How we work together
I work with smaller businesses in Thailand and on international projects. You talk to me, and I write the code. Whether we're starting something new or changing an existing system, I want to understand what you need and make sure you know what I'm doing and where I need your help.
Start with the task in your own words
Tell me what you need to achieve and who will use the result. For an existing website, a link and a concrete example help: what happens now, what should happen, and how I can reproduce the problem. For a new project, describe the work the website or application should support.
You don't need to turn that into a technical specification. I ask about the details, your deadlines, the tools you use, and what already works well. If I need access to investigate, I explain what I need and why.
If something is broken, I ask what changed before it started and try to reproduce the problem before changing settings or adding tools. If you've taken over a website, my website handover checklist can help us work out who manages the hosting, domain settings, code, and external accounts.
Agree the first piece of work
I write down what I will do, what isn't part of the task, what I need from you, and how we'll check the result. I give you an estimate before I start. You can find my rates and examples of small tasks on the contact page.
Sometimes I need to look inside a system before I can estimate a fix. I explain what I need to investigate so we can agree that first. If I find something that changes the task or my estimate, I talk it through with you before doing more work.
I build, test, and show you the result
I keep track of code changes with version control and test the parts the work touches. If I change a booking form, for example, I also check what happens to the information after someone presses send: is it checked, saved, and included in the confirmation email?
When the task calls for it, I use a separate test version so you can try the changes before they go live. I tell you what I've checked, what still needs attention, and what I'd like you to look at. You know the daily work better than I do, so your feedback matters.
Before changing the live website, I check what access I need, the relevant backups, and how to restore things if something goes wrong. We agree when to put the work live. Afterwards, I check the affected functions and leave notes you need to use and maintain them. We agree any further support separately. If the hosting needs to move, I plan that as a website migration.
Remote collaboration
I work best with time to think
I like working remotely, with time to concentrate and put my thoughts in writing. During the pandemic, I worked from Denmark with colleagues in Barcelona and Torquay. That experience confirmed that I enjoy working together without sharing an office.
Putting tasks and decisions in writing means we can get on with our work without both being online. We agree when we need feedback and let each other know about deadlines or time away. I ask when I'm unsure, and I want my updates to make it clear what I've done, what I've tested, and what I need from you.
Thailand is five or six hours ahead of Denmark, where I work, so part of your day has happened before mine starts. That is usually an advantage. I read your messages first thing, and something you approve in your afternoon can be finished before you are back at your desk. What makes it work is the order: we agree the task in writing, I implement it, I write down what changed, and you look at it in your next working window. It only gets difficult when a decision exists solely in someone's memory, or when everything waits for us to catch each other live.
Where the work is done matters less than whether it is scoped, implemented, tested, and explained properly. That has held true for me whether the client sat in Denmark, Thailand, or England.
Here's a made-up example of an update about a booking form:
- Ready for you to try. I've added arrival and departure dates to the test form. Both are required before an enquiry can be sent. I haven't changed the live form yet.
- What I've checked. I've tried missing dates, a departure before arrival, and a valid enquiry all the way through to the confirmation email.
- What I need from you. Could you try the form and check whether the dates and email wording fit how you handle enquiries? Once you're happy with it, we can agree when to put it live.