Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer
Daniel
Porter
25+ years building web products, APIs, high-performance user experiences, and AI-assisted workflows, blending modern tools with hard-earned judgment about how software actually ships.
Keep reading01
The Short
Version
25+ years in the digital space, starting back when WordPress was the new kid on the block. I learned by building sites by hand, discovering how design, code, and marketing fit together to create something meaningful.
My design background gives me a strong sense of visual storytelling and UX, while a service mindset keeps me focused on communication, collaboration, and results, bridging creative vision with technical execution.
I use AI every day, not as a shortcut around experience, but as a force multiplier. Tools like Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenRouter, and local Ollama models help me move faster, test ideas, refactor carefully, and build smarter product features for real users.
AI supports execution, but direction, judgment, and quality remain driven by experience.
02
Skills
Snapshot
Languages
Frameworks & Libraries
Platforms & Infrastructure
Tools & Specialties
03
In The
Details
The Foundation
Practical Real-World Expertise
What makes a good developer? It's someone who knows the latest stack but can still inherit a 10-year-old WordPress site and salvage data cleanly, and migrate it to something modern.
It's about understanding how the web actually works, from request to render, and following best practices because you've seen what happens when people cut corners.
I build things that work. Reliably. Fewer plugins. Fewer shortcuts.
Technical Excellence
- ✓Performance Obsessed: All-green PageSpeed scores, optimized assets, and blazing-fast load times
- ✓Local Dev Workflows: Proper version control, Tailwind compilation, and modern toolchains
- ✓Server-Side Tracking: Server-side GTM, Cloudflare Workers for CAPI, cooked-to-perfection data layers that survive iOS 17+
- ✓SEO Architecture: Schema markup, structured data, and technical SEO that ranks
Design & Strategy
- ◆Eye for Design: Visual hierarchy, whitespace, typography, the details that make interfaces feel right
- ◆User-Centric Thinking: "Does this make the user's life easier or are we just being clever?"
Business Acumen
- ★Conversion Tracking: Google Analytics events and goals firing on all cylinders
- ★Client Communication: Translating tech speak into business value
Working Products Built With Marketing in Mind
The Future
Where I'm Playing Now
Outside of client work I'm deep in the modern stack: fast interfaces, real-time data, flexible APIs, edge functions, clean integrations, and product architectures that can adapt as the idea gets sharper. I like building systems that connect well, move quickly, and leave room for whatever the product needs next.
AI is part of that toolkit when it helps the workflow: summarizing information, cleaning up content, generating titles, categorizing data, searching across knowledge, drafting responses, and extracting useful details. On the development side, tools like Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and local Ollama models help me work with controlled velocity: faster iteration without losing architecture, review, security, performance, or product judgment.
AI Engineering & Development
- ✦AI-Powered Features: Content cleanup, title generation, summarization, categorization, extraction, grounded search, and admin workflow acceleration
- ✦Model Routing: OpenRouter for multi-model access, fallback behavior, cost control, and performance tuning without rebuilding the product
- ✦AI-Assisted Development: Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and Ollama as coding partners for planning, refactoring, security review, and rapid iteration
- ✦Grounded AI Workflows: Vercel AI SDK streaming interfaces and Tavily search integrations that connect AI output to real application context
Modern Stack & DevOps
- Next.js + Supabase + Edge: Real-time apps with CI/CD pipelines and global deployment
- API-First & Headless: Decoupled architectures built for flexibility and scale
Future-proof, scalable, and a little bit fun
04
Strategy &
Collaboration
Good code matters, but it's not the whole picture. I've spent a lot of time wearing multiple hats, and I'm just as comfortable in a planning meeting or client call as I am writing code.
Client-Facing
Comfortable leading client calls, presenting strategies, and translating complex technical concepts into language stakeholders actually understand. I build trust, not just features.
Project Management
Years of scoping projects, managing timelines, and coordinating across teams. I know how to break down complex work, set priorities, and keep things moving without losing quality.
Marketing & Strategy
I think about conversion funnels, SEO, and user journeys as I build. Having worked alongside paid media and content teams, I understand what drives results, not just what looks good in a repo.
Design Eye
A BFA in Computer Art and decades of front-end work have given me a sharp sense of layout, typography, hierarchy, and polish. I catch the details most developers miss.
Cross-Functional
I work naturally with designers, marketers, sales teams, and leadership. Understanding everyone's priorities means fewer miscommunications and better outcomes across the board.
Mentorship
I enjoy leveling up the people around me, sharing context, reviewing code constructively, and helping junior developers build the instincts that only come from experience.
I like being the person who connects the dots between what the team needs and what actually gets built.
