// Available for Projects

I Ship Code Fast
& Fix What's Broken

Senior full-stack developer with 8+ years experience. Rails, Python, Java, React — fractional dev capacity for funded startups. 10x performance improvements, month-to-month, no long-term commitment.

Services

Rails Performance Optimization

Fixed-price diagnostics from $1,500

N+1 query elimination, database optimization, caching strategy, and asset pipeline tuning. Most Rails apps have 2-3 quick wins that move PageSpeed scores 20-30 points.

  • Full performance audit with before/after metrics
  • N+1 query detection and eager loading fixes
  • Database indexing and query optimization
  • Asset delivery and caching improvements
🔄

Rails Upgrade & Modernization

Roadmaps from $2,500

Rails 6.1, 7.0, and 7.1 have lost security support. Upgrade to Rails 8 with Hotwire, Solid Queue, and ImportMaps. Migrate from deprecated Turbolinks and Webpacker.

  • Version upgrade (Rails 5.x/6.x/7.x to 8.0)
  • Turbolinks/Webpacker to Hotwire migration
  • Solid Queue, Solid Cache, Solid Cable setup
  • Zero-downtime deployment with Kamal
🛡️

Security Hardening

Audits from $750

CSP, HSTS, and security header implementation. Dependency vulnerability scanning and patching. SOC 2 and compliance preparation for Rails applications.

  • Security header audit and implementation
  • CVE patching for outdated Rails versions
  • Compliance preparation (SOC 2, PCI DSS)
  • Ongoing security monitoring
🌐

Full-Stack Web Development

Projects from $1,800

Web applications in any stack — Python/Django, Java/Spring, React/Next.js, or Rails. APIs, dashboards, internal tools, MVPs. I pick up your codebase and push features.

  • Python, Java, Ruby, JavaScript
  • REST and GraphQL API development
  • Database design and optimization
  • MVP builds and feature development
🚀

Fractional Developer

From $2,500/mo

Senior dev capacity without the recruiting overhead. I integrate with your team's workflow and start pushing production code within 48 hours. Month-to-month, cancel anytime.

  • Pushing code within 48 hours of kickoff
  • Emergency bug fixes (24-48hr response)
  • 10-20 hours/week, flexible scheduling
  • Same PR workflow, same conventions

Selected Work

Performance Optimization

Pwnie Express - 2x Performance Improvement

Cybersecurity network discovery platform processing millions of device scans. Inherited slow Rails app with mounting N+1 queries and unoptimized SQL. Delivered 2x performance improvement through systematic query optimization and caching.

Problem
Slow page loads, N+1 queries
Dashboard taking 8+ seconds to load device scan results. Database queries growing linearly with data volume.
🔧
Solution
Query optimization + caching
Rewrote critical ActiveRecord queries with eager loading. Added fragment caching. Indexed hot paths in PostgreSQL.
📈
Result
2x faster across the board
Dashboard load times cut in half. Database query count reduced 80%. Zero downtime during optimization.
Stack: Ruby on Rails PostgreSQL RSpec Redis Sidekiq
Full-Stack Build

The Farmland Project - Farm-to-Food-Bank Platform

Built a Rails application connecting farmers with surplus produce to food banks in need. GraphQL API, ElasticSearch for location-based matching, and strict TDD throughout.

🌱
Challenge
Complex matching logic
Farmers and food banks needed real-time geo-matching with seasonal availability, capacity constraints, and delivery logistics.
🔧
Approach
GraphQL + ElasticSearch
Built flexible GraphQL API for mobile/web clients. ElasticSearch geo-queries for proximity matching. Full RSpec test suite.
Outcome
Production launch on schedule
Delivered MVP on time. Strict TDD meant zero production bugs at launch. Collaborated directly with product team on feature planning.
Stack: Ruby on Rails GraphQL ElasticSearch PostgreSQL RSpec / TDD
Healthcare Data

Southern Nevada Health District - Disease Surveillance

Optimized public health informatics systems including EpiTrax (disease surveillance) and health statistics applications. Rails + Python + Neo4j handling HL7/FHIR integrations for thousands of healthcare users.

