Colin McArthur Self-taught developer, button-masher, late starter who never stopped showing up.

I tinker, it breaks, I figure out what went wrong, I fix — and eventually, it works. Clean interfaces, solid infrastructure, and something I’m proud of… myself.

colinmcarthur@dev ~/portfolio %

Who am I?

Jack of all trades, master of none

I didn’t go to school for this. I dont’t have a mentor. I messed up plenty, doubted myself even more, but I kept hammering away—brick by brick—because that’s how you build anything worth doing.

Now I’m here: designing, coding, troubleshooting, and wiring up infrastructure. This site isn’t just a portfolio—it’s proof that it’s never too late to start.

What's in my Toolkit

Fancy words aside (seriously, why is nerd talk so damn confusing): these are the things I used to screw up constantly. Now I’m actually pretty good at them.

About Me

I didn’t take the traditional route. No degree, no pedigree—just stubborn curiosity, too many error logs, and a habit of showing up. I build clean, reusable interfaces, wire infrastructure so it stays up, and weave AI into everyday workflows so the boring stuff handles itself. I’m not the loudest dev in the room, but I’m relentless, organized, and allergic to mystery bugs. This site is my proof-of-work—part portfolio, part playground.

Currently Building

  • Sharpening PHP & MySQL with real-world projects.
  • Experimenting with AI copilots for workflow automation.
  • Refactoring this site like it’s a living codebase.

Operating Principles

Build the foundation first

Structure beats chaos

Hunt down every bug

Detective mode engaged

Speak human, not robot

Plain English, no nerd-jargon

Show up every day

No excuses, no breaks

Never leave someone hanging

There’s always a path forward

Languages used

Each card below updates automatically to show how many lines of a specific technology is powering this site — straight from the source.

Frameworks/Library's Used

These are the frameworks powering this site (or potentially yours 😉).

Tailwind CSS

Utility-first CSS framework for rapid UI development. Tailwind is the backbone of this site's styling, enabling clean and scalable designs.

React

React will soon be integrated into this site to enhance interactivity and dynamic content. Stay tuned for updates as I expand my skills in React development!

I actually answer my emails

Let’s build something cool

Shoot me a note about the site you’re launching, the system that’s giving you grief, or just to say hello. I’ll get back right away. No corporate jargon, no ghosting.

Email

colinsba@gmail.com

Availability

Available for select projects now

Signal boosts

Follow my builds, experiments, and occasional rants

Kickoff form

What are we building?