Hey there—I'm Daniel.
I'm a senior freelance full-stack engineer full of passion for all aspects of building great software. I've worked on projects of various scales, both solo and as part of a team. I'm also available for consulting.
I'm keen to collaborate with passionate people working on interesting projects. If that's you and you're looking for the right guy for a remote freelance job, continue reading to get to know me and see if we're a match.
01 — Skillset
As an individual with diverse interests and experience, I've developed a broad, yet deep skillset as a web developer.
Developer
As someone who loves the art of software development, I have a passion for writing robust, clean, and maintainable code.
I strive to follow best practices and use industry-standard tools, including
TDD, linting, Git, lint-staged
, and more.
Although I've a wide range of experience, the technology I prefer includes React.js
,
TypeScript
, Gatsby
, Tailwind CSS
, Emotion Styled Components
, Python
,
Django
, and PostgreSQL
.
DevOps isn't my speciality, but I am very familiar with setting up projects from scratch, tweaking build configs, and deploying projects.
Front-end development
React.js
Redux
Apollo
Gatsby
JavaScript
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Emotion Styled Components
twin.macro
Ant Design
Formik
Webpack
Babel
Storybook
MJML
HTML/CSS/SCSS
Twitter Bootstrap
Gulp
jQuery
Back-end development
Django
Python
PostgreSQL
GraphQL
REST
DevOps
Linux (Ubuntu)
Docker
VPS (DigitalOcean, Linode)
Netlify
Sentry
CMS (Ghost)
Design sense
I've developed a strong sense for elegant design and fluid user experiences. I've studied the core fundamentals, designed many projects myself, and understand its importance in building great products.
Business insight
Through my education and experience as an entrepreneur I've attained a strong understanding of business. This includes completing a Diploma of Business with The Entourage—Australia's leading educational institution for entrepreneurs.
02 — Values
Collaborating well is more important than someone's skillset. Here's an insight into how I work to ensure we'll get along well.
Passion
I love what I do and therefore put genuine effort into my work. I enjoy working with people who share the same passion.Craftsmanship
I'm creative, meticulous, take my time, and find great enjoyment in doing things properly. I'm not one to rush.Cooperation
Working well with others is crucial for producing great work and everyone's happiness. I'm friendly and have fun.Communication
I want to make life easy for both of us. I'm candid, ask many questions, and don't let things slip by.Focus
Multitasking is my Achilles' heel. Synonymous to taking my time, I work best when concentrating my effort.Curiosity
I love learning and dedicate myself to it. You can count on me to pick up anything I don't know on my own accord.Independence
Although I'm able to work in a team, I'm very driven and self-motivated. You can count on me to get things done.Open-mindedness
I'm objective and question everything. I don't hesitate to discard my convictions when provided with a good reason.03 — Showcase
In addition to behind-the-scenes proprietary work for clients, here's a few of many projects I've worked on over the years.
AVID Console Configurator
—2021
This website enables customers to customise and receive a quote for music production equipment. I worked with a designer and full-stack engineer to build everything according to existing specifications. This included ensuring the configurator component is modular and can be imported on any React website.
React.js
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Emotion Styled Components
twin.macro
Aldinga Beach Bliss
—2021
A simple, bespoke landing page for a luxury beach house. I designed and developed it from scratch, and assisted with marketing/SEO.
Gatsby
React.js
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Emotion Styled Components
twin.macro
PostCSS
react-spring
Netlify
Vero
—2018-2020
Vero automates the leasing process. With over tens of thousands of properties, I was the lead front-end engineer who developed most of the core framework for their redesigned web application. I worked closely with the design and back-end team, directed the front-end team, and played a major role in engineering decisions.
React.js
Redux
redux-saga
Emotion Styled Components
Ant Design
Jest
React Testing Library
axios
Formik
REST
Python
Django
PostgreSQL
My Portfolio
—2018
An appealing home for my life's work was needed, so I designed one. Since learning and falling in love with React, I decided to use Gatsby: a static site generator using React and optimised for the modern web.
