 09
What
I build.
Web apps, dashboards, lead-gen sites, performance work, infrastructure. Nine focused services. One direct line.
Services / Catalogue
What I can help with
01 / Featured
Web Application Development
Frontend · Backend · Infra
Full-stack engagements where one developer covers the whole product — frontend, backend, infrastructure.
02
Vue & Nuxt
Composition API · Pinia
Vue 3 + Nuxt 3 applications your team can maintain.
03
React & Next.js
App Router · RSC
Production React for dashboards, e-commerce and data-heavy apps.
04
Performance & technical debt
Core Web Vitals
Refactors, CI/CD upgrades, lighthouse rescues.
05
Infrastructure & DevOps
AWS · GCP · Docker
Hosting setup, migrations, automation.
06
Laravel & PHP
Backend · APIs
Backend support, modernisation, inherited PHP systems.
07
API development
REST · GraphQL · Auth
The backend contracts that keep products working.
08
WordPress optimisation
Headless · Speed
Performance, security, plugin updates, headless CMS.
Engagement / How we work
Pick the shape that fits.
Embedded contractor, retainer hours, fixed-scope project, or pure consulting. Same person across all of them.
Option 01
Contract / Embedded
Join your team
I work alongside your developers as a contract hire. Same standups, same Slack channels, same deadlines. You get dedicated capacity without the permanent headcount.
- Scaling for a big push
- Covering team gaps
- Projects needing 2–6 months full-time
Option 02
Retainer
Ongoing hours, priority access
Book a set number of hours each month. I keep the time reserved for you so when something breaks or a feature ships fast, I am available.
- Regular dev support without a hire
- Post-launch + new features
- Agencies wanting on-call dev
Option 03
Project-based
Defined scope, fixed deliverable
You tell me what you need built. I scope it, quote it, build it, hand it over. Clear start, clear end.
- MVPs and prototypes
- Specific features or integrations
- Rebuilds or migrations
Option 04
Consulting
Advice without the build
Sometimes you do not need code, you need clarity. Architecture reviews, tech-stack decisions, second opinions.
- Build vs buy decisions
- Reviewing contractor work
- Planning a rewrite or migration
By the numbers
Over a decade of senior delivery, condensed.
Experience
10+
Years building software
Languages
6
JS · TS · PHP · Go · SQL · Bash
Stack
3
Frontend · Backend · Infra
Reply time
<24
Hours, every message
How I work
Remote-first. Async by default.
Inspired by Remote and the way Basecamp ran a distributed team without burning anyone out. Meetings are expensive, writing is cheap, and momentum belongs to whoever can make a decision without a calendar invite.
01 / Specs
Specs before code
A short written spec covering problem, scope, and acceptance before anything gets built. Cuts rework, makes review easier, and means we never argue about what was agreed.
02 / Workstreams
Workstreams over standups
Active work lives in tickets and PRs with running notes. Async updates instead of daily standups, so deep work is the default and meetings only happen when they earn it.
03 / Loom > Zoom
Loom over meetings
Most reviews and walkthroughs go out as a 5-minute Loom you can watch at 2× when convenient. We jump on Meet / Zoom / Teams when the topic actually needs a conversation.
Channels / Tools
Slack
Async, threaded, no expectation of instant reply
Loom
PR walkthroughs, demos, design reviews
Google Meet / Zoom / Teams
Booked when conversation > writing
Linear / Jira / GitHub
Source of truth for the work
Notion / Docs
Specs, decision records, retros
The pitch
I write the code, talk to your team, and ship what we agreed. No agencies. No PMs. No surprises.
James Donnelly
Freelance developer · Manchester