What I Stand For
These aren't marketing fluff—they're commitments that shape every engagement. How I work with clients, and why it matters.
Core Principles
Freedom to Choose
Your business, your choice.
You own your code. You're free to work with anyone—but I aim to be the one you choose.
What this means:
- No proprietary frameworks or tools that lock you in
- Clean, well-documented code that any competent developer can work with
- Standard technologies and patterns, not custom black boxes
- Full source code ownership from day one
- No artificial dependencies on me or my services
Why it matters: Too many developers build job security into their code. They create systems only they understand, use obscure tools, or structure things in ways that make switching costly. I do the opposite. If you leave, you leave with everything you need to continue without me.
Fair Value
You know exactly what you're paying for.
Transparent pricing, no hidden fees, no artificial complexity. What you see is what you get.
What this means:
- Clear, upfront pricing with no surprises
- Itemised invoices that explain every charge
- No upselling features you don't need
- Honest recommendations, even if it means less work for me
- If a free solution works as well as a paid one, I'll tell you
What fair value looks like: You'll never get a surprise invoice. If the site doesn't need updates, you don't pay for updates. If I can solve your problem in an hour instead of three, I bill you for one.
Partnership
I'm a call away.
The relationship doesn't end at launch. Support that doesn't disappear.
What this means:
- Available for questions and help after the project completes
- Reasonable response times for support requests
- Happy to explain how things work, not just fix them
- Training and knowledge transfer included
- Long-term thinking, not just project completion
What partnership looks like: Once your project goes live, it stays on my infrastructure—hosting, monitoring, updates, and support all handled. You're not handed off to a support team or left to figure it out. Same person, same relationship, ongoing.
Your Success is My Success
I only win when you win.
I'm invested in your results. My reputation is built on your success stories.
What this means:
- Focused on outcomes that matter to your business
- Honest about whether a project will deliver ROI
- Will recommend against projects that won't help you
- Success measured by your results, not my hours billed
- Long-term relationships over quick transactions
The alignment: When your business succeeds, you come back with more work. You refer others. You become a testimonial. My incentives are aligned with your success, not against it.
Extended Philosophy
These additional principles expand on the philosophy and guide my day-to-day decisions.
Honesty Over Sales
I'll tell you if it's not worth building.
If a project won't deliver ROI, I'll say so. I'd rather turn down work than take your money for something that won't help. This means honest assessments during discovery, pushing back on scope that doesn't add value, and saying "no" to projects that don't make sense.
Quality Over Speed
Done right, not just done fast.
Rushed code costs more in the long run. I take the time to build it properly the first time. This means realistic timelines, thorough testing before delivery, clean maintainable code, and proper documentation.
Simplicity Over Complexity
The simplest solution that works.
I don't over-engineer. The best systems are the ones that are easy to understand, maintain, and extend. This means choosing boring, proven technologies, avoiding unnecessary abstraction, and solutions that match the problem size.
Transparency in Everything
No black boxes.
You'll always know what I'm working on, what it costs, and why. No hidden fees, no surprise invoices. This means clear itemised quotes, regular progress updates, explanation of technical decisions, and open communication about challenges.
Results Over Activity
Value delivered, not hours billed.
I focus on outcomes that matter to your business, not on looking busy. This means measuring success by business impact, efficient use of time, focus on high-value work, and avoiding busywork and padding.
Long-Term Thinking
Building for tomorrow, not just today.
Quick fixes create future headaches. I build systems that scale with your business and remain maintainable years down the track. This means choosing stable technologies, writing clean code, and planning for growth—not just shipping fast.
How It All Connects
These principles form a coherent philosophy:
- 1. Freedom to Choose + Fair Value = You're never trapped or exploited
- 2. Partnership + Your Success = We're in this together, long-term
- 3. All together = A relationship built on trust, not dependency
This isn't how most of the industry works. Many developers:
- Build lock-in to ensure ongoing work
- Charge premium margins on commodity services
- Disappear after the cheque clears
- Focus on their interests, not the client's
I've seen too much of that. These principles are my commitment to doing it differently.
Ready to work together?
These principles aren't aspirational—they're how I actually operate. Let's chat.