ABOUT ME
Michael Miles
Owner and Principal Software Engineer
Hi! I’m Michael Miles. I’m a freelance software engineer from the Finger Lakes region in New York. I grew up as a second-generation techie in my family. My dad ‘fixed’ super-computers and would often bring home those weird looking rectangular punch cards with rows of digits. As a kid, I had no idea what they were used for. And I’m very glad I never had to use them. Carrying on tradition, my daughter is also a software engineer.
ABOUT SEMALINA
Semalina LLC
Founded 2011
I work under my freelance business name, Semalina LLC. The name is derived from semolina (yes, the coarsely milled durum wheat used in pasta and couscous). I enjoy making homemade pasta, which happens to be a favorite dish in my family. Since 2011, I have helped clients in diverse disciplines such as commercial wind energy, ag tech, real estate, and survey research.
“My goal is to deliver secure, scalable, reliable software that provides an elevated experience for users.”
Michael Miles
Experience
I have worked in higher education, enterprise, national defense, and start-up environments, on both small and big teams with minimal structure to well-oiled scrum teams. I am always looking towards the future and striving to make software development less chaotic and more enjoyable for myself and my team.
My work style is laid back, friendly and drama-free. I’m calm when everything is crazy. Yet I’m driven and focused on delivering solutions for my clients. I enjoy being a part of a team that trusts and values each other’s strengths. I love learning new things and don’t pretend to know stuff that I don’t.
Here are a few things that I’ve done in my professional career:
- Built a 3D mapping application and API for the commercial wind industry
- Helped found the Survey Research Institute at Cornell University
- Developed an API that calculates nutrients levels (fertilizer) to apply to the soil for farmers and growers based on soil and plant-tissue chemical analyses
- Integrated CAD/CAM and database technologies while working on submarine designs for the U.S. Navy at General Dynamics
Technologies
My primary tool for many years has been .NET and C#. And I still work on that platform for some projects. I spend a lot of time now in Node.js, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python. One of my favorite platforms is Vue.js. But I can work on React or Angular projects too.
With Quasar, a cross-platform VueJs framework, I can write code (mostly) once and still deploy on the web while also publishing iOS and Android versions of the app.
For databases, I typically use MySQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, or MongoDB. It just depends on the project and client needs.
DevOps
I’m a big fan of DevOps and have used GitHub, GitLab, and Azure DevOps. For many projects, I usually create a Docker Compose file that sets up all the services I need for development. I like using Docker Desktop but have used Rancher Desktop too. And of course, there are the usual Git, Jira, pipelines, etc. Tools of the trade.
Microservices
Architecturally, I think containerization and microservices are going to continue to gain traction. You don’t have to set up your own Kubernetes cluster; there are many cloud providers that can do that for you. But you can if you want to. In the end, my goal is to deliver secure, scalable, reliable software that provides an elevated experience for users.
Services
Custom Software
I can create custom multi-platform software that will work on desktop, tablets, and mobile devices with tailored solutions for the web, iOS, and Android platforms.
Secure API Development
API's are the hidden workhorse of most software and websites. I can create secure API services that do much of the heavy lifting.
Legacy Maintenance
I can support that old clunker app that still needs to stay around a little while longer. It wouldn't be the first time I've been called on to support legacy or end-of-life software.
Consulting Rate
I prefer to provide estimates for the entire project. This sets a knowable price tag for my clients from the beginning. I can provide a free proposal that describes the major features and deliverables and breaks down the pricing by phases.
My hourly rate is $105/hour.
NOTE: My hourly rate only is only applicable for very small projects (typically 40 hours or less) or out-of-scope additional features or work on larger projects.
I am fully insured and can provide documentation when asked.
“I really enjoy having a positive and engaging relationship with my clients.”
Michael Miles
QUESTIONS?
Curious about our services and how we can help, we’re here to answer any questions.