Gatsby
React.js
Sass
PostCSS
Twitter Bootstrap
Netlify
GraphQL
Antun Debak's Portfolio
—2017
After a failed attempt working with another developer, Antun approached me looking for someone capable of building his portfolio he designed. Using the provided design files I worked closely with him to successfully achieve his vision.
Sass
HTML
Twitter Bootstrap
jQuery
Trausing
—2016
Whilst solo-travelling across Canada, I witnessed the extreme disparity between the supply and demand of homes in Whistler. The platforms used to find homes were terrible, so I developed an elegant solution with great success. The project was featured in the media, with hundreds of users, and exceptional feedback.
Django
Python
PostgreSQL
Twitter Bootstrap
jQuery
Mailgun API
DigitalOcean
THIRTY4
—2015-2016
THIRTY4 develops bespoke software for clients; primarily large enterprise companies. I was a full-stack engineer working on large-scale web apps; their in-house FOUR application; designing and developing sites for small businesses; and developed tools to automate painstaking tasks for the team's efficiency.
PHP
Symfony
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
jQuery
Twitter Bootstrap
Devarity Game Store
—2015
In addition to being my first business venture, Devarity was also the project where I taught myself to code. Working alongside a front-end and back-end developer I hired, I assembled the pieces together, wrote tweaks and new features, and both deployed and administrated the site.
PHP
MySQL
HTML
CSS
Twitter Bootstrap
jQuery
Stripe API
Mailgun API
Open Exchange Rates API
Linode
04 — My story
Learn more about who I am and why I love what I do.
My journey as a developer
Ever since I was a child I've been obsessed with building things. I'd spend hours enamored by whatever mechanical contraption grasped my interest. Today coding satiates my desire to work with elegant, dynamic systems with real-world applications.
I find designing and developing robust systems extremely satisfying. Excellent quality is something I take pride in and strive to achieve in all my work.
As a self-taught developer I've learned through real-world experience, with the assistance of video tutorials, documentation, articles, and books. It's been a very rewarding challenge.
More about me
Although I have many interests besides coding, I tend to spend most of my free time on personal development. I live a very ascetic and fairly minimalist lifestyle. Meditation, spending time in nature, and reading are some of my favourite activities.
My ultimate purpose in life is to transcend humanity to a world of peace, infinite abundance, and sustainability. I'm a visionary and believe any goal can be accomplished, no matter how large it seems. Everything I do is a stepping stone towards this—I'm hell-bent on achieving it.
Random facts about me
- My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INTJ-A
- I'm addicted to music
- I'm obsessed with personal development
- I'm very spiritual and a serious meditator
Favourite quotes
- “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” ― Nikola Tesla
- “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right.” — Henry Ford
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” — Wayne Gretzky
- “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” — J. P. Morgan
- “If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” — Mahatma Gandhi
05 — References
Don't take my word for it. Here's what people I've worked with have said about me.
Yashua Savage
CTO @ InboundAV
We had a fairly complex React/API project that we were short staffed on. We required an experienced dev that would work with our senior engineers and require no hand holding. Daniel hit the ground running and his strong experience, clear communication, and meticulous test driven approach were evident from the start. We would most definitely work with Daniel again.
Lou Baugier
Founder and CEO @ VERO Technologies
Daniel was a faithful employee at VERO Technologies for over a year. He served as an Engineer during his tenure and was a remote employee, residing in Australia. He is reliable and a talented programmer who I would recommend to any business seeking his services.
Antun Debak
CPO & Designer @ MVP Workshop
It was a pleasure working with Daniel on numerous website development projects. His attention to details and dedication to the project specification and establishing collaborative processes with design teams is something that rarely can be seen nowadays.
He always went one step above expectations and has delivered nice looking, working and documented code, but also was there to say no to unreasonable or unfeasible requirements.
I would recommend Daniel to anyone who’s looking for a freelance front-end engineer, he’s a rare catch worth getting in touch with.
Jake Press
Managing Director @ THIRTY4
I am pleased to offer a formal recommendation for Daniel Spajic. In addition to adding value to the team, he also exhibited numerous qualities and skills that any employer will find valuable, such as:
- Punctual, reliable and consistent
- High level of attention to detail
- Team orientated
- Strong positive attitude
Succinctly, I am confident Daniel will be a positive addition to any team.