Senior software engineer and tech lead
I'm a senior software engineer and hands-on tech lead with 18+ years across backend, frontend and full-stack development. I build APIs and integrations, work with databases, and deliver enterprise applications, developer tools and mobile apps. I've led technical delivery, guided framework migrations and mentored developers, while staying involved in the code, testing, releases and support.
I've been on the Aurelia core team since 2015 and written six technical books. I'm based in Queensland, Australia, and have worked fully remotely for 8+ years. I like messy problems and still get a kick out of shipping something people actually use.
- Full-stack engineering. I build backend services, APIs and integrations with Node.js, PHP/Laravel and .NET, work with SQL and document databases, and build the frontend that sits on top.
- Technical leadership. I've led backend, frontend and full-stack work, including architecture, code reviews, migrations and delivery, and mentored developers along the way. I enjoy helping people get better at this stuff, and I'm happy to have my own ideas challenged.
- Delivery. Hand me a problem and I'm comfortable owning it, from scoping and architecture through implementation, release and support. I've worked solo and in larger engineering teams, and talk directly with customers and business owners about requirements, pricing and onboarding.
- Quality. I'm a testing nut. Unit, integration and Playwright end-to-end tests, regression coverage and CI/CD are part of how I work. I'm a nerd for good documentation and repeatable processes too.
- Applied AI. I'm all in on AI and use it daily. I've shipped LLM integrations, classifiers, MCP servers and multimodal generation pipelines, and experimented with training my own models.
My work on Aurelia since 2015 includes framework development, documentation, plugins, tooling and community support.
- Helix Stadium app: built and released an unofficial iOS and Android companion for Line 6 Helix Stadium before Line 6 / Yamaha released their own. Open source.
- Au Rogue: codemods for Aurelia 1 to Aurelia 2 migrations.
- Aurelia 2 Testing Library: testing utilities for Aurelia 2.
- Aurelia 2 Plugins and Tooling: plugins, integrations and development utilities.
Paid software I've built for other developers.
| Product | Work |
|---|---|
| Query Anvil | Database app for macOS, Windows and Linux. SQL and NoSQL support, read-only production connections and confirmation before writes. |
| Offset | Memory editor and visual trainer builder for macOS and Windows. Live memory scanning, executable inspection, Lua scripting and standalone trainer exports. |
| Better Rich Text | Self-hosted TypeScript WYSIWYG editor with framework adapters, real-time collaboration, review tools and Word/PDF support. Sold on a one-time licence. |
| Tablin | Commercial TypeScript data grid with a headless controller, custom row and column virtualisation, typed records, validated editing and undo/redo. One-time developer licence. |
| Rowpen | Commercial TypeScript spreadsheet SDK with its own formula parser and calculation engine, a Canvas 2D renderer and a headless workbook runtime. Workbook editing, formatting, undo/redo and CSV export. |
| Tidewater for Three.js | Commercial water rendering library with buoyancy, lighting and interactive effects. Makes sales each month without marketing. |
| Project | Work |
|---|---|
| news.net | The biggest WordPress build I've led. A multisite news network with a custom theme, automated wire feeds, taxonomies, search and performance work under live traffic. |
| HivePredict | Parimutuel prediction markets on Hive. Processed over 100,000 HIVE in wagers and payouts. A bug here can cost someone money. |
| YawnTales | AI bedtime stories with 25+ paying subscribers. Built the generation, safety classification, narration and music pipeline. |
| Idlehours | Marketplace for cancelled and unfilled service appointments. I personally onboarded 30+ businesses. |
| App | Work |
|---|---|
| DroolFinder | Turns dog walks into a collecting game on iOS and Android. Photograph dogs, identify breeds and build a Dogdex of generated stickers, with challenges and a social feed. App Store · Google Play |
| Calm the Skies | An offline companion for nervous flyers, with guided breathing, grounding exercises, phone-motion visualisation and a guide to common flight sounds and sensations. |
| Coach Nash | Teaches musicians the Nashville Number System through short lessons, ear training, chord drills and playable instruments. Works offline, with progress tracking and a one-time Pro unlock. |
| Ballistic | A one-touch arcade game about dodging a ball that talks back. Powerups, haptics and Game Center leaderboards, built for quick runs and chasing a better time. |
| Cleared to Land | An air traffic control game with hand-painted airfields and a 1950s travel-poster style. Route planes and helicopters, manage busy approaches and tackle daily challenges. |
| Trolley Curling | Sling shopping trolleys into bays, bank shots off cars and work around wind, awkward wheels and moving traffic. A physics game with Game Center achievements and leaderboards. |
| Area | Technologies |
|---|---|
| Languages | TypeScript, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Rust, C#, Java, SQL |
| Backend | Node.js, Laravel, .NET, REST, GraphQL, WordPress, WooCommerce |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Firebase, Supabase |
| Frontend | React, Aurelia 2, Svelte, Vue, Angular, Elm, Web Components, Tailwind CSS |
| Cloud | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Railway, CI/CD |
| Mobile | React Native, Expo, Swift, iOS, Android |
| AI | LLM APIs, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, classifiers, MCP, audio and content generation pipelines |
| Testing | Playwright, unit, integration and end-to-end testing |
I've been writing at I Like Kill Nerds since 2010, about software, music gear and whatever else won't leave my head. I've also written six books on Rust, Aurelia and software development.
Books
Six books on Leanpub:
Products and games
- TidyFork - Audit, organise and clean up large GitHub organisations.
- Rangesearch - Better product search for WordPress and WooCommerce.
- Portwhore - macOS utility for finding and managing occupied ports. Source.
- Yardvertising - Hyperlocal advertising platform (Laravel).
- Presetbridge - A custom NDSP cloud integration to fill a gap where no official market or APIs existed.
- CortexPresets - Marketplace for Neural DSP Quad Cortex presets.
- Cortex Device List - Community database of Quad Cortex models. Source.
- Emerald Bayou - Open-source open-world bayou game.
- Stick Fighter - Single and multiplayer stick fighting game.
- Hit and Run web - Decompiled and ported The Simpsons: Hit & Run from PlayStation 2, with updated graphics made in Blender.
- RegexBattle - Competitive regular expression game.
Libraries and tools
- izone-cli - CLI and MCP server for controlling iZone air conditioners.
- hive-rs - Rust client for the Hive blockchain.
- Captura - Screenshot application and API.
- Slink - Self-hosted URL shortener (Laravel).
- HTMS - Writing JavaScript with HTML-like syntax.
- Beeline - Command-line tooling for Hive.
- Hivevoice - Blockchain-based invoicing.
- Hive Payments Woo - Accept Hive payments in WooCommerce.
ACF Versioned Content Field · ACF QR Code Field · ACF Country Field
Hive projects
Building on Hive since 2018, including transaction processing, account integration, automation and games.
- Hivett - IFTTT-style blockchain automation.
- Hive Bounty - Micro-bounty marketplace.
- HiveHand - Multiplayer Uno-style card game.
Games: Hive Roulette · Hive Ships · HiveHeist · HiveWord · HiveSweeper · Hive Lotto · HiveDice
Get in touch about engineering and tech lead roles, or a project you'd like to talk through.