My name is Shiv Jha-Mathur. I’ve been building software since the ’90s and consulting since 2007. My recent personal projects can be found under shivjm on GitHub and on Codeberg, as well as some DevOps work on GitLab under shivjm-www.
I’m comfortable with the backend, the frontend, databases, and DevOps, including Kubernetes and GitOps. I’ve used everything from Perl, Java, and Common Lisp to PHP, JavaScript, and Prolog. These days, I write a lot of TypeScript, Python, and Rust, on both Linux and Windows.
Whatever the stack, I probably understand it and likely have used it already. Being introduced to a new environment and almost immediately making it better (sometimes without even knowing the language) is my forte. Like all good developers, I learn quickly. I also have plenty of hardware experience, including operating server racks with declarative networking and workloads via Terraform, Ansible, and Nix.
Beyond just the fundamentals of reliable, clear, and maintainable code, I believe in prioritizing the user experience over developer convenience. I would much rather make tangible improvements to reduce costs and increase retention than chase spectres.
While I’ll readily share my opinions and experience if asked, and I relish the real hard work, I’m a professional: my job is to build on what’s there to solve the problems I’ve been tasked with and make the project the best it can be.
My strong suit is software architecture and programming. I take on contracts for development work in any capacity, big or small (including Individual Contributor roles). I can work on a retainer, on an hourly basis, or for the duration of a particular project. I can join an existing team of developers or work on my own.
Over the years, I’ve done everything from lead development on the decade-old, multi-language backbone of a company’s SaaS platform to spend a few days to investigating why an Eleventy-based site isn’t showing a particular post. I’ve built innumerable websites, frontends, backends, and workflows. If you’re not yet sure what you need, I’m happy to use my experience to offer solutions tailored to your specific requirements.
I’m interested in remote work, as I’m most productive at my own desk with access to my entire toolbox, and I favour asynchronous communication, as it’s easier, in my experience, to coordinate over (say) Slack or email and reserve calls or meetings for more urgent situations.
You can reach me at shiv@shivjm.in. My C.V. is available upon request.