Ben is available for hire
Hire BenBen Carey
Verified Expert in Engineering
Full-stack Developer
London, United Kingdom
Toptal member since March 6, 2018
Bio
With over twenty years of development experience, accompanied by over a decade of building and consulting with tech startups, Ben is a seasoned veteran who brings an abundance of specialized skills. He was vice president of partnerships and product strategy at one of Europe's leading startup accelerators for over two years. The combination of coding and strategic experience that Ben brings is unrivaled.
Portfolio
Intrface
Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery...
Sine Macula
Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery...
Verifast, Inc
Laravel, PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, Full-stack, Vue, React...
Experience
Availability
Full-time
Preferred Environment
Bitbucket, DataGrip, PhpStorm, OS X
The most amazing...
...thing I've coded is my own PHP and JavaScript framework for bootstrapping specialized web and API development.
Work Experience
Co-founder | Technical Director
2019 - PRESENT
Intrface
- Handled the day-to-day running of the company and internal operations.
- Oversaw and managed all development activities within the company.
- Designed and maintained the company’s server infrastructure.
- Developed and maintained the company's corporate website.
Technologies: Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, CTO, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), PWA, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), Linux, SCSS, CSS, HTML, Laravel, Lumen, Vue, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, Web, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, Git, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Bitbucket, Modernizr, CentOS, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Laravel Mix, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, AWS Cloud Architecture, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, SaaS, NGINX, Bootstrap, Microservices, Enterprise, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, TypeScript, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chatbots, Migration, Web Applications
Founder | CEO
2007 - PRESENT
Sine Macula
- Conducted the day-to-day running of the company and all internal operations.
- Formed, managed, and maintained numerous subsidiaries within the company.
- Designed and developed numerous websites and web platforms.
- Consulted for 30+ startups and mentored 50+ founders.
- Devised and maintained the company's server infrastructure.
- Constructed multiple frameworks used within all company projects to make development more efficient and ensure each site meets professional coding and SEO standards.
Technologies: Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, CTO, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Vue, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), PWA, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), Linux, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Web, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, jQuery, Laravel, Git, Rackspace Cloud, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Microsoft SQL Server, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Lumen, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, IIS, Ejabberd, XMPP, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook SDK, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Laravel Mix, Laravel Elixir, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, SaaS, NGINX, Microservices, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, TypeScript, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chatbots, Migration, Web Applications, Windows Server 2012
Senior Full-stack Engineer | Tech Lead | Strategic Consultant
2023 - 2023
Verifast, Inc
- Reviewed the existing codebase and advised on ways it could be implemented in a more maintainable and object-orientated manner.
- Provided ongoing consultation on the product strategy and UI/UX.
- Set up the framework for a more maintainable back-end API following best practices while implementing a more maintainable project structure.
Technologies: Laravel, PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, Full-stack, Vue, React, Cloud Infrastructure, Solution Architecture, System Architecture, Technical Leadership, Technical Architecture, Migration, Web Applications
Senior Full-stack Engineer | Tech Lead
2020 - 2021
Space
- Conducted the minimum viable product's initial discovery and planning.
- Led the development of a large-scale RESTful API with numerous third-party dependencies.
- Designed, implemented, and maintained the entire web stack on AWS.
- Provided ongoing consultation on the product strategy and UI/UX.
- Collaborated closely with the designers to strategize the mobile application's user experience and optimize the onboarding funnel.
Technologies: Leadership, Architecture, API Integration, Technical Consulting, AWS Cloud Architecture, User Experience (UX), CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, Tailwind CSS, NGINX, Microservices, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, TypeScript, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chatbots, Web Applications
Senior Tech Consultant
2020 - 2021
Northamptonshire Healthcare
- Conducted an audit and review of the patient portal and internal systems.
- Identified numerous bottlenecks, weaknesses in the UI/UX, and poorly executed feature sets.
