Johann Desobry Full-stack developer
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Freelance full-stack developer

I design and build web applications for founders and product teams.

A SaaS I have kept alive since its first line of code, internal tools that teams open every morning, and repetitive work replaced by code that runs on its own.

Describe your project See the projects

Projects in production

One product I run on my own and two tools delivered to clients. The last two are covered by a confidentiality agreement: I describe what they do, not what they contain.

SaaS platform for collecting and managing user feedback.

Personal product

Feedbee

SaaS platform for collecting and managing user feedback.

Product teams gather their feedback in spreadsheets and Slack channels, then lose track of it after a few weeks. Feedbee brings that feedback together in one place, links it to suggestions users vote on, and publishes a roadmap anyone can consult. I built the product end to end: multi-tenant architecture, REST API, a public space per customer and paid subscriptions. I also handle hosting and support, which forces me to write code I can pick up again months later.

Stack

  • React
  • Node.js
  • API REST
  • PostgreSQL
  • Stripe
  • Multi-tenant

See the product online

Tool delivered to a client

LivePlanner

Live show and team scheduling for a newsroom, on a single screen.

A newsroom ran its live shows through a shared spreadsheet and messages sent over the course of the day. Finding out who was available meant chasing half the team. LivePlanner brings the live schedule, the assignments and the availabilities into a single view, with sign-in through Slack and through the project management tool already in place, so nobody needs one more password. Administrators get a separate access to manage teams and settle overlapping slots. The tool is internal to the newsroom and access stays authenticated.

Stack

  • Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • NestJS
  • PostgreSQL
  • Slack API
  • OAuth

Tool delivered to a client

Icade

Business application for the teams of a real estate company.

The teams tracked their operations in separate files, with business rules everyone applied their own way. I built an internal application that brings those operations together and applies the same rules for everyone, with screens suited to each profile. Access rights follow the internal roles and the exports feed the tools the client already uses. The business itself stays confidential, so I stick to what the application does.

Stack

  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Node.js
  • PostgreSQL
  • Docker

How I work

Four ways to start, depending on where your project stands. In every case, you get a written scope before I begin.

  1. An MVP put online

    A few weeks

    You have an idea and someone to convince: an investor, a committee or your first users. I cut the scope down to what proves the value and build that version, hosting and domain name included. You walk away with a product your users can open, and with the code repository.

  2. A complete product

    Several months, split into milestones

    You have a product to build or an internal tool to roll out to your teams. I take on the technical design, the development, the release to production and the support of the first users. Each milestone arrives deployed on a test address, and you use it before we move to the next one.

  3. Taking over an existing project

    A short audit, then a pace set by your team

    The previous developer has left and nobody knows what to do with the code base any more. I start by running the project locally and reading it, then I hand you a written assessment: what holds up and what will break first. You then decide whether we fix, take over or rewrite part of it.

  4. Automating a repetitive task

    From a few days to a few weeks

    A team copies data from one tool to another, chases the same people every week and watches a spreadsheet to check that nothing slipped through. I replace that manual work with a service that runs on its own: it plugs into the tools already in place, sends the messages at the right time, recovers after an error and keeps a record of what it did. I also take over no-code scenarios that have become slow or expensive and turn them into code you control and whose price you know.

Stack

The tools I use day to day. I switch when a project calls for it, not when something new comes out.

Front
  • React
  • Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
Back
  • Node.js
  • NestJS
  • Express
  • API REST
Data
  • PostgreSQL
  • Prisma
  • TypeORM
  • Redis
Infrastructure
  • Docker
  • VPS Linux
  • Nginx
  • GitHub Actions
  • Vercel
Integrations
  • Stripe
  • Slack
  • OAuth
  • n8n
  • Make

Frequently asked questions

What people ask me before signing.

Are you available at the moment?

I work on one main project at a time, plus a few hours of maintenance for former clients. Write to me with your deadline: I tell you within one business day whether I can meet it and from what date I can start. When I cannot take the project on, I say so straight away.

Do you work remotely or on our premises?

I work remotely by default, with a weekly video call and a shared channel for day-to-day questions. For clients in Île-de-France, I come on site for the initial scoping and for the moments that deserve it, a sensitive release for example. The rest runs perfectly well remotely.

What kinds of projects do you take on?

I build custom web applications: internal tools, business back-offices, SaaS products and interfaces plugged into existing APIs. I also take on the automation of repetitive tasks: syncing two tools, chasing people, producing a report every week, or replacing a no-code scenario that has become too slow or too expensive with a custom service. I do not build WordPress brochure sites or purely graphical redesigns.

Can you automate a task my team does by hand?

Yes, it is part of my work. I start by watching the task as it is done today, with the person who does it, then I write a service that takes it over: it connects to the tools already in use, runs at the right time, recovers after an error and leaves a record of every run. When the automation already exists as a no-code scenario and it costs a lot or breaks often, I rebuild it