How I Work
I start with your operation. Before any code gets written, I need to understand exactly how your business runs — the workflows, the rules, the exceptions. That understanding is what makes the software fit.
01
Discovery — I learn your operation
We start with a conversation where I ask a lot of questions. Not about technology — about your operation. What stages does your workflow move through? Who touches what? What are the rules that govern decisions? Where do exceptions happen and how do you handle them today?
This is where most projects go wrong: a developer hears what you want to build and starts building. I spend real time here, because software built from a shallow understanding of the operation will miss things that matter. Edge cases discovered after launch are expensive. Edge cases designed in from the start are just features.
The discovery call is free. No pitch, no obligation. If I can't help, I'll say that.
02
Groundwork — the spec before the code
Before writing a line of code, I build the full project specification. Every feature, every workflow, every data model, every edge case, the build sequence. You review it. You approve it. We agree on exactly what's being built before anything starts.
This spec is the foundation of the Groundwork documentation set — seven structured documents that are built alongside the project and committed to the repository.
architecture.md
System overview, layers, principles, service objects
tables.md
Every database table, column, constraint, and index
model-relationships.md
How data connects — associations, scopes, validations
build-map.md
Every feature in sequence, marked complete or planned
code-notes.md
Non-obvious business logic in plain language
design-artifacts.md
Design system, component patterns, conventions
rules.md
Codebase conventions, naming patterns, what not to touch
These aren't written after the project ships. They're built as the project is built — updated after every session. When you receive the codebase, you receive the full context that makes it legible.
03
Build — against the spec, with you
Development happens in structured cycles against the agreed spec. You're in the loop at regular intervals — not buried in technical detail, but able to see progress and weigh in when decisions have operational implications.
I use AI-assisted development tools to build efficiently. The difference from AI-first development: the spec exists, the architecture is defined, the operational context is documented. The tools execute against a clear target. I review, test, and verify everything they produce.
04
Test — smoke, edge, real-world
Every feature cycle ends with manual smoke testing and edge case testing before anything merges. The edge cases identified in discovery are tested directly. Automated tests cover the critical paths. Nothing ships because it demoed cleanly — it ships because it held up under realistic use.
05
Handoff — you own everything
At the end of the project: the codebase, the complete Groundwork documentation set, access to every system — hosting, database, credentials. Nothing withheld. Nothing that lives only in my head.
If you want to bring on another developer, they'll have everything they need to get oriented. If you want to continue working with me, that's available. The point is that it's your decision, not mine — because you own everything required to make it.
Why operation-first matters more now than it used to.
AI coding tools have made it faster than ever to generate software that works at a surface level. They've also made it easier to produce software that doesn't actually fit the operation it was built for — because the tools execute instructions quickly but can't interrogate whether those instructions capture the full complexity of a real workflow.
Starting with the operation — understanding it deeply before writing any code — is what produces software that fits. The AI tools accelerate the build. The operational understanding is what makes the build worth accelerating.
Ready to start
Free 30-minute call. No pitch.
Tell me what your operation looks like and what isn't fitting. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.