- Provided an architectural blueprint and project plan for a complete system rebuild and subsequent migration. This included hardware selection for the internal servers and infrastructure.
Technologies: JavaScript, Microsoft, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, User Experience (UX), PHP 7, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Enterprise, Cloud, Cost Estimation, Technical Architecture, Migration, Web Applications
Senior Full-stack Engineer | Tech Lead
2019 - 2021
Global Food and Drink Company
- Led the development of a large-scale progressive web application (PWA).
- Collaborated closely with the designers to strategize the PWA's user experience.
- Designed, implemented, and maintained the entire web stack on Azure.
- Consulted, brainstormed, and subsequently implemented numerous user acquisition strategies.
- Developed a bespoke PWA preloader, initializer, and installer.
Technologies: JavaScript, Product Strategy, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), PWA, Vue, Azure, Full-stack, User Interface (UI), Web Development, CSS, API Development, Web, DevOps, Back-end, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Git, Project Management, Node.js, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, HTML, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Three.js, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, User Experience (UX), CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Enterprise, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, TypeScript, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications
Senior Full-stack Engineer | Consultant
2019 - 2021
WildEarth
- Designed, implemented, and maintained the technical infrastructure for a progressive web app with a global reach.
- Strategized and designed the progressive web app's initial UI/UX.
- Developed a progressive web app that attracted over a million active users.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), CSS, Apache, Technical Leadership, Design, Vue, Lumen, Product Strategy, JavaScript, PHP, Full-stack, User Interface (UI), PWA, Web Development, SQL, API Development, Database Design, Web, DevOps, Back-end, MySQL, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Laravel, Git, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Linux, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Startup Consulting, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, HTML, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, CentOS, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, AWS Cloud Architecture, User Experience (UX), CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Enterprise, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, TypeScript, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Migration, Web Applications
Senior Full-stack Engineer | Tech Lead
2018 - 2019
A High Profile Travel Industry Startup
- Directed the development of a large-scale RESTful API for a mobile application.
- Collaborated closely with the designers to strategize the mobile application's user experience.
- Designed, implemented, and maintained the entire web stack on AWS.
- Led the front- and back-end development of a bespoke admin portal.
- Provided ongoing consultation on the product strategy and UI/UX.
Technologies: PHP, Lumen, Product Strategy, JavaScript, Full-stack, Web Development, CSS, Apache, SQL, API Development, Database Design, Web, DevOps, Back-end, MySQL, REST APIs, Laravel, Git, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Linux, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Startup Consulting, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, HTML, MacOS, Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, MariaDB, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, CentOS, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, User Experience (UX), CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Amazon RDS, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, TypeScript, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications
Senior Full-stack Engineer
2018 - 2018
Global Retail Company
- Implemented landing pages for pay-per-click marketing.
- Developed a dynamic system to auto-generate responsive landing pages.
- Provided pixel-perfect implementation of approved designs.
Technologies: PHP, JavaScript, Vue, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Full-stack, Web Development, CSS, Apache, SQL, Database Design, Web, Back-end, MySQL, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Laravel, Git, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Node.js, Refactoring, Agile, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, APIs, HTML, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, SCSS, Modernizr, DataGrip, Webpack, Project Scoping, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, User Experience (UX), CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Enterprise, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Migration, Web Applications
Technical Lead and Product Strategist
2016 - 2018
Snatch Media
- Led the ongoing development of the product strategy behind the UX/UI.
- Provided general startup consultation and mentorship throughout the incubation.
- Oversaw the mobile and API development, and subsequently managed to auto-scaling of the infrastructure when the product went live and was receiving over 30k sign-ups a day.
- Assisted with the fundraising documentation and position the business ready for its second round of funding.
- Managed a team of three designers, and seven developers to deliver the mobile application in unprecedented time.
- Hired, coached, and reviewed the performance of two developers over the course of the development cycle.
