Simple solutions to complex technical problems
Who I am
More about me
My name is Evan Light. I'm a freelance software developer with 15 years of experience designing, implementing, and maintaining commercial and enterprise applications for telecoms, government, and web startups. I have been a frequent speaker and attendee at technical conferences, particularly those focused on the Ruby programming language, have published a few magazine articles on developing with Ruby, and founded and organize the annual Ruby DCamp unconference.
I am located just outside Ocean City, MD where I work primarily from my home office and am kept company by a wife, four cats, and entirely too much computer hardware.
What I've done lately
Over And Under asked us to create an online custom cushion designer that would allow them to compete with Cushion.com and Cushion Source. Both of these sites use the traditional wizard metaphor, allowing users to select a single attribute for their cushion per screen and then proceeding back to the previous attribute or forward to the next one until all are selected.
I knew that we could do better.
Over And Under's cushion designer allows users to select attributes for their set of custom outdoor cushions in whatever fashion suits the customer. Where certain choices are required before making other choices, we simply hide the the latter until enough information has been provided. In addition, we decided to have a floating subtotal and itemized list of the customer's decisions. That way, at any given time, the customer can see what features they previously selected for their cushion set, how much each feature adds to the overall cost, and the overall cost itself for a single unit.
Aragorn: I am a big fan of Getting Things Done (aka "GTD") and personal process in general as a way to stay focused and on task. Upon finding Pivotal Lab's Pivotal Tracker application, I knew that I had found kindred spirits. Pivotal Tracker is a project to-do list: it streamlines agile project management letting its users think more about theirs projects than how to use the tools to manage their projects.
Sadly, there have been only two iPhone applications to date and none for the iPad.
One day, while pair programming with a colleague, I saw that he had a small window on his screen with a short list of features to work on. I asked him, "What app is that?" He told me that it was just a file that he keeps of what features to work on next.
That was my eureka moment.
I wanted a heads-up display for Pivotal Tracker on my iPad. I wanted to be able to sit my iPad next to my computer and, at a glance, know what I needed to work on next and how the rest of the team was doing. So I wrote it.
What I offer
Your Dream Application
You bring the idea. I bring the plan to make it real!
What makes your idea special? That’s where we start! I begin every project by picking your brain for at least an hour.
What do you want your application to do? From our first meeting, I am recording your needs and attempting to anticipate your wants. I’m not shy about providing my input if I believe that it will add value to your idea.
What do you need to launch? For your first release, deciding what can be left out is usually at least is as important as what must be in it. We will prioritize your needs together.
What will it cost? From the above, I can tell you what it will take me to make your idea real.
What goes into it? Triple Dog Dare uses Ruby, Ruby on Rails, and jQuery, among other tools, to make your vision a reality. I tend to use Ruby on Rails, and related frameworks, as they allow me to bring your application to market just that much faster.
Application makeover
Has your Rails (or Ruby) project gone off of the tracks? Did you outsource your work on the cheap only to find that your application is bug-ridden and slow?
I can help make it better. Wrangling chaos is one of my specialities.
I won’t pretend that I can fix your woes overnight. Improving a sloppy application to be maintainable and usable is similar to repairing a fixer-upper home to be habitable. Like homes, some applications need more tender love and care then others depending upon how they were built and maintained. It takes time and effort.
Ongoing Maintenance
If you’re happy with your application then you probably don’t need an Application Makeover. But maybe you have some new features in mind, your application could use a little pick-me-up, or it has a few bugs that need fixing.
I’m fond of variety in my work. I’m not at all averse to a little side work improving your application.
How I do business
I believe in candor
I always give a straight answer. Sometimes that answer isn’t the one that you want to hear. However, I believe that hiding the bad news from you only weakens our relationship and your project.
I want to see you succeed
To that extent, I will help guide you through the process, providing my insight to add value to your business. At any given time, if you’d rather that I do it your way, I’m open to it, because...
I want my customers to be happy
Few software developers and consultant realize it, but the software development consulting business is, first and foremost, a customer service business. If you’re not happy then our relationship will not be mutually beneficial. And I always seek the WIN-WIN.
I ship
At the outset, we will agree on a release date/window for your product. We will together prioritize the features that you need for your Minimum Viable Product. This is part of the agile development methodology that I loosely follow. This will also likely define your first release. And it will ship on schedule.
I believe in forging meaningful long term relationships
Engaging me alone, or with several of my peers, is not engaging a business but forging a relationship. Good business is built upon the understanding and trust in that relationship. The better that we understand one another, the better we will work together. From day one, I am trying to understand you and your needs to better add value to your business. Trust comes with everything else that I’ve already cited above (e.g., candor, shipping).