Senior Full-Stack Dev & Digital Architect
Daniel
Porter
25+ years crafting digital experiences, blending modern frameworks, edge computing, and AI-powered workflows with hard-earned real-world judgment.
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've integrated AI into my daily workflow to accelerate development and build intelligent features into applications. And I have a motto...
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 into the modern stack, building fast, real-time, future-proof apps just because I can't help myself.
I'm less interested in chasing trends and more focused on mastering tools and patterns that will still matter five years from now. AI has become part of that process, accelerating my productivity and equally important, my learning, helping me explore new ideas, validate approaches, and deepen understanding faster without losing fundamentals.
AI Engineering & Development
- ✦AI-Powered Features: Building intelligent functionality into applications: grammar cleanup, title generation, content summarization, smart categorization
- ✦AI-Assisted Development: GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Grok as coding partners for refactoring, security hardening, and rapid iteration
- ✦LLM API Integration: Connecting OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers into production workflows
- ✦AI-Powered Web Search: Integrating Tavily's real-time search and extraction API to ground AI agents with live web 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
Beyond
Development
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
HOW I BUILD WITH AI...
AI is embedded in both my process and the products I create. GitHub Copilot and Claude accelerate my workflow, refining code, surfacing risks, and scaling patterns across systems. But I go beyond using AI. I design and ship applications that put frontier models directly into users’ hands.
That means working with multi-model architectures through providers like OpenRouter, where a single API gateway gives access to models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others, making model selection a configuration choice, not a code change. It means building real-time streaming interfaces with the Vercel AI SDK so responses arrive token by token. It means grounding AI with real-world data using Tavily's search and extraction API, giving agents access to live web context so they reason over facts instead of hallucinating. And it means solving the harder problems: context window management through rolling summarization, persistent user-curated memory, and granular token-level cost tracking across every model and conversation.
My advantage is knowing what the final product should look like, shaped by 25+ years of experience across web standards, SEO, usability, and real-world edge cases. “AI supports execution, but direction, judgment, and quality remain driven by experience.”
Next.js / React
HOW I USE NEXT.JS...
My go-to framework for modern web applications. Next.js enhances React with server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes out of the box, making it easy to build scalable, production-ready apps with seamless integrations to Google Cloud, webhooks, and third-party services.
From automatic code splitting and image optimization to tight Vercel integration for instant deployments, Next.js handles the heavy lifting so I can focus on crafting high-quality user experiences.
Tailwind CSS
HOW I USE TAILWIND CSS...
Tailwind's utility-first methodology has largely eliminated the need for custom CSS, allowing styles to be composed directly in markup with consistent design tokens. The resulting codebase stays clean, maintainable, and design-consistent across projects.
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...
My preferred backend for a fast, modern way to work with PostgreSQL. Supabase provides instant APIs, authentication, and real-time subscriptions without getting in the way of the database itself.
Auto-generated APIs eliminate repetitive setup while preserving full access to PostgreSQL features, including complex queries, functions, triggers, and row-level security. PostgreSQL remains my database of choice for its reliability and flexibility.
GitHub
HOW I USE GITHUB...
The backbone of my workflow, extending far beyond version control. I rely on GitHub Actions for CI/CD pipelines that automate testing, builds, and deployments across projects. GitHub Copilot serves as an AI pair programmer, accelerating development while reinforcing best practices.
More than a tool, GitHub is where decisions are documented, changes are reviewed, and quality is enforced, a shared source of truth that scales with both projects and teams.
Vercel
HOW I USE VERCEL...
My preferred deployment platform is simple, yet scales cleanly from static sites to complex applications including headless WordPress builds. Its Git-based deployment model and automatic preview URLs fit naturally into my workflow.
Automatic HTTPS, edge delivery, serverless functions, and built-in Core Web Vitals visibility remove infrastructure overhead so I can focus on building and shipping.
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.
Image optimization, Argo smart routing, and Web Analytics round out a stack that improves performance and observability while maintaining user privacy.
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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