Hi, I'm Vince
Apps, made on the side.
Vellapps is my side gig. I help a handful of folks build the apps they actually want — websites, mobile apps, or both. Real custom work, written by me, usually in the evenings.
Right now: working on the next version of Caliburr · adding new features to velk
01 · What I do
Ways I can help
Most projects touch a couple of these. Tell me what you're trying to build and we'll figure out where to start together.
Build something new
Websites, apps, or both.
You have an idea and you want it built — a real website, a real iPhone or Android app, sometimes all three. I do the whole job: design, build, polish, launch. Usually from one shared system so everything stays in sync as you grow.
Refresh what's there
Modernize an existing site or app.
A site that's looking tired, doesn't work right on phones, or doesn't represent where your business is now. I'll bring it up to date — visually, technically, on mobile — without throwing out the parts that already work.
Take over from someone else
When your last developer fell through.
Last-minute hosting transfers, half-finished projects, work the previous developer abandoned or stopped responding to. I move quickly, get things back on solid ground, and stick around to keep them running.
The small stuff that's been waiting
Quick updates the big firms won't touch.
A Google listing that's been stuck in your agency's queue for months. A form that stopped working. A page that needs new photos and copy. Small things that have been sitting too long — I just take care of them.
02 · Stuff I've made
A few things I've built
A handful of side projects. Caliburr is live; the rest are in various states of done. Happy to walk through any of them.
Caliburr
visit ↗An app for dialing in your coffee
Helps espresso drinkers find the right grind setting for their gear. Anyone can add a grinder or machine, but it stays editable until five other people confirm the details — then it locks in as the canonical reference. The app then averages everyone's recipes so getting started on a new setup feels like guidance from a friend, not guesswork. Same app on iPhone, Android, and the web.
- Expo
- React Native
- Supabase
- Postgres
- RevenueCat
- TypeScript
Stash Note
Notes that work everywhere
A note-taking app with rich formatting, link previews, embedded images, and drawings you can edit inline. Same notes on your phone, tablet, and computer. Stores everything on the device first, so typing never waits on the internet — sync happens quietly in the background.
- Expo
- Lexical
- LegendState
- Supabase
- TypeScript
- Zig / Anthropic API / OpenAI API
Velk
visit ↗Talk to AI from your terminal
A small command-line tool for chatting with AI models (Claude, GPT) directly from the terminal. Works with the same plugin tools that Claude Code uses, so it's actually useful for real work, not just chat. Installs in one line.
- Zig
- Anthropic API
- OpenAI API
- MCP
- Go / Postgres / Keycloak
Togglez
Turn software features on and off safely
A self-hosted way for software teams to switch features on and off without having to redeploy — useful for testing new things with a small group of users before everyone gets them. Most teams pay a vendor for this; Togglez is the free alternative if you'd rather keep your data on your own servers.
- Go
- Postgres
- Keycloak
- Docker
03 · Day job
Where I've worked
Including this here in case you want to know who's actually building your thing. The short version: I've been doing this for about a decade — building things that run on phones, on the web, and the systems behind both.
- 2024 — present
Lead Software Engineer @ Capital One
On the Shopping team — building tools that help millions of people find better deals.
- 2020 — 2024
Senior Software Engineer @ Gopuff
Helped lead the rebuild of their main shopping app so one shared codebase could power their iPhone app, Android app, and website at once. Led a team of six engineers. Re-architected how the app talks to its data so it could keep up with growth — services handling tens of millions of requests every day.
- 2018 — 2020
Software Engineer @ Holman
Built systems that watched a fleet of vehicles in real time and sent the right alerts (push, email, text) to the right people. Led a small team shipping the same app across iPhone, Android, and the web from one codebase.
- 2016 — 2018
Software Developer @ Holman
A live dashboard tracking thousands of vehicles on a Google Map, updated every second.
Tools I reach for
- TypeScript
- React
- Next.js
- React Native
- Expo
- GraphQL
- GraphQL Federation
- Node.js
- Postgres
- Supabase
- AWS
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- GitHub Actions
- Go
- Zig
04 · How this goes
What working with me looks like
No mystery. No long contracts before I've done anything. Here's what to expect from the first email to long after launch.
- 01
Intro call
30 minutes, free. Tell me what you want to make and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person to help.
- 02
Quote in writing
Before I touch anything, you get a clear scope and price. No surprise bills, no scope creep without a conversation first.
- 03
Build, with updates
Weekly progress notes while I'm building. You'll always know where things stand. Easy to reach by email, text, or call.
- 04
Launch and stick around
I don't disappear once it's live. Fixes, small updates, hosting questions — I'm still here when you need me.
05 · Common questions
Things people usually ask
If yours isn't here, just email me — I'd rather answer once than have you wonder.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within a week or two for small things; bigger projects we'll line up on the call. If something's actively broken — site down, can't reach your old developer — I'll move you up the queue.
What's the smallest job you'll take?
No minimum. If it's a 30-minute fix, that's fine. I bill hourly for small things and fixed-price for projects.
Can you take over a site someone else built?
Yes — most often WordPress, but also Shopify, Webflow, Squarespace, and custom-built sites. If you've lost access or the previous developer disappeared, that's something I deal with regularly.
Will I be able to update my own content?
Yes. Every site I build comes with a content management system, so you can change copy, swap photos, add pages, and update your hours without calling me. I'd rather you be able to do the small stuff yourself — I'm here for the things that actually need a developer.
What about hosting and ongoing costs?
Hosting, the CMS, and the critical security patches that keep your site safe are baked into the project price. No mandatory monthly bill from me, no surprise fees — most months, there's nothing to do. If you'd rather keep your current hosting and just give me access to manage things, that works too.
Do you offer ongoing care or analytics?
Yes, optionally. If you want a privacy-friendly analytics dashboard, uptime monitoring, automated backups, a monthly health summary, and priority response when something breaks — I offer a Care plan at $100/month. It's opt-in. Most clients don't need it, some find the peace of mind worth it. You can add it any time and cancel any time.
How do you bill?
Small fixes are billed hourly for the actual work — emails, calls, and questions don't count. Projects are fixed-price after we scope them together. You'll always see the price in writing before I start, and I don't bill for anything that wasn't agreed.
Will I actually be able to reach you?
Yes. Email or text — whichever works better for you. I'm not the kind of person who goes silent for two weeks. Weekly progress notes during a build, and I respond to messages within a day on weekdays.
06 · Say hi
Got something to build?
Thirty minutes, free, no pitch deck. Tell me what you're trying to make and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person to help.