I'm a seasoned web development expert with a knack for UX design.
Ivor did an excellent job building the MVP of our SaaS product. His expert knowledge of React and related technologies, as well as his ability to work independently on complex product features, make him an exceptionally valuable contributor. I would work together with Ivor again without hesitation.
Ivor helped me identify and correct key issues in the development process that were tormenting me for years. The end result was a highly performant product that quickly started making revenue, placing me miles in front of my competitors.
Working with Ivor was a smooth process. He is easygoing, reliable and a quick learner. He had no trouble understanding what needed to be done, even though the product we’re building is quite complex. Initially we were looking to hire someone for two months tops, but after witnessing Ivor's work we decided to keep him on for as long as we could.
Previous Work
A sampling of engagements I'm contractually allowed to mention.
Roomsie
Roomsie is an online marketplace that connects hosts with interns and students looking for medium-term housing.
I helped this company escape from development hell. We downsized the development team and reduced the burn rate by 60%. In the next couple of months we delivered more working features than the previous teams delivered in the past three years. Within weeks of launching the first version of the product, the company had $XXX,XXX in revenue. This engagement lasted 18 months in total.
View case studyVisit website →Trackmatic
Trackmatic is a provider of On-Road Execution™ services such as vehicle tracking, fleet management, and more.
Trackmatic hired me to architect a new version of their main customer-facing application and to build some of the most important modules such as real-time vehicle tracking. Soon after my work was done, their in-house development team continued where I left off without a hitch.
View case studyVisit website →Movieo
Movieo is a passion project I created with a another friend: a simple and well-designed movie database.
I built this movie discovery website in late 2014. It went semi-viral and received almost half a million visitors during the first month. It's still going strong with more than 100,000 monthly visitors even though it's no longer being actively maintained.
View case studyVisit website →
Basic Principles
💼Always keep the business goals in mind
Developers often sweat over minute technical details but completely ignore the bigger picture. This is often reflected in the results they produce. My primary goal is to help you build a successful business.
💎Bring additional value when appropriate
I've filled many roles during my career, from stock developer to CTO-for-hire. I've advised clients on who to fire, who to hire, sourced additional talent, helped with project management, user research, and more. I'll generally do whatever I can to bring additional value to my clients, unless told otherwise.
🛩Be pragmatic and move quickly, but always wear a seat belt
To thrive, online businesses must be able to move quickly. But if you move too quickly you might start cutting corners and implementing half-baked solutions. I like to think that I strike a good balance between speedy development and maintaining code quality.
📣Communicate effectively and speak the truth
The market is filled with uninvolved developers who disappear for days, move goalposts, and refuse to own up to their mistakes. Others work diligently but fail to speak up when necessary. They go with the flow and spend months moving in the wrong direction, for the fear of rocking the boat. I say rock the boat! Just try not to get thrown off.
Hire me if you need...
⏳A self-managing contributor who won't waste your time
I've worked as an independent contractor since the beginning of my career and I don't need constant hand-holding in order to be productive. I know when to make decisions independently and when to ask for additional information or help.
⛵️To ship a polished product with minimal overhead
To ship the first version of your product, you don't need to spend months assembling a team of developers. Such strategy often introduces massive management overhead, slows you down, and if you're not an experienced manager — leaves you with disappointing results.
I've proven my ability to ship products by myself, or with another back-end developer when met with complexity that warrants an additional hire. You don't need to spend resources on a designer either. I will design your product on the fly and still produce admirable results.
😌To reduce risks associated with hiring someone
When dealing with agencies clients often end up being locked into rigid contracts. I prefer signing a simple, flexible contract which you can terminate at any point. It shouldn't come to that though, as I haven't been fired yet (knock on wood 🌲).
If you're a non-technical person, feel free to bring in another consultant to periodically check-in on my work. It's completely fine by me and it might bring you additional confidence.