About SharperTool
Hi, I'm Ed Henderson, I am SharperTool.
I have been a fan of Steven R. Covey and "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" for many years, and I especially like the habit of "Sharpening the Saw". Combine that with the phrase "Sharpest Tool in the Shed", and you have SharperTool.
Note that I don't claim to be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I have and continue to keep my skills sharpened. As a life-long learner, I identify with that name very well, so it was a natural choice for my consulting company.
I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when the sharpertool.com domain name, which had previously been taken, became available. I grabbed it immediately!
What I know
I like to describe my skills like this:
I know a little about a lot of things, a lot about some things, but I do not know everything about anything.
With that in mind, I'm very experienced with Python, and Django in particular. I've done some crazy things with Python, like defining hardware registers for a large FPGA device, but I've also done a lot of day to day things. Python is a language, and as such, there are a myriad of ways it can be applied. Nobody can possibly be familiar with them all. I am not a machine learning expert, for example, but I have made the effort to learn and gain basic familiarity with this type of Python application.
I am a software engineer at heart, but I have a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering. I've always done programming in my EE work, and at some point, I realized that the software work was my favorite part. Even as an EE, I did a lot of programming, focusing on FPGA design using System Verilog. In the end, it's all bits, right! Over time I did more development, and less EE work. I started building online tools for Engineers in JavaScript, and since I was already loving Python by then, Django was a natural choice. Later, I added Wagtail as a CMS layer and continued to improve my skills in ReactJS.
It is great to build software, but it also has to be deployed. I've been involved in "System Administration" of some sort or another for more years than I want to mention, so Unix and Linux are very familiar to me. At my last few companies and my own startups, I've handled the DevOps side, setting up AWS Virtual Private Clouds with all of the bells and whistles needed for a robust production site. I would not feel confident deploying a 'massive site' on my own -- but I know enough to seek help where needed, and I am well versed in the processes.
Remote Work
I've been working at home for more than 10 years. It started when I joined a small company with just a few people. From there, I just stuck with it. I would describe my home office as an ideal setup. I have everything I need to excel. A fast computer, many screens - 4 with one an ultra-widescreen - plus a laptop next to me. It's cozy, well lighted, and very comfortable. Conference and even on-site meetings are not an issue.
The Bottom Line
I'm good at what I do, and I'll learn what I need to finish the task. I'll be super honest when discussing any tasks, and I won't take on something I can't handle -- that is not fair to either of us. I can architect your awesome new site, or join in with a team of developers and be a part of the team. I don't discriminate, and I'm happy to work with anyone. A good developer is a good developer, and someone I am happy to mentor or learn from, explain, or listen. If we are building great stuff, I'm onboard!
I look forward to working with you, your team, and your next big project.