Builder · OperatorBC / UKTaking on new work

I build software for owner-operators. Because I am one.

I've run projects and ops across engineering, hospitality, real estate, and junior sports. I also ship production code. Same person, both jobs.

Book a 30-min chat →See the before and after ↓

Selected work

Every one of these started with a before.

Recent builds, each shown by the thing that actually changed for the business. That isn't always the homepage. Drag the line to compare for yourself.

Craft brewery · Langley, BC

Camp Beer Co.

2026 · Next.js · Sanity

BeforeThe taproom menu in the old editor. Every beer, style, and price was its own hand-placed text box.

AfterStaff change a beer once. The QR menu, the taproom TV, and the website all update on their own.

Full rebuild for an award-winning Langley brewery. One CMS drives the QR taproom menu, the website, the self-updating TV tap board, and a share poster for every beer on tap.

Read the case study →

“Sam looked beyond the brief and completely rethought how our website could support our business. The difference has been obvious to both our staff and our guests, and I couldn’t recommend Sam more highly.”

Micah FunkGeneral Manager, Camp Beer Co.

Brand and packaging studio

Serif + Gold

2026 · Next.js · Sanity

BeforeThe Wix site. A professional designer, capped at whatever the template's theme could express.

AfterHis own Figma, built in code. Every service gets its own colour world, and they stack as you scroll.

Design-to-code build for a brand and packaging studio. The designer's own Figma, shipped at full fidelity, with a Sanity Studio he runs himself.

Read the case study →

“I built every pixel of this site myself in Figma and expected the usual losses going from file to code. There weren’t any. He’s since become the developer I bring in whenever a project needs to go from design to production.”

Aaron ArmstrongBrand Strategy + Creative Direction, Serif + Gold

Helicopter parts distributor

Canadian Air Parts

2026 · Next.js

BeforeFifteen-plus menu items, broken partner logos, and a quote request you had to hunt for.

AfterA clear product hierarchy, an identity that looks like a global distributor, and Request a Quote one click from anywhere.

Full rebuild for a global helicopter parts distributor. Live on their domain, with a CMS the team runs themselves.

Read the case study →

“Sam knows how to balance design with usability. I’d recommend him to any small business looking for a reliable, knowledgeable partner to build or upgrade their website.”

Dave RendlePresident/Owner, Canadian Air Parts Ltd.

Real estate brokerage

Royal LePage Wolstencroft

2026 · Next.js · Supabase

BeforeWhere a new hire stood lived in somebody's sent folder, a shared drive, and a spreadsheet.

AfterOne checklist per hire. Signatures arrive on their own, and the signed PDFs file themselves.

Illustrated. The portal holds live employment records, so no real screens are shown.

Onboarding and e-signature platform for a real estate brokerage. A self-hosted signing engine, Canadian data residency, and paperwork that files itself.

Read the case study →

What I do

Four kinds of work, one kind of client.

Websites that load.

Website rebuilds

For businesses whose current site is hurting them. Built in Next.js, deployed on Vercel, perfect Lighthouse scores by default. Four to six weeks, usually. I do design, copy, and build, or slot in alongside a designer you already trust.

Tools for real teams.

Internal tools and custom software

When your team has outgrown spreadsheets but doesn't need a $100k SaaS subscription. CRMs, portals, admin tools, dashboards. Built on Next.js and Supabase, designed to actually get used.

Second opinions.

Operations and tech advisory

Fractional work for owner-operators who want a second set of eyes on systems, staffing, processes, or tech decisions. Monthly retainer, no long contracts. Useful when you need someone who understands both the spreadsheet and the stack.

AI, without the bullshit.

AI training & workshops

Half-day in-person or remote sessions teaching your team how to actually use AI tools. Practical, not hypothetical. I've delivered four of these to real estate offices, and the material works for any team new to AI. Learn more →

How it works

One person, end to end.

I'm one person. I'm not an agency or a design studio, and I can't match the scale or specialisation of a twenty-person team. What I offer is different: one operator who builds custom software end to end, with judgement sharpened by fifteen years of running businesses myself.

You talk to me, not an account manager. Projects ship in weeks, not quarters. And I understand your business before I write a line of code, because I've spent my career running ones like yours.

If what you need is closer to a deep engineering build than a business-solving one, I'll tell you up front and point you to someone better suited. I'd rather send you to the right person than start a project I can't finish well.

Most small-business software gets built by people who've never run a small business. I have. That's the whole pitch.

Short version

Who I am.

I'm Sam. British-Canadian, based in BC. I trained as a mechanical engineer, spent my early career managing engineering projects through defence, marine & pharma, and ended up running operations instead.

Today I'm the COO of a multi-entity portfolio: hospitality, real estate, investments & junior sports. I write production code for all of them. When I'm not doing that, I build for other owner-operators.

More on the about page if you want the longer version.

Field notes

Written down as I go.

All field notes →

008 · 2026-10-07BUILD NOTES

When a template builder stops being the cheap option

Two clients left Wix this year for opposite reasons. Neither was wrong to start there. Both had quietly been paying for it long after it stopped being the sensible choice.

007 · 2026-09-22OPERATORS & AI

Get AI out of the browser

The question I get most from owner-operators is what the first step is. It isn’t a tool, a subscription, or a better prompt. It’s moving from watching AI to putting it to work on your own files.

006 · 2026-09-15BUILD NOTES

A CMS that can’t break the design

Handing a designer the keys to his own site usually means handing him a way to wreck it. The fix wasn’t training. It was deciding what the editor is allowed to ask.

Got something that needs building?

I work with a small number of owner-operators at a time. If you've got a site or a tool that isn't pulling its weight, let's have a chat. Thirty minutes, no pitch deck, just a conversation.

Book a 30-min chat →Or email me directly

Not ready to talk?

Get your before, in writing.

Send me your website's address and I'll send back a short PDF: what's broken, what's costing you enquiries, and what I'd fix first. Free, and written in plain words.

Get a free site check →