Jacob D.

I build practical web applications and internal tools that help small businesses and growing organizations replace manual work, connect their systems, and serve customers more effectively. I am a web application engineer with a broader background in systems, cloud, automation, APIs, and production operations. That means I can work beyond a local prototype: I can help clarify the workflow, build the application, connect the services it depends on, deploy it, and leave the team with something they can maintain. Projects I can help with include: - Customer portals, internal dashboards, and administrative tools - Intake, approval, scheduling, inventory, and reporting workflows - Replacing spreadsheet-and-email processes with a simple web application - API integrations between business tools and SaaS platforms - Custom forms, authenticated workflows, and role-based access - Small business websites with application features and back-office tools - Data import, cleanup, search, and reporting interfaces - Improving, documenting, and deploying an existing application - Automating repetitive operational tasks with scripts, APIs, and background jobs - Hosting, deployment, backups, monitoring, and reliability improvements My approach is project-oriented: 1. Understand the current workflow and define the smallest useful outcome. 2. Build a focused first version instead of over-engineering a large platform. 3. Deploy it into a maintainable environment with clear handoff documentation. 4. Identify sensible follow-on improvements only after the first result is working. Selected experience includes reducing deployment time from 96 minutes to 13 minutes across 15+ microservices, recovering a production Ceph cluster with zero data loss, building cloud and Kubernetes platforms, integrating enterprise and business systems through APIs, and delivering web and automation work for real organizations. I bring 8+ years across web applications, Linux, cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, databases, automation, security, and operations. I am comfortable taking ownership of a project that crosses the boundary between application code and the systems required to run it. My Upwork track record includes 36 jobs, 1,890 hours, $70K+ in earnings, a 100% Job Success Score, and Top Rated status. If you are considering a project, send me: - What process or application needs to improve? - Who will use it and what do they need to accomplish? - What systems, data, or services must it connect to? - What would make the first version successful? I can help turn that into a focused first project with a clear outcome and scope.