About
10+ years building software that ships. Direct partnership from idea to launch.
Meet the Founder
Hi, I'm John.
I'm a Director, Software Engineering with deep roots in EdTech and B2B SaaS. At K16 Solutions, I've built AI-powered applications from the ground up, designed and implemented custom integrations that connect complex systems, and fully managed our cloud infrastructure, from architecture decisions to cost optimization. I love the full spectrum: whether it's shipping a new feature or fine-tuning a database to shave milliseconds off a query. I stay curious, always exploring new technologies and better ways to build. If there's a faster path to shipping, I want to find it.
When I'm not building software, you'll find me somewhere in the Colorado mountains. I spend my free time rock climbing, skydiving, and working toward my pilot's license. I'm drawn to hard problems, whether that's figuring out how to scale infrastructure for 10x traffic or planning a flight path through the Rockies.
Background
Why I work the way I do.
After a decade of building software inside companies—shipping products, leading teams, and navigating the tension between business goals and technical constraints—I noticed a pattern: the best projects happened when there was a single point of accountability who understood both sides.
Too often, businesses hire agencies and get a parade of rotating developers. Or they bring on freelancers who disappear when things get complicated. The result is the same: projects that drift, timelines that slip, and codebases that become liabilities.
I started Hamsti Studios to offer a different model. One person who stays with your project from discovery to delivery. Who treats your timeline like their own. Who translates technical complexity into decisions you can actually make.
When you work with me, you get a partner—not a vendor.
Experience
The types of problems I solve.
Over the past decade, I've delivered across a range of project types. Here's where I add the most value.
SaaS Platform Builds
End-to-end development of subscription software products from MVP to scale. Multi-tenant architectures, billing integrations, and user management systems.
View serviceLegacy System Modernization
Migrating aging systems to modern stacks while preserving business logic. Incremental rewrites, API layering, and zero-downtime transitions.
View serviceProcess Automation
Eliminating manual workflows with custom integrations and automations. Connecting disparate systems, building internal tools, and reducing operational overhead.
View serviceTechnical Due Diligence
Architecture audits and risk assessments for acquisitions and investments. Code quality reviews, scalability analysis, and technical debt evaluation.
View serviceTechnical depth
The stack I know best.
Focused expertise across the modern web stack. I go deep rather than wide.
Frontend
Backend
Desktop
Mobile
Infrastructure
Integrations
How I operate
Principles, not platitudes.
Ownership over handoffs
I stay accountable from discovery through delivery. No rotating cast of juniors, no disappearing acts mid-project. You get direct access to the person doing the work.
Clarity over complexity
Plain-english updates, documented decisions, and no unnecessary technical jargon. Status reports you can actually read and share with your stakeholders.
Speed with intention
First working builds ship in week one, but never at the cost of maintainability. Fast doesn't mean sloppy—it means focused.
See my processReady to talk about your project?
The first conversation is exploratory. We'll discuss your goals, I'll ask questions, and you'll walk away with a clearer picture of what's possible—no obligation.