From Web Dev to Tech Lead at a Music Startup
A music startup's DJ upload platform was unstable and difficult to extend. They needed someone who could rebuild the web app - and grow with the company as needs evolved.
View site7 weeks instead of 12
Full parity web app rebuild delivered 5 weeks ahead of schedule.
Web player in 3 weeks
Designed and shipped a browser listening experience while the mobile rewrite continued.
Contractor → Tech Lead
Role expanded as the company restructured around reliable delivery.
Approach
Rebuilt the platform in Next.js, GraphQL, and AWS. As my work proved reliable, I took on engineering management responsibilities, and now lead technical direction for the business.
Outcome
Web rebuild delivered in 7 weeks (vs 12 planned). Web player shipped in 3 weeks. Role expanded from contractor to tech lead as the company restructured around consistent delivery.
The rebuild
I joined WeR1 to rebuild their DJ upload platform in Next.js, GraphQL, and AWS. The existing app was unstable - creators relied on it daily, but the codebase made even small changes risky.
I shipped the full rebuild in 7 weeks instead of the planned 12. Then I designed and built a web player in 3 weeks, giving users a listening experience on web while the mobile team continued their rewrite.
Growing responsibility
That delivery created visibility. I was asked to take on engineering management - running standups, supporting roadmap planning, and doing deeper investigations into the technical stack so leadership could see where the real risks and opportunities were.
Startups go through hard seasons. WeR1 is restructuring, and as part of that transition, I'm stepping into the tech lead role for the business moving forward - guiding technical direction and making pragmatic decisions about where to invest limited resources.