Technologies: Autoscaling, Startup Funding, Startup Development, Product Strategy, Leadership, Linux, Laravel, PHP, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), Web Development, CSS, JavaScript, Apache, SQL, API Development, Vue, Database Design, Web, DevOps, Back-end, MySQL, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Git, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Startup Consulting, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, HTML, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Lumen, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Laravel Mix, Laravel Elixir, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, AWS Cloud Architecture, User Experience (UX), CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Amazon RDS, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, Firebase, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications
Vice President of Partnerships and Product Strategy
2016 - 2018
E-Man (Global Intermedia Limited)
- Reviewed, assessed, and vetted all possible startup inquiries (acted as the E-Man panel).
- Negotiated and closed startup applications (sales).
- Oversaw and managed the delivery of the creative and engineering milestones for each project.
- Steered the company into the future by means of reviewing our internal design-and-development process and implementing new systems to ensure efficiency and high quality.
- Led the brainstorming of the core product strategy for each of the company’s startups (including numerous highly successful startups such as Snatch).
- Conducted code reviews on all the front-end and back-end web development (APIs included).
- Managed a team of fifteen, including software engineers, designers, product strategists, and QA, to incubate numerous startups.
Technologies: Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, CTO, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Vue, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), Elasticsearch, MongoDB, MySQL, Linux, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, PWA, Web, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, jQuery, Laravel, Git, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Lumen, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Laravel Mix, Laravel Elixir, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, SaaS, NGINX, Bootstrap, Microservices, Enterprise, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, DigitalOcean, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, Firebase, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications
Founder | CEO | CTO
2014 - 2018
Bubbla
- Integrated a customized XMPP chat system powered by ejabberd.
- Led, developed, and maintained the direction of the product strategy.
- Developed the entire web stack and back end of websites, APIs, and the like.
- Constructed an efficient importing and connecting system for phone contacts.
- Built up numerous automated and intelligent marketing systems to self-promote the application.
- Structured, designed, and implemented pitch decks alongside numerous additional investment documents.
- Fulfilled typical daily CEO and CTO responsibilities.
- Created a bespoke online data room for investors to view, download, and comment on the company's presentation documents.
Technologies: Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, CTO, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), Elasticsearch, MySQL, Ejabberd, Linux, Vue, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, PWA, Web, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, Laravel, Git, Rackspace Cloud, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, DeployHQ, MariaDB, Lumen, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, XMPP, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook SDK, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Laravel Mix, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), AWS Lambda, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, AWS Cloud Architecture, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Amazon RDS, Cloud, User Management, Amazon, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, Firebase, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Stripe, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Stripe API, Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications
Lead Web Engineer
2012 - 2015
ManSys Limited
- Designed and developed each of the company's external and internal websites.
- Migrated the entire company's desktop software to a web application, module by module. Some of the largest companies worldwide use this software to manage their import and export documentation.
- Managed and maintained the entire company's server infrastructure.
- Oversaw and managed all the internal design work, including the design of a large-scale web application from a blank canvas.
- Refactored and modernized the majority of the company's database infrastructure.
Technologies: Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), IIS, Apache, Windows Server, Linux, CSS, HTML, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, JavaScript, PHP, Web, Web Services, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, jQuery, Git, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Agile, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook SDK, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, SaaS, NGINX, Bootstrap, Microservices, Cloud, User Management, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, Firebase, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications, Windows Server 2012
Founder | CEO
2010 - 2014
Shout at Night Limited
- Defined, refined, and maintained the product strategy.
- Designed the entire web platform, branding, and management system.
- Developed the whole web stack, including websites, the API, and the like.
- Constructed the platform's fully bespoke management system, including its payment integration.
Technologies: Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, CTO, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), MySQL, Linux, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Web, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, jQuery, Laravel, Git, Rackspace Cloud, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Lumen, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook SDK, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Sketch, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Microservices, Cloud, User Management, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Web Applications
Web Developer | Designer | Startup Consultant
2002 - 2007
Freelance Clients
- Founded, ran, and managed numerous startup ventures, including designing and developing their respective websites and web platforms. This also included one of my own startups that saw over 100,000 visits in its first week.
