01
Built
Sense
Sole engineer on an AI platform that turns plain-English questions into live answers from a business's own systems in under 30 seconds. No dashboards. No data team required.
- AI business intelligence
- Co-founder and sole engineer
Independent software engineer, South Africa, working globally
Hi. I'm Don Griggs. I build software that earns trust under load.
I rescue, build, and harden production systems for teams who cannot afford to ship on vibes. Useful when an AI-built or inherited app demos well and fails in the real world, or when a validated idea needs to be built correctly the first time.
16 years in production systems
Full stack. Any stack.
UK, Canada, US, Sweden, and worldwide
- TypeScript
- Node
- React
- Vue
- Angular
- Svelte
- Astro
- Python
- PHP
- Rust
- Go
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- SQL
- NoSQL
How I work
Engineering judgment stays in the loop.
Four commitments. Not a skills grid. The receipts are in Recent work.
01
I stay through the ship
I make the call and write the code. You should not need another team to turn advice into a running system.
02
I find the real break
Mature systems and AI-built apps fail in specific ways. I reproduce those failure modes before I prescribe a rewrite.
03
I cross the whole stack
UI, API, data, tests, and deploy. When hand-offs stall the work, I own the thin slice end to end.
04
I keep the judgment human
AI is a force multiplier. Review, tests, and types still decide what merges. Speed without recklessness.
Recent work
Work I owned. Systems that had to work.
Not a capability list. Episodes where I took responsibility and shipped something production could trust.
02
Built
ValueHub
Membership PWA for exclusive local deals, redeemed in-store by QR scan, with subscriptions funding community radio. Live in market.
- PWA and memberships
- Co-founder and sole engineer
03
Shipped on
HappyCoins
Crypto payment acceptance with instant fiat or stablecoin settlement. Merchants avoid volatility risk. Multinational product team.
- Crypto payments
- Multinational team
04
Built
SA Fake Data API
API that generates realistic South African test data: people, addresses, companies, and bank accounts. Built so teams stop inventing fake ID numbers by hand.
- Developer tooling
- Founder and sole engineer
05
Harden
Rescue work
AI-built and inherited apps that look fine in a demo and fail under real load. I stabilise failure modes, close the gaps, and leave a system you can stand behind.
- Rescue
- Production systems
Clients
Some of the companies I have worked with.
How we start
Pick the situation. Then pick the shape.
You do not need a polished brief. Choose what is closest, see the first moves, then match it to Rescue, Build, Embed, or Advise.
Find what is blocking the next release.
I work with the people closest to the failure, trace symptoms to causes, and turn that into a plan the team can execute.
- UnderstandSee the failure from code, business, and user sides.
- DecidePick the smallest change that restores movement.
- DeliverShip with the team until the first meaningful fix lands.
Working outcome: a safer system, a clear path, and a team that knows the next move.
Rescue
AI-built or inherited app demos well but breaks under real load.
Build
Validated idea. Scope to a hardened, production-ready system.
Embed
Senior judgment inside the work for a fixed stretch.
Advise
Second eyes on architecture, hiring, or a risky call.
Engage
Tell me what is breaking.
Or tell me what you need built. I reply within two business days with whether I can help, what the first step looks like, and what it will cost. No obligation. Selective engagements. I will say if I am the wrong person.
South Africa / remote-friendly / selective engagements
Prefer to talk live? Book a free 15-minute intro. No deck. No hard sell. Just enough to see if I can help.