05
How I Use These
Technologies & Frameworks
AI Engineering & Tools
AI-Assisted Development
AI is embedded in my daily development process, but I treat it like a sharp collaborator, not an autopilot. Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and local Ollama models help with planning, debugging, refactoring, documentation, and iteration, while experience still drives architecture, quality, and direction.
AI-Powered Product Features
Where AI gets interesting is the code wrapped around the model. I use OpenRouter to turn messy human context into structured JSON that follows a schema, so a form can be populated, validated, edited, and regenerated without trapping the user in a blank text box. The model handles interpretation; the application handles state, guardrails, retries, and a clean path for iteration.
That same pattern powers content workflows like title generation, summaries, cleanup, categorization, extraction, and admin drafting. I define heuristics for when generated content is enough, when to ask a follow-up, when to preserve the user's original wording, and when to trigger Tavily for fresh web context before the model writes a word.
Model Routing & Streaming Interfaces
Models can and should be swappable. The durable value is the orchestration layer: prompts, schemas, validators, fallbacks, cost controls, telemetry, and UX patterns that make the AI feel useful instead of mysterious. I build real-time streaming interfaces with the Vercel AI SDK so responses arrive token by token, with the surrounding product logic deciding what happens next.
Grounded Context & Human Judgment
Strong AI systems need the right context at the right time, not prompt-only optimism. I design retrieval and memory patterns that decide when to use existing application data, when to summarize prior context, when to preserve user-curated facts, when to track cost, and when fresh research is actually needed. The deeper work is building systems that know what context to trust, when to fetch more, when to ask the user, and when human judgment should stay in control.
Next.js / React
HOW I USE NEXT.JS...
Next.js and React are my default stack because they hit the sweet spot between speed, flexibility, and long-term maintainability. I can move quickly from idea to working interface, choose the right rendering model for the job, and still have enough architectural room for complex apps, dashboards, marketing sites, APIs, and real-time product experiences.
I also love how portable the stack is. A Next.js app can deploy cleanly to Vercel, Cloudflare, traditional Node hosting, containers, or static output depending on the project. The React ecosystem also makes it easier to carry patterns into iOS and Android apps with React Native or Expo when a web product needs a mobile companion.
The integration story is a huge part of the appeal: APIs, webhooks, auth providers, analytics, CMS platforms, databases, AI services, payment tools, and internal systems all fit naturally into the model. Next.js handles the performance basics like routing, image optimization, code splitting, and server-side rendering so I can focus on building something fast, polished, and useful.
Tailwind CSS
HOW I USE TAILWIND CSS...
Tailwind's utility-first methodology lets me move from idea to polished interface fast, which is especially valuable for AI-assisted prototyping and MVP work. Because the layout, spacing, color, and state choices live close to the component, it is easier to iterate with AI tools, review the output, and keep the design system from drifting.
I also like how naturally Tailwind supports theme systems. Light mode, dark mode, responsive states, hover states, and design tokens can be built into the same component structure instead of scattered across separate CSS files. That makes it easier to ship interfaces that feel complete early, then refine them without rewriting the styling foundation.
Beyond Next.js sites and SPAs, I've adapted both new and legacy WordPress builds with a custom Tailwind compilation workflow, injecting minified CSS directly into the document head for optimal performance.
Supabase / PostgreSQL
HOW I USE SUPABASE...
Supabase is one of those tools that feels good to build with. The dashboard UX is clean, the CLI is practical, and it gives me a fast path from idea to working backend without hiding the fact that there is a real PostgreSQL database underneath.
I especially like how quickly auth comes together: email flows, passwordless magic links, OAuth providers, sessions, and user management all slot into an app without days of boilerplate. From there, auto-generated APIs, storage, realtime, functions, and row-level security let me keep moving fast while still designing around real permissions and data boundaries.
The best part is that it scales with seriousness. I can prototype quickly, then drop into SQL, migrations, policies, triggers, and database functions when the product needs more control. It keeps the early experience friendly without boxing me out of deeper engineering later.
GitHub
HOW I USE GITHUB...
GitHub is where almost every serious project starts for me. I like how naturally it connects code, issues, pull requests, environment setup, deployment hooks, and automation into one working rhythm instead of making project management feel separate from the actual build.
I use GitHub Actions to automate builds, checks, and deployments, and GitHub Copilot as another useful layer in the AI-assisted development stack. I also love the simple confidence of a clean commit history, a focused pull request, and a repo that tells the story of how the work got made.
Vercel
HOW I USE VERCEL...
Vercel is my favorite place to ship modern web apps because it keeps momentum high. Push a branch, get a preview URL, test the real thing, share it, merge it, and deploy without turning every release into an infrastructure project.
