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Ben A.

Ben A.

Reno, NV

Virtual CTO - I turn your ideas into working software

★ I am your Virtual CTO ★ My dad knew what I was before I did. He bought me that first programming book when I was about 10 and said "Ben, you're on the other side. The side that makes things." That was 30 years ago. I am a tech entrepreneur like you, with the programming skills and experience to make stuff work. I have experience with startups of all types, using every major language, platform, and operating system. I love working with underdogs and micro-startups. That's why I choose Upwork instead of Silicon Valley. Whether you need someone to strategize with you, lead your team, program into the wee hours of the night, or just need someone to talk to, I really just have one goal in life: to help YOUR life get better, to help YOUR business grow. I turn your ideas into working software and make your business thrive. Let's talk about building your next web site or mobile app. Since I am a full stack / full service programmer, I can design your vision and program it end-to-end: in the browser, on the phone, on the server, and in the cloud. Starting from your scribbles on a napkin at a bar (wouldn't that be a great start to the story?), I take it from there and provide thoughtful input about what is most valuable. I help guide your decisions, without making them for you. Then I create your vision using frontend programming, backend programming, mobile programming, and infrastructure buildout. There is no "code ninja" here. Nor a "rock star". No "zombie hunter", and nobody who "bangs out code". I am not a "Ruby guy" or a "PHP guy", or an "Agile guy" or a "Waterfall guy" or a "script guy", though I know and work with all those things. I went to school and got all the degrees, but that's not what you need most. I prefer to be known as your thinking, capable, competent senior developer and tech lead who sees the world in full color and adapts to your situation. Someone who sits down with you and talks plainly about your goals and helps you build a plan to reach them. Someone who leans in, puts his elbows on his knees, and listens to you. If I am the right fit, I say so. If I am not the right person, I tell you that too. You will hear only my most authentic truth, and I will not take an engagement for longer than I believe in it. I offer more than just programming skills. Knowing how to actually finish a job and get it out the door instead of getting stuck in the weeds is critical. So as well as being your programmer, I am also your "get it done" guy. I am the advocate for your time, money, and energy. It has been my privilege to work with top brands like Sony, Nestle, NBC, Polaroid, Texas Instruments, Microsoft, Adobe, Discovery Channel, and many promising startups. I am honored to be Upwork's top freelancer of all time: * Upwork Identity Verified * Upwork Gold Member * Upwork All-Star * Upwork Expert Vetted (top 1%) * Upwork Top Rated Plus (top 3%) * Upwork Top Rated (top 12%) * Upwork Verified Web Developer * Upwork Verified Web Designer * 3,500+ hours and $600K+ clocked on Upwork * Flawless 5-star rating * 100% recommended by 85+ clients Thank you to Upwork and all my clients who helped make this happen for me, it is a HUGE honor. Helping your business get to the next level is my full time occupation. I continually learn new ways and approaches to help you avoid costly mistakes and rework. I have particular expertise in mobile apps and streaming video. Under my team leadership, both mobile and web apps have been created along with the underlying infrastructure and custom programming to enable mobile streaming live video capabilities. Let's talk nuts and bolts for a moment, just in case you're not convinced I know my tech :) What do I love right now? What should you be looking at to build your next project? Glad you asked! My clients and I love serverless functions, Supabase, and Ionic apps. We also work frequently with virtual reality and immersive gaming, Typescript, nodejs, WebXR, Firebase, GraphQL, React and React Native, Unity, Unreal, Three.js, Babylon.js, Go, Rust, and Gatsby. I specialize in realtime multiperson/multiplayer audio and video streaming. Web sockets and real time communication (RTC)? Covered. IoT? Let's be cyborgs. WebAssembly? Oh yeah. And "bare metal" assembly if needed. I am the creator of 250+ GitHub repositories and have been a core contributor to several major open source projects including Puppeteer and react-babylon-js. Oculus Quest 2, iOS and Android using Objective C, Swift, and Java. API programming to Facebook, Twitter, Twilio, and similar services are also frequent needs. Technology is ever-changing, and I have the thing you want most in a partner: someone who tinkers on his own time and wakes up at night exited to try something new. Hire the top programmer on Upwork and see what I can do for your business. Every new client gets a risk-free trial and flexible pricing to meet your exact goals.
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jul 23, 2020 - Jul 24, 2020

