[jm]Japheth Miller
About

I make software that small teams actually open on Monday.

I’m a freelance developer and designer based in Florida. Sixteen years as a product manager in multi-family software, hobby-coding the whole way through, before I started shipping seriously. I run my own SaaS, ottomated.io, and take on a small number of client projects each year.

Two main tracks: custom software design and engineering for any kind of project, and AI automation setupfor small businesses — the kind that quietly removes manual work without putting a chatbot in front of anyone. I’m at my best on tightly-scoped two- to six-week engagements.

Japheth Miller
↑ this is me, in roughly the room where most of the work happens.
How I work

Six things I’ve learned the hard way
and now believe quietly.

  1. 01
    Decide first, code second.

    Two days of deciding saves a week of building. I'll push for clarity before I write a line.

  2. 02
    Ship in two-week increments.

    Long projects are short projects, in a row. Each one ends with something deployable.

  3. 03
    Boring stack, sharp execution.

    I'd rather be the second-best React shop with the best ops than the reverse.

  4. 04
    Refuse the wrong feature kindly.

    My job is to keep the project on the road. Sometimes that means saying no to the thing you asked for.

  5. 05
    Leave the wiring tidy.

    Every project I leave behind is a project the next developer can pick up without calling me.

  6. 06
    One thread, end to end.

    You don't hand off between a designer, a developer, and a deployer. You hire me. The seam doesn't exist.

What I take on

Mostly yes. Sometimes very firmly no.

✓ Yes please
  • Custom dashboards & internal tools
  • AI automation for small businesses
  • SaaS MVPs (2–6 week scope)
  • Marketing sites that need to perform
  • Brand + site combos for small businesses
  • Rescuing a stalled project
✗ Not for me
  • Crypto, casino, or AI snake oil
  • Long-running staff aug
  • Anything that needs a team of five
  • “Can you copy this competitor”
  • Work I won't be proud to show
Tools, currently
Next.js and Astro on the front, sometimes hand-coded HTML when a framework is overkill. Supabase (Postgres + Auth + Storage) for most things; WordPress when the client has to edit on their own. Anthropic’s Claude for OCR, agentic work, and the “AI in the seams” pieces. Tailwind everywhere, custom-designed from scratch — no template kits. Linear for tracking. Vercel for hosting most projects. Resend for mail. Stripe for money. I’m happy to use your stack if it’s reasonable.
The path
2009—2025
Product manager
Sixteen years at a multi-family software company. Owned roadmaps, shipped releases, learned how software actually gets built — and broken — at scale.
2009—2025
Hobby coder
Side projects, weekend builds, slowly getting serious. The kind of practice you only notice in retrospect.
2024—now
Built Ottomated.io
Decided to take it from hobby to product. Designed and built end-to-end. Still shipping.
2025—now
Launched Ottomated + independent work
Ottomated shipped to its first paying customer. Taking on a small number of client projects alongside it.
Currently taking on new projects.
Let’s talk for thirty minutes and see if I’m the right fit.