🏥
Scope
Mission-critical health systems
Production systems processing disease reports from hospitals, labs, and clinics across Southern Nevada.
🔧
Work
Performance + integration
Optimized Rails and Flask applications. Built HL7/FHIR data pipelines. Maintained Neo4j graph relationships for epidemiological analysis.
📊
Impact
10x performance gains
Dramatically improved query performance on health statistics dashboards. Reliable uptime for systems serving thousands of users daily.
Stack: Ruby on Rails Python / Flask Neo4j AWS HL7 / FHIR
Legacy Maintenance

Archnet - Historical Archives Platform

Maintained Archnet at Performant Software Solutions - a Rails application hosting thousands of scanned historical architectural documents. Also contributed to their annotation studio using React, Ember, and Backbone.js microservices.

📚
Context
Large legacy codebase
Inherited a mature Rails application with years of accumulated technical debt and thousands of archived documents.
🔧
Work
Maintenance + new features
Bug fixes, dependency updates, new search functionality. Contributed annotation tools across multiple JS framework microservices.
🔄
Skills
Legacy code expertise
Comfortable navigating unfamiliar codebases. Document as I go. Communicate blockers early. No black boxes.
Stack: Ruby on Rails React Ember.js Backbone.js Microservices

// Rails 8 Open Source Projects

📋

Freelance CRM

Lead management with kanban board, interaction tracking, and task management. Rails 8 API + React frontend.

Rails 8 React 19 JWT
💡

Idea Validator

Startup idea scoring across market, problem, solution, and business viability. PDF report generation with Prawn.

Rails 8 Prawn PDF Recharts
📧

Outreach Generator

AI-powered cold email generator using Claude API. Website scraping, campaign management, and 3 email variations per prospect.

Rails 8 Claude API Nokogiri
🏗️

Project Scaffolder

Template-based project generator with variable substitution and downloadable ZIP archives. Seeds React, Express, and Rails templates.

Rails 8 RubyZip React 19

8+ Years Building Web Applications

I'm Tim Dunn. I've spent 8+ years building and fixing web applications — Rails, Python, Java, React. From greenfield builds to inherited legacy apps with years of tech debt. My clients include cybersecurity platforms, public health agencies, and nonprofit startups.

I delivered a 2x performance improvement at Pwnie Express, built healthcare data pipelines (Rails + Python/Flask) at Southern Nevada Health District, and shipped production apps on deadline with zero launch-day bugs.

8+
Years Experience
10x
Performance Gains

Backend

Ruby / Rails Python / Django Java Node.js

Frontend & APIs

React / Next.js GraphQL Hotwire / Turbo REST APIs

Data & Testing

PostgreSQL Redis ElasticSearch TDD / RSpec

Infrastructure

AWS Docker Heroku Cloudflare

FAQ

How does fractional dev work?

I work 10-20 hours per week on your codebase, integrating with your team's workflow. You get senior dev capacity without the recruiting overhead or long-term commitment. Month-to-month, cancel anytime.

What's your response time?

For retainer clients: 24-48 hours for non-urgent issues, same-day for emergencies. US citizen, available for worldwide remote collaboration. I communicate async via Slack or your preferred tool.

What stacks do you work in?

Primary: Ruby on Rails, Python/Django, Java, React/Next.js. I also do one-time projects starting at $1,800 — performance fixes, feature builds, or full MVPs. No retainer required.

How do you handle existing codebases?

I've inherited plenty of legacy apps — Rails, Python, Java, you name it. First week is usually codebase audit and quick wins. I document as I go and communicate blockers early. No black boxes.

Got a Web App That Needs Work?

Book a free 15-minute call. I'll tell you what I'd fix first and give you a ballpark estimate. No pitch deck, no sales pressure.

Book a Free Call → tim@dunnwebstudio.com