"Ben understood my project and went beyond that to recommend solutions that we did not see. He works to clarify the problem you are attacking and helps define if that is the real MVP or not."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jul 7, 2018 - Aug 17, 2018

"Ben is amazing to work with. He is very knowledgeable programmer and can help any organization. He is creative and assertive in his approach but really listens and learns the situation first."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jul 7, 2018 - Jul 24, 2018

"Ben has done a great job on my project. I am planning to hire him in the future for more work. He is very good at communication and provides great results. I loved the videos he sent at the end of each milestone. They provide a lot of useful information and show the progress."

Private earnings
Sep 6, 2017 - Jan 10, 2018

No feedback given

Private earnings
Nov 20, 2014 - Jan 21, 2015

No feedback given

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Oct 1, 2014 - Oct 25, 2014

"Ben is very knowledgeable and kept our budget in mind. He gave us sound advice and continues to hold a great relationship with us as a consultant. Ben knows his craft and we would certainly consider him an expert at what he does."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Sep 18, 2014 - Oct 1, 2014

"Ben is a great developer who brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the table. His combined skillset will make your product undoubtedly better."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Aug 5, 2014 - Sep 16, 2014

"Ben is a great programmer with the knowledge and experience to add significant value to your product."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jun 18, 2014 - Sep 12, 2014

"Great work would use again."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jun 4, 2014 - Jul 7, 2014

"Ben is an exceptional programmer."

Private earnings

Skills

Ben A.

Ben A.

Reno, NV
85
Total Jobs
3,468
Total Hours

View profile

Virtual CTO - I turn your ideas into working software

Specializes in
★ I am your Virtual CTO ★ My dad knew what I was before I did. He bought me that first programming book when I was about 10 and said "Ben, you're on the other side. The side that makes things." That was 30 years ago. I am a tech entrepreneur like you, with the programming skills and experience to make stuff work. I have experience with startups of all types, using every major language, platform, and operating system. I love working with underdogs and micro-startups. That's why I choose Upwork instead of Silicon Valley. Whether you need someone to strategize with you, lead your team, program into the wee hours of the night, or just need someone to talk to, I really just have one goal in life: to help YOUR life get better, to help YOUR business grow. I turn your ideas into working software and make your business thrive. Let's talk about building your next web site or mobile app. Since I am a full stack / full service programmer, I can design your vision and program it end-to-end: in the browser, on the phone, on the server, and in the cloud. Starting from your scribbles on a napkin at a bar (wouldn't that be a great start to the story?), I take it from there and provide thoughtful input about what is most valuable. I help guide your decisions, without making them for you. Then I create your vision using frontend programming, backend programming, mobile programming, and infrastructure buildout. There is no "code ninja" here. Nor a "rock star". No "zombie hunter", and nobody who "bangs out code". I am not a "Ruby guy" or a "PHP guy", or an "Agile guy" or a "Waterfall guy" or a "script guy", though I know and work with all those things. I went to school and got all the degrees, but that's not what you need most. I prefer to be known as your thinking, capable, competent senior developer and tech lead who sees the world in full color and adapts to your situation. Someone who sits down with you and talks plainly about your goals and helps you build a plan to reach them. Someone who leans in, puts his elbows on his knees, and listens to you. If I am the right fit, I say so. If I am not the right person, I tell you that too. You will hear only my most authentic truth, and I will not take an engagement for longer than I believe in it. I offer more than just programming skills. Knowing how to actually finish a job and get it out the door instead of getting stuck in the weeds is critical. So as well as being your programmer, I am also your "get it done" guy. I am the advocate for your time, money, and energy. It has been my privilege to work with top brands like Sony, Nestle, NBC, Polaroid, Texas Instruments, Microsoft, Adobe, Discovery Channel, and many promising startups. I am honored to be Upwork's top freelancer of all time: * Upwork Identity Verified * Upwork Gold Member * Upwork All-Star * Upwork Expert Vetted (top 1%) * Upwork Top Rated Plus (top 3%) * Upwork Top Rated (top 12%) * Upwork Verified Web Developer * Upwork Verified Web Designer * 3,500+ hours and $600K+ clocked on Upwork * Flawless 5-star rating * 100% recommended by 85+ clients Thank you to Upwork and all my clients who helped make this happen for me, it is a HUGE honor. Helping your business get to the next level is my full time occupation. I continually learn new ways and approaches to help you avoid costly mistakes and rework. I have particular expertise in mobile apps and streaming video. Under my team leadership, both mobile and web apps have been created along with the underlying infrastructure and custom programming to enable mobile streaming live video capabilities. Let's talk nuts and bolts for a moment, just in case you're not convinced I know my tech :) What do I love right now? What should you be looking at to build your next project? Glad you asked! My clients and I love serverless functions, Supabase, and Ionic apps. We also work frequently with virtual reality and immersive gaming, Typescript, nodejs, WebXR, Firebase, GraphQL, React and React Native, Unity, Unreal, Three.js, Babylon.js, Go, Rust, and Gatsby. I specialize in realtime multiperson/multiplayer audio and video streaming. Web sockets and real time communication (RTC)? Covered. IoT? Let's be cyborgs. WebAssembly? Oh yeah. And "bare metal" assembly if needed. I am the creator of 250+ GitHub repositories and have been a core contributor to several major open source projects including Puppeteer and react-babylon-js. Oculus Quest 2, iOS and Android using Objective C, Swift, and Java. API programming to Facebook, Twitter, Twilio, and similar services are also frequent needs. Technology is ever-changing, and I have the thing you want most in a partner: someone who tinkers on his own time and wakes up at night exited to try something new. Hire the top programmer on Upwork and see what I can do for your business. Every new client gets a risk-free trial and flexible pricing to meet your exact goals.
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jul 23, 2020 - Jul 24, 2020

"Ben understood my project and went beyond that to recommend solutions that we did not see. He works to clarify the problem you are attacking and helps define if that is the real MVP or not."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jul 7, 2018 - Aug 17, 2018

"Ben is amazing to work with. He is very knowledgeable programmer and can help any organization. He is creative and assertive in his approach but really listens and learns the situation first."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jul 7, 2018 - Jul 24, 2018

"Ben has done a great job on my project. I am planning to hire him in the future for more work. He is very good at communication and provides great results. I loved the videos he sent at the end of each milestone. They provide a lot of useful information and show the progress."

Private earnings
Sep 6, 2017 - Jan 10, 2018

No feedback given

Private earnings
Nov 20, 2014 - Jan 21, 2015

No feedback given

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Oct 1, 2014 - Oct 25, 2014

"Ben is very knowledgeable and kept our budget in mind. He gave us sound advice and continues to hold a great relationship with us as a consultant. Ben knows his craft and we would certainly consider him an expert at what he does."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Sep 18, 2014 - Oct 1, 2014

"Ben is a great developer who brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the table. His combined skillset will make your product undoubtedly better."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Aug 5, 2014 - Sep 16, 2014

"Ben is a great programmer with the knowledge and experience to add significant value to your product."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jun 18, 2014 - Sep 12, 2014

"Great work would use again."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Jun 4, 2014 - Jul 7, 2014

"Ben is an exceptional programmer."

Private earnings

Skills

More than 30 hrs/week

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