I like how easy it is to observe what is happening after something goes live. Deploy history, logs, environment variables, rollbacks, branch previews, and performance visibility are all close enough to the workflow that I actually use them. That makes experimentation feel safer and production work feel calmer.
It also pairs beautifully with Next.js, obviously, along with serverless functions, edge runtime patterns, and API-heavy products. For client work and personal builds alike, Vercel removes a lot of deployment friction so the energy stays on product quality, iteration, and getting useful things in front of people quickly.
Cloudflare
HOW I USE CLOUDFLARE...
I've watched Cloudflare evolve from a DNS/CDN provider into a full edge platform. I use it for DNS management, CDN delivery, DDoS mitigation, and Cloudflare Workers to execute application logic at the edge.
Cloudflare Workers and R2 storage are also two of the most amazing 'free' tools in the modern web stack: Workers make edge logic easy to ship, and R2 gives practical object storage without the usual egress-fee drag. They are often overlooked because they sit under the infrastructure layer, but they unlock a lot for small teams and fast experiments.
WordPress
HOW I USE WORDPRESS...
With 20+ years of WordPress experience, I've seen it evolve from a blogging platform to a CMS powering 40% of the web. The real skill? Inheriting a decade-old site, migrating the data cleanly, and rebuilding with best practices, all while keeping the business running.
While my focus has shifted to modern JavaScript frameworks, WordPress remains valuable for content-heavy sites. I've built countless custom themes and plugins, integrated WooCommerce, and optimized sites for performance and SEO.
06
Work
Experience
Jun 2016 - Present
Senior Lead Developer
Twelve Three Media
Leading full-stack development with a focus on performance, maintainability, and modern tooling. Building custom WordPress themes with minimal plugin dependencies and integrated Tailwind CSS build pipelines, plus headless and hybrid architectures when the project demands it. Translating complex requirements into clean, dependable solutions through clear communication and strategic guidance.
Collaborating with the Paid Media team on conversion tracking across Google Ads and Meta, deploying server-side and browser-side tracking (GTM, GA4, Meta CAPI, Enhanced Conversions) for accurate attribution. Mentoring junior developers and working cross-functionally to streamline processes and exceed client expectations.
Dec 2013 - Jun 2017
Web Developer
Boomerang Marketing
Built websites from the ground up in a small, collaborative team focused on non-profit organizations. Tight budgets demanded creative problem-solving, and mission-driven clients required strong storytelling, learning early how to maximize results with limited resources.
Sep 2013 - May 2017
Owner, Web Designer & Developer
Dan Porter Web Development - Denver, CO
Independent web design and development for clients across the Denver metro area. Managed projects end-to-end, from discovery through delivery, building custom websites and digital solutions for local businesses and organizations.
Apr 2012 - Jul 2015
Owner & Operator
Denver Washer Dryer
Built and operated a local appliance business across the greater Denver area. Applied web development skills to create a strong online presence, including live inventory listings, effective SEO, and a professional brand identity, in an industry with typically poor digital representation.
Jun 2011 - Apr 2012
Web Developer
Airiam
Developed WordPress sites and maintained legacy PHP and ASP applications. Pioneered mobile-first responsive design and was recognized as an intrapreneur by leadership. Contributed SEO and Google Ads strategies for client visibility.
Oct 2007 - Jun 2011
Lead Web Developer
Shero Commerce
Founding developer, started part-time and transitioned to full-time as the business grew. Self-taught WordPress and Magento eCommerce, establishing the company's technical foundation and early success.
07
Education
Dec 1998 - Dec 2002
BFA, Computer Art
Savannah College of Art and Design
Focused on 3D computer graphics, modeling, animation, and visual storytelling. Developed skills in RenderMan shading, MEL scripting for custom tools, and procedural modeling. Built a strong foundation in both the creative and technical sides of digital production.
2 Years
CREW Team Member
Savannah College of Art and Design
Competed on SCAD's varsity rowing team for two years, building discipline, teamwork, and the kind of grit that shaped my approach to collaboration and perseverance.
08
Beyond
The Code
Early Life
Born and raised in Vermont, I developed an early aptitude for computers and programming, tinkering with code long before it was cool. When I wasn't at a keyboard, you could find me skiing the Green Mountains in winter or biking the trails in summer. That blend of technical curiosity and love for the outdoors has stayed with me ever since.
Life Today
Now based in Littleton, Colorado, I'm a husband and father of three. When I'm not writing code, our family is usually out camping in the Rockies, on the water boating, or tackling the next home improvement project. I've developed a passion for working with my hands. Gardening, carpentry projects, and landscaping keep me busy and balanced. There's something satisfying about building things, whether it's a website or a backyard deck.
09
Passion
Projects
Independent projects where I experiment with emerging technologies, refine my craft, and bring ideas to life outside of client work.
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