- Consulted on various other startups and mentored numerous founders.
- Developed numerous websites, web applications, and APIs.
Technologies: Apache, Technical Project Management, Project Planning, Project Discovery, Project Timelines, Technical Leadership, CTO, Back-end, Startup Consulting, Product Strategy, API Development, Database Design, DevOps, SQL, Web Development, User Experience (UX), Full-stack, User Interface (UI), MySQL, Linux, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Web, Web Services, REST APIs, JavaScript MVC, Windows, jQuery, Laravel, Git, Rackspace Cloud, Twilio API, PHP Frameworks, Project Management, Ubuntu, Microsoft SQL Server, Node.js, Redis, Code Review, Refactoring, Agile, Jira, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, API Integration, Architecture, APIs, Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Leadership, MacOS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Model View Controller (MVC), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Cloudflare, Responsive Development, JSON, PhpStorm, Balsamiq Mockups, MariaDB, Lumen, Bitbucket, SCSS, Modernizr, IIS, Ejabberd, XMPP, CentOS, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook SDK, Memcached, DataGrip, Webpack, Unit Testing, Project Scoping, Vanilla JS, Front-end, HTML5, Writing & Editing, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Application, Scalable Architecture, Requirements Analysis, Technical Consulting, CSS3, PHP 7, MVC Design, Scalability, API Documentation, Databases, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Cloud, User Management, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Startup Development, Automation, MySQL Performance Tuning, MySQL Server, Technical Architecture, Windows Server 2012
Experience
Bespoke PHP Framework
Before being introduced to Laravel, I must confess I was an "anti-frameworker," I much preferred writing vanilla PHP where I had full control over the entire source. Not to mention, working in this way is one of the things that taught me a lot of what I know now.
When I began developing larger-scale web platforms, it became apparent that I needed something much more structured, scalable, and maintainable so I set out to develop my own bespoke and optimized PHP-based framework.
Over the course of five years, this framework was developed and maintained. By the time I was introduced to Laravel, the framework I had built was offering an array of built-in features similar to that of the Laravel framework.
When I began developing larger-scale web platforms, it became apparent that I needed something much more structured, scalable, and maintainable so I set out to develop my own bespoke and optimized PHP-based framework.
Over the course of five years, this framework was developed and maintained. By the time I was introduced to Laravel, the framework I had built was offering an array of built-in features similar to that of the Laravel framework.
JavaScript Library API
Before Node.js and the likes of Webpack, importing JavaScript files into projects was a little messy. Being a perfectionist, this frustrated me and I decided to develop my own JavaScript API that would allow me to both; have a centralized place for all of my common JavaScript files and, only load the ones I require from JavaScript itself. No need for 20 script tags anymore!
Bespoke Extension to the Lumen and Laravel Frameworks
A bespoke extension of the Lumen and Laravel frameworks allowing for ultra-fast bootstrapping of extremely optimized and efficient API's and websites.
99.9% of websites on the market will miss many of the checkboxes that must be checked in order for a website, in my opinion, to be considered professional. This extension, out of the box, ensures that as many of these checkboxes that can be checked are checked.
99.9% of websites on the market will miss many of the checkboxes that must be checked in order for a website, in my opinion, to be considered professional. This extension, out of the box, ensures that as many of these checkboxes that can be checked are checked.
Automated Marketing System
One of the most exciting, and satisfying, things I have engineered is an intelligent, and automated marketing system for a mobile app. Using various algorithms, the system would directly reach out to new potential user's in a non-intrusive manner. As a result, the user aquisition rate for the application sky-rocketed overnight.
API Request Parser
A custom query parameter parser built on top of Lumen and Laravel to handle filtering, sorting, and limiting, of the recordsets returned from the API. This allows developers to define, in the request URI, what they would like returned i.e. limit, order, fields, paging, and more.
Mobile Contact Syncing for User Acquisition
There are numerous techniques for acquiring new users when building applications that authenticate through mobile, however, there is one method that has proven to be substantially more effective than others. In order for this method to work, the user's contacts must be synced with the API, and then intelligently filtered based on various bits of accessible data. The code used in this particular feature has been adapted and implemented in numerous subsequent applications since it's first implementation.
Web Crawlers
Aggregating data from publicly accessible websites can be a nightmare, especially when the website is poorly structured, or is sitting on an ancient and slow infrastructure. On numerous occasions I have been tasked with writing automated scripts to scrape and export the data from various websites to be used internally.
Viral Project at School
While at school, I developed a website that allowed students to share content with their peers. Despite only telling a couple of friends about the site, within twenty-four hours, it had gone viral and students from around the South West of the United Kingdom were posting content almost every minute. At it's peak, the site saw over 20,000 visits a day.
Skills
Libraries/APIs
REST APIs, Laravel Elixir, Twilio API, API Development, Modernizr, Node.js, Vue, jQuery, Stripe, Stripe API, Three.js, Facebook SDK, React
Tools
Sketch, AWS IAM, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), Webpack, Balsamiq Mockups, Apache, PhpStorm, Git, Bitbucket, NGINX, Amazon ElastiCache, MySQL Performance Tuning, Jira, Adobe Photoshop, DataGrip
Languages
HTML5, SCSS, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, PHP, CSS3, PHP 7, Bash, TypeScript
Frameworks
Laravel, JavaScript MVC, Laravel Mix, Vanilla JS, Lumen, Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap
Paradigms
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Clean Code, Responsive Development, Model View Controller (MVC), DevOps, Database Design, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Refactoring, Scalable Application, Requirements Analysis, Enterprise Application Architecture, MVC Design, Microservices, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Automation, Unit Testing, Agile
Platforms
Amazon EC2, AWS Lambda, Amazon Web Services (AWS), DeployHQ, Rackspace Cloud, Web, MacOS, Windows, Amazon, Windows Server, Twilio, CentOS, Ubuntu, Linux, Azure, DigitalOcean, Windows Server 2012, OS X, iOS, Android, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft, Firebase
Storage
Amazon S3 (AWS S3), JSON, MariaDB, MySQL, Databases, Amazon Aurora, MySQL Server, Redis, Microsoft SQL Server, Memcached, MongoDB, Elasticsearch
Industry Expertise
Project Management
Other
API Integration, Architecture, Leadership, Back-end, CTO, Technical Leadership, Project Timelines, Project Discovery, Project Scoping, Project Planning, Technical Project Management, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), Front-end, Writing & Editing, Startup Development, Startup Funding, Full-stack, Cloudflare, APIs, PHP Frameworks, Web Development, Optimization, Pixel Perfect, User Interface (UI), Web Services, Startup Consulting, Product Strategy, User Experience (UX), Product Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Code Review, PWA, Software Design, Software Architecture, System Architecture Design, Scalable Architecture, Technical Consulting, Enterprise Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Scalability, API Documentation, CI/CD Pipelines, Landing Pages, Cloud Architecture, SaaS, Enterprise, Amazon RDS, Cloud, User Management, Mobile Back-end, eCommerce APIs, UI Development, UI Animation, Cost Estimation, Front-end Development, Technical Architecture, Migration, Web Applications, Design, Algorithms, Autoscaling, IIS, Ejabberd, XMPP, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chatbots, Cloud Infrastructure, Solution Architecture, System Architecture
Collaboration That Works
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
1
Share your needs
Discuss your requirements and refine your scope in a call with a Toptal domain expert.
2
Choose your talent
Get a short list of expertly matched talent within 24 hours to review, interview, and choose from.
3
Start your risk-free talent trial
Work with your chosen talent on a trial basis for up to two weeks. Pay only if you decide to hire them.
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring