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Available for new projects

I build and ship mobile apps, web apps and Shopify apps.

I'm Fernando, a software developer in Manchester. Two apps I built on my own are live on the App Store and Google Play, and I can take yours from idea to launch the same way, using AI-assisted engineering to move fast without cutting corners.

Services

What I can build for you

Every project is quoted individually. Tell me what you need and I'll come back with a clear scope, timeline and price.

Mobile apps

iOS and Android apps built with React Native and Expo, from the first screen to store approval.

  • App Store and Google Play submission
  • Subscriptions and in-app purchases
  • Sign-in, push notifications, analytics
  • Over-the-air updates after launch

React Native · Expo · RevenueCat · Clerk

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Web apps & websites

Fast, search-friendly websites, landing pages and web apps that are easy to keep up to date.

  • Marketing sites and landing pages
  • Dashboards and internal tools
  • Contact forms, email, CMS
  • SEO basics and hosting set-up

Next.js · React · Tailwind · Vercel

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Shopify apps

Custom Shopify apps and integrations that add what your store or your merchants are missing.

  • Custom and public Shopify apps
  • Admin API and checkout-safe features
  • Billing plans via Shopify App Pricing
  • Integrations with your other tools

React Router · Polaris · Prisma · Postgres

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APIs, backend & servers

The server side your product runs on: APIs, databases, scheduled jobs and the servers to host them.

  • REST APIs and data pipelines
  • Database design and migrations
  • AWS EC2 and Linux server set-up
  • Nginx, Docker, TLS, backups

Node.js · PostgreSQL · Redis · AWS

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Selected work

Products I've built and run

All built solo, from first commit to production. The code is private, but I'm happy to walk you through it on a call.

SneakersBook

Livev1.3.0

Mobile app · iOS, Android & web

A collection and portfolio app for sneaker collectors: track what you own, what it is worth today, and how your collection performs over time.

  • Real-time backend with collections, market-value pricing, price alerts, leaderboards and push notifications
  • Freemium subscriptions with server-side entitlement checks, so purchases stay in sync across devices
  • Full release pipeline: store builds, over-the-air updates and localised store listings
React NativeExpoTypeScriptConvexClerkRevenueCatNext.js
commits
600+
backend modules
35+
store locales
8

Kibun

Mobile app · iOS & Android

Live

A mood tracker and journal with a Shiba Inu mascot. It prompts short check-ins through the day and turns them into AI-written insights.

  • Daily insights, journal prompts and reports generated by GPT-4o-mini through Supabase Edge Functions
  • Subscriptions with webhook sync; available in 4 languages
React NativeExpoSupabaseOpenAIRevenueCat

Sneaker Price API

Backend service

Live

Collects sneaker prices from public marketplaces every day, calculates a weighted market value and serves it to the app.

  • Price history in PostgreSQL with Redis caching, behind a JWT-secured REST API
  • Runs on AWS EC2 with Nginx, rate limiting, PM2, Docker and Let's Encrypt TLS
Node.jsExpressTypeScriptPostgreSQLRedisAWS EC2

Size Localizer & Switchback

Shopify apps

Early access

Two Shopify apps on a shared platform layer. Size Localizer shows each market its own shoe-size standard; Switchback tests which collection sort order earns more.

  • Size Localizer labels sizes as UK, EU, US or cm per market, from product page to checkout, with no theme code
  • Switchback alternates two sorting strategies on a live store and reports the winner with confidence intervals
ShopifyReact Router 7PolarisPrismaPostgreSQL

Up next: Daily Anchor. An offline-first habit and focus tracker, with a custom sync server so data stays on the device until the user chooses to back it up.

Approach

AI-assisted, human-reviewed

I use Claude Code every day as part of a disciplined engineering workflow. Here's what that means for you.

Faster delivery

I work with Claude Code as a pair programmer on every task: planning, writing code, reviewing it and writing tests. Work that would take a small team moves at the pace of one focused developer.

Checked, not guessed

AI output goes through the same gates as mine: type checks, automated tests, code review and safe-deploy scripts before anything reaches production.

Yours to keep

You get readable code, written documentation and the accounts in your name. Nothing depends on me or on a particular AI tool to keep running.

How a project runs

  1. Step 1

    Call

    We talk through what you need, who it is for and what a good result looks like.

  2. Step 2

    Scope and quote

    I write up the features, timeline and price so we agree on the same thing before work starts.

  3. Step 3

    Build

    You get regular updates and preview links, so you can try the product while it is being built.

  4. Step 4

    Launch and handover

    I handle store submission or deployment, then hand over the code, accounts and documentation.

CV

Experience and skills

Software developer with a BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering (2:1). I design, build and ship production software end to end: two mobile apps of my own are live on the App Store and Google Play, backed by APIs and Shopify apps I also built and run. I use AI-assisted engineering with Claude Code every day to deliver faster while keeping quality high.

Experience

  1. Independent Software Developer · Mobile apps, backend services & Shopify apps

    Nov 2024 – Present
    • Design, build and operate a portfolio of products as sole developer, from market research to store release and iteration.
    • Shipped SneakersBook and Kibun to the App Store and Google Play, with a Next.js web app, a live price API on AWS and two Shopify apps.
    • Use Claude Code as a core engineering tool, with custom agents and skills for query audits, UI work and store releases.
    • Provision and harden Linux servers on AWS EC2 and local VMs with Nginx, Docker, PM2 and TLS.
  2. IT Player Support (Players Advocate) · Pole To Win

    Jul 2022 – Nov 2024
    • Diagnosed game performance and account issues by analysing system diagnostics (DxDiag, MSInfo32).
    • Built an internal web tool on my own initiative that parses those reports and flags conflicting software, cutting investigation time on complex tickets.
  3. Hospitality & Production roles · Manchester

    2018 – 2022
    • Dispatch quality control and front-of-house service. Built Squadhunt, a React / Node.js platform on AWS EC2, in my own time.
  4. IT Support Technician (Internship) · Counterpart Systems

    2017
    • Hosted Exchange email support, data-centre server installs, and scripts for network asset inventory.
  5. Software Development Placement · Liverpool John Moores University

    2014 – 2015
    • Built a beta Android app (Java) linking diabetes patients with their GP, and extended a guidance app for Liverpool Women's Hospital.

Skills

Languages
TypeScriptJavaScriptSQLHTMLCSSC#JavaPython
Mobile & frontend
React NativeExpoReactNext.jsTailwind CSSReanimated
Backend & data
Node.jsExpressConvexSupabasePostgreSQLPrismaRedis
Platforms
ShopifyClerkRevenueCatSentryOpenAI API
Infrastructure
AWS EC2LinuxNginxDockerPM2CloudflareVercelGit
AI-assisted dev
Claude CodeCustom agents & skillsMCPPrompt engineering

Education

BSc (Hons) Software Engineering, 2:1 · Liverpool John Moores University

2012 – 2016

Foundation in IT (74%) and BTEC National Diploma in ICT (Distinction) · LJMU / Liverpool Community College

2010 – 2012

First Certification in Ethical Hacking (FCEH)

2017

Languages: English (C1, professional) · Spanish (native)

Contact

Let's talk about your project

Tell me what you're building and I'll get back to you with next steps. Hiring for a full-time role? Choose “Job opportunity”.

Email
fernanhick@gmail.com
Based in
Manchester, UK · working remotely with clients anywhere