I build custom tooling, high-performance APIs, and production-grade web systems. 10+ years of hands-on experience across the full stack, and I actually enjoy the infrastructure side too.
I build bespoke systems rather than off-the-shelf solutions, from high-throughput APIs to real-time dashboards and cross-platform mobile apps. Ships Code is just my trading name; it's me doing the work, end to end.
Laravel and FastAPI (Python) powered REST APIs built to scale. Architected for millions of requests, with Redis caching layers, queue workers, and database optimisation baked in from day one. MySQL and PostgreSQL depending on the project.
Fast, SSR-ready web applications that consume your data intelligently. From marketing sites to complex internal tools, built with a focus on performance and maintainability.
Cross-platform iOS and Android applications with a single codebase. Expo-powered workflows for rapid iteration without sacrificing native performance or user experience.
Custom operational tooling that aggregates data from multiple sources: ad networks, analytics platforms, server metrics, into a single coherent view of business performance.
Extensive experience with WordPress at scale: custom themes, plugin development, performance optimisation, and WooCommerce implementations for businesses that run on it.
Comfortable from bare metal to cloud: provisioning and maintaining Linux servers, containerising workloads with Docker, managing virtualisation with Proxmox, and deploying to AWS and GCP. Observability via New Relic, self-hosted stacks via Coolify, and Redis for caching and queues throughout.
Architected and built a Laravel API serving millions of page views per month, powering a Next.js front-end with SSR. Performance optimisation across every layer: query tuning, Redis caching, CDN strategy, and PM2 process management for sustained throughput under load.
A unified KPI dashboard aggregating data from multiple ad networks, Google Analytics, and direct data imports. Real-time financial and operational performance in a single view, replacing spreadsheet chaos with structured insight.
A customer-facing monitoring tool providing real-time visibility into server health, Next.js application state, and Redis memory. Includes interactive management tools, not just dashboards, but controls to act on what you see.
Production React Native apps shipped to both App Store and Google Play. Built with Expo for efficient development cycles, backed by Laravel APIs, with native integrations for notifications, storage, and hardware features.
I'm Ben, a senior full-stack developer trading as Ships Code. It's just me. No account managers, no juniors in the background. You get direct access to a senior developer who understands both the technical and business sides of what you're building, and who's been doing this long enough to know when to keep it simple.
Before writing a line of code, I take time to understand what you're actually trying to achieve, not just the spec as written.
Code that's readable, maintainable, and documented. The aim is a system you can hand off, extend, or revisit years later without archaeology.
Working software beats perfect specifications. Structured releases with clear milestones, then refinement based on real usage data.
Technical updates in plain language. No jargon inflation, no status theatre. You'll always know where things stand.
Whether you need a senior contractor, a specific system built, or a second opinion on an existing architecture, so drop me a line and I'll have a straight conversation about whether it's a good fit.
[email protected]Based in Surrey, UK · Remote only