1997
The Early Days
In the 1990s, I was a handyman. My tools were hammers, drills, and wrenches. I fixed things with my hands, solved problems on the spot, and took pride in work you could touch and see.
Little did I know that the same problem-solving mindset would lead me down an entirely different path.
My Journey
The 90s: Hands-On Work
Every day brought a new challenge. Leaky pipes, broken fixtures, electrical issues, drywall repairs. I learned to diagnose problems quickly and find practical solutions on the spot. When a homeowner showed me a problem, I had to figure out the root cause, not just treat the symptoms. These diagnostic skills would prove invaluable in my future career—debugging code isn't so different from tracing a faulty wire.
Late 90s: The Internet Arrives
I got my first computer and discovered the World Wide Web. I was fascinated by how websites worked—how clicking a link could take you anywhere, how forms could collect information, how everything connected. I started tinkering with HTML, building simple pages, learning by doing—just like I'd always done. The late nights fixing code replaced the late nights fixing plumbing, but the satisfaction was the same.
Early 2000s: The Pivot
I taught myself PHP, MySQL, and professional web development. The same analytical mindset that helped me fix a broken water heater helped me debug code. I built my first commercial websites, learned about databases, and discovered that I could solve problems for people without ever picking up a wrench. The tools changed, but the mission stayed the same: understand the problem, find the solution, deliver quality work.
2017: The JavaScript Revolution
After years of PHP development, I made the switch to full-stack JavaScript. Node.js brought server-side JavaScript into its own. MongoDB let me work with data in a way that felt natural. Socket.io opened up real-time communication. Express simplified routing. The entire ecosystem matured into something powerful and cohesive—a whole new toolkit for a new era of web development.
2022
Today: Building the Future
Now I help businesses modernize their web presence. Whether it's migrating a legacy PHP application to Node.js, building real-time features with Socket.io, or creating responsive interfaces with Bootstrap and modern JavaScript, I bring decades of problem-solving experience to every project. The tools have evolved, but my approach remains the same: understand your needs, build it right, and stand behind my work.
Same Mindset, Different Tools
From fixing houses to building websites, the core never changed: understand the problem, find the solution, get it done right.
See what I'm building now at webrenegade.net
Let's Work Together