How I build and ship web software

1. Spec and plan

Every project starts with the rules written down: what the system must do, who uses it, and what "done" means. Decisions are agreed with you before any code is written, and the plan is reviewed first.

This is the cheapest place to prevent mistakes. For payroll, it means writing down exactly how lates, overtime and leave are counted, as described in how attendance-based payroll works.

2. Persistent context

I build AI-assisted with Claude Code. To keep that work consistent, each project has context files (CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md) that record the stack, the rules and past decisions, plus a running session log. The log for the Goodly Trading HRIS runs to 70 sections.

The result is that the tenth change follows the same decisions as the first, even months later.

3. Build and verify

Changes are built in small steps. Each one is run, checked on screen and tested against real data paths instead of being assumed to work. For the HRIS, payroll output was hand-checked line by line before it replaced the old process.

AI makes building faster. Verification is what makes it safe to rely on.

4. Ship safely

Releases are scripted: database backup, migrations, build and restart, followed by checks that sessions and data survived. The full checklist is in deploying without logging users out.

I also set up and maintain the servers: Nginx, HTTPS, process management and nightly backups. That is the hosting and upkeep service.

What this means for you

• You know the scope and the price before work starts.
• You get working software early and see progress in small steps.
• Your data is backed up and releases do not interrupt your staff.
• The project stays understandable for whoever maintains it next.

See the process in real projects on the work page, the tools behind it on skills, and what I offer on services.