Customizing Solr Highlighting with Sunspot
Need full-text text search in your web app? You don’t have to use Elasticsearch. There are alternatives. Even in 2025, some will refuse to switch to Elastics...
Hans ♥︎ Software.
Rails developer specializing in scaling applications, performance optimization, and infrastructure. No, that doesn't mean I'm scared of JavaScript and CSS. Based in Vienna.
Need help with your software project? Contact me.
What I Do
Your Rails app gains customers and your team expands, but you're hitting familiar bottlenecks: slow page loads, infrastructure costs spiraling out of control, and development velocity grinding to a halt. I help established teams break through these challenges.
Performance Optimization
Make your app fast again. I diagnose bottlenecks across your entire stack and implement solutions that deliver measurable improvements. You'll also get monitoring tools and processes to catch performance issues before they impact users.
Infrastructure Migration
Heroku is bleeding you dry? I'll architect a migration strategy. Reduce your infrastructure costs while improving performance and reliability. Whether you're moving to dedicated servers, cloud providers like AWS/GCP, or your own little Kubernetes cluster, I'll ensure a smooth transition.
Team Velocity & Development Processes
Stop shipping slower as your team grows. I'll audit your current development workflow, establish sustainable coding practices, and implement tooling that keeps your team productive at scale. This includes everything from CI/CD optimization to code review processes and automated tests that actually work.
I'm available for project-based engagements, ongoing retainers, or strategic consulting.
Get in touch.
Experience
Here's some companies I've worked with. In addition to various engagements I regularly contribute to open source. Learn more about what I've been up to on LinkedIn and GitHub.
Meister
As a staff engineer at Meister I was responsible for MeisterTask, a task management tool serving millions of users.
#ruby-on-rails #kubernetes #graphQL #sidekiq
MagicBell
MagicBell is a modern notification service. In 2021, I was brought on as a contractor to build out their GraphQL API.
#ruby-on-rails #graphql #typescript #react
Sakya Research Center
I took over maintenance of the Sakya Research Center, which is an old-school Rails application for Tibetan historical and literary research.
#ruby-on-rails #rest #ftp
Writing
I semi-regularly write about technology that I work with and things that I've learned. Every now and then I might sprinkle in an opinion peace. I also write for AppSignal and RoRvsWild.
Porting a Ruby Gem to the browser with ruby.wasm
When I built a small Ruby command-line tool - Tints ‘N Shades - I wondered: What does it take to run this library in the browser? Can it be done? Should it b...
Using Jekyll with Esbuild
I know. What an unholy union. Why would anyone do this? Why would anyone want that?
About
With over a dozen years of experience in software engineering, I have seen some stuff. I have worked with C#, Java and Javascript but am most happy working with Ruby on Rails.
I'm curious about the intersection of software and wetware - things like software development processes, developer experience and software testing. I have a soft spot for silly software and most enjoy building software products.
I spend my spare time with my family in Vienna, reading, or hiking and climbing somewhere in the Austrian alps.
Connect
I'm open for new opportunities. Contact me through any of these channels.