Taking on select projects

I build web & mobile products, and everything it takes to ship them.

Apps, the systems around them, and the release pipelines that keep them moving. I've taken products from empty repo to 50,000+ monthly active users, and I'm deliberate about what I take on next. Right now, that means building for a small number of clients, and keeping the bar high for my next full-time role.

0 → 1 Taking projects from concept to launch
3x your release frequency by working lean
8+ yrs across Web, Mobile, and IoT

How I work

Three things you'll notice in the first two weeks of working with me.

01

Small releases, real conversations

I ship in small increments, early and often, and I talk directly with the people the software is for. Scope gets refined in the open, not in a backlog. That's the agile manifesto as written, not agile as ceremony. It's rarer than it should be, and it's how products actually get better every week.

02

Problems don't stay in my lane

Every digital business is in some fashion a software business, which means most problems — product, marketing, operations, revenue — have a software-shaped piece. When something is negatively impacting the business, I treat fixing it as part of the job, using whatever leverage I have from wherever I sit.

03

Fast ramp, any stack

My depth is React, React Native, Next.js, and AWS, but I've delivered across data visualization, DevOps automation, backend systems, and rapid prototyping. A new stack is a short ramp, not a blocker. I learn what the problem needs and get to shipping.

What I can do for you

Engagements I'm currently taking, from a few weeks to a few months.

MVP & new product builds From idea to a live, usable product: web, mobile, or both — with the infrastructure to grow.
Mobile apps (React Native / Expo) iOS + Android from one codebase, through app-store review and into users' hands.
Rescue & accelerate existing products Unstick a stalled codebase, stabilize what's fragile, and get the release cadence back.
CI/CD & delivery infrastructure Pipelines, automation, and cloud setup (AWS) so shipping becomes routine instead of an event.
Fractional technical lead Direction, code review, and delivery discipline for a small team — without a full-time hire.
Not sure it fits a box? Bring me the problem. If there's a technical path to solving it, I'll find it — or tell you plainly if I'm not the right person.

Track record

The short version. The apps page has the products themselves.

Tactacam

2022–2026 · Engineer → Lead Developer

Grew a React Native + Next.js platform from zero to 50,000 monthly active users in under two years. Led a team of five, shipped monetization features, and owned CI/CD — roughly tripling release frequency.

SAE International

2021

Built complex onboarding flows in Angular for a core revenue product and contributed shared UI components used across 10+ internal applications.

DDI & Federated Investors

2017–2020

Data visualization, mobile development, DevOps automation, and rapid prototyping — frontend and backend, with production delivery ownership throughout.

Work with me

Tell me what you're trying to build or fix. I read every message and reply within one business day — usually with a question or two, sometimes with a sketch of how I'd approach it.

Prefer email? 23mwest@gmail.com — same inbox, same response time.

Michael J West · Pittsburgh, PA · B.S. Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh GitHub LinkedIn Email