Why I Hired Out This Site
UPDATE: Since writing this article I've updated the site to use Next.js. Much of the work builds upon Cole's initial implementation, but the code is no longer what it was at launch.
That said, Cole was still a huge part of getting this site up and running. The article below tells that story.
Two years ago I set out to start a blog and portfolio site. I researched several options and eventually decided I wanted to give Gatsby a try.
My children (5 and 3 at the time) were growing, and I wanted to make sure they were my priority. Taking on a new software endeavor with 15 minutes here and an hour there isn't an ideal situation. As you can imagine, I struggled to get the site up and running.
At the same time, I had started mentoring a few people over at codingcoach.io which was awesome. Among them was Emeruche Cole. He is an awesome engineer; very capable and learns new technologies quickly.
As luck would have it, he was into making Gatsby sites, and I was in the market for a Gatsby site. I know it's a bit odd for a developer to hire out their portfolio site, but after 14 years in the industry I didn't feel the need to prove myself by single-handedly crafting my site. I would rather focus on the content.
Cole, on the other hand, was new to the industry and – like most developers new to the industry – was working really hard to land his first job. One of the things I suggest to everyone I mentor who is looking for their first opportunity, is to freelance if possible.
In this case, our timelines aligned perfectly, so I asked Cole if he would be interested in taking me on as a client to build me a Gatsby site. He accepted (thankfully) and proceeded to ask me the questions necessary to provide me with an estimate for the project. He quoted me a fair price for the work, and I accepted.
A few weeks later, Cole was done. As I knew it would be, his work was fantastic. Quick, professional, and thorough with great communication. He managed my expecations very well, and delivered exactly what he said he would. He even took the time to walk me through some of the tech, set up deployments, and transfer ownership. I was impressed!
I'm very thankful to have such a great place to put my thoughts. The fact that it was built by Cole only makes it better.
Here's a link to Cole's website. If you're looking to hire a dev, you should strongly consider him.
