MVP Development // Prototype Rescue // Fractional Tech Lead // 30 Years of Judgment

Est. 2026 · Maine, USA · Remote Worldwide

I build software for founders who can’t afford to get it wrong.

I'm John Gordon. Thirty years of engineering judgment, delivered at AI speed. I turn ideas into shippable MVPs — and I rescue the promising prototypes that have started to fall apart. Senior hands, no agency overhead.

[ 01 ]

What I do

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Build your MVP

You have the vision but not the engineering. I build a real, shippable first version — fast, with modern AI-assisted development, but with the architecture of someone who's done this for three decades. You get software that works and code you actually own.

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Rescue a
broken prototype

Something got shipped fast — by a contractor, an AI tool, or you — and now it's fragile, slow, or insecure. I find what's load-bearing, fix what matters, and harden it into something you can grow on. No full rewrite unless one's actually warranted.

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Be your fractional
tech lead

Senior technical direction without a full-time hire: architecture calls, code review, hiring help, and a steady hand as you scale. Available as a retainer once we've worked together.

[ 02 ]

About

A senior engineer
in your corner.

I've spent 30 years writing software and 11 of them leading engineering teams — running multiple agile groups as a director of development. For the last few years I've built with agentic AI tools daily, which is what lets me move quickly without cutting the corners that come back to bite you.

What you get is plain talk, fast turnaround, and decisions that only come from having seen what holds up and what doesn't. No jargon, no hand-waving, no junior developer learning on your dime.

30Years in software
11Years leading teams
AINative workflow
[ 03 ]

Packages

I help founders and small businesses turn AI-generated prototypes into real, production-grade software, and build new products the right way the first time.

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Remediation

Fix what the audit found, in phases, with a clear before and after at each step.

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MVP Build

Paid scoping first, then a fixed-scope first version of your product that you own outright.

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Retainer

Fractional tech lead or ongoing care and maintenance, 5 to 10 hours a week. Offered once we've worked together.

Projects typically start at $15K. Every project is fixed price and fixed scope, with a written change process. Not sure which fits? Book a call and we'll work it out.

[ 04 ]

Get in touch

Tell me what you’re
trying to build.

The best first step is a short, no-pressure conversation. Tell me where you are and what you need, and I'll tell you honestly whether and how I can help.

Want to talk it through? Send a note with a few times that work for you and I'll set up a call.

I read every message and reply personally, usually within a day. Your details are only used to reply to you and are never shared.