05Transmissions
Field notes
Writing on frontend development: animation, design systems, performance, and the working life of a freelance developer in Chicago.
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Web performance ROI: what site speed is actually worth
The speed studies that survive scrutiny (Deloitte's 0.1s lift, Vodafone's LCP test, redBus's INP win), the bounce curve, and how to buy performance work that pays for itself.
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A Core Web Vitals field guide for marketing sites
The metrics that matter and the fixes that move them, plus the ones that waste a sprint.
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The Chicago tech scene in 2026: a field guide
A working map of the Chicago market: who hires, where the hubs sit, what it pays, and why remote from the suburbs is the quiet win.
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Chicago developer salary in 2026: what the numbers say
BLS medians, pay by level, the coastal rent math, and what actually moves an offer, from the person deciding what to put on the table.
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Frontend developer interview questions I actually ask
The loop I run at my day job, the four questions that predict anything, why the whiteboard is gone, and the red flags on both sides of the table.
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The case for static: why your marketing site might not need a database
What JAMstack and Eleventy mean in practice, when static wins, and when it's the wrong tool.
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A technical SEO checklist for developers
The five-layer technical SEO checklist I run against every build: crawl, render, speed, semantics, and structured data, plus the tool that proves each fix.
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Freelance developer vs agency vs in-house: who to hire for what
I have been the agency developer, the in-house lead, and the freelancer since 1999, and this is who to hire for what, and what each one costs.
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Hiring a freelance frontend developer in Chicago: rates, red flags, and what to ask
What I'd tell a friend before they signed a contract with anyone, including me.
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How much does a website cost in Chicago?
Real ranges by project type from the person who writes the estimates, plus what moves the number and how to buy well.
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