Independent Software Developer

I design, build, and ship maintainable software that moves your business forward.

I partner with small businesses and startups to turn requirements into reliable web apps, APIs, desktop tools, and data workflows — with clear communication and on-time delivery.

Blake McKenna

About

I’m Blake, a pragmatic full‑stack developer focused on PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, jQuery, C#/.NET and SQL Server. I care about clean architecture, good naming, and thoughtful UX. My work spans small business websites to back‑office tools, secure email/notification pipelines, and data‑driven dashboards.

I’m hands‑on from problem framing to production: requirements, schema design, APIs, front–end polish, deployments, and docs. I prefer simple solutions, strong testing, and predictable delivery over flash and churn.

30+ yrs
Experience
24–48h
Avg. response
A+
Client satisfaction

What I Do

Web Apps & Sites

Responsive, accessible, and fast. PHP/Bootstrap front‑ends, REST APIs, auth, forms, email, and SEO basics baked in.

Back‑end & Databases

Schema design, queries, migrations, and performance work for MySQL & SQL Server. Pragmatic, secure PHP back‑ends.

Integrations & Automation

PHPMailer, Gmail SMTP/App Passwords, Twilio SMS, AlphaVantage data, Google Sheets, and custom ETL scripts.

Desktop Tools

Python/Tkinter and C# WinForms utilities for internal workflows: importers, dashboards, and billing helpers.

Security & Reliability

Modern password hashing, input validation, error logging, and sane defaults for uptime and maintainability.

Ongoing Support

Updates, small features, backups, and monitoring under simple monthly plans. Transparent, no‑surprises billing.

How I Work

Communication

Clear timelines, fast replies, and short, honest updates. I document decisions and keep stakeholders aligned.

Ownership

I treat your product like it’s mine: proactive risk‑spotting, testing, and clean handoffs with readme and scripts.

Pragmatism

Right tool, right time. Boring tech that scales beats complicated stacks that overfit the problem.

Security by Default

Secure password flows, least‑privilege, prepared statements, and safe secrets handling are table stakes.

Tech I Use

PHP MySQL JavaScript jQuery Bootstrap 5 PHPMailer Gmail SMTP Python C# / WinForms SQL Server VS Code Git XAMPP

Let’s build something useful.

Tell me about your project goals and constraints. I’ll reply with ideas, a scope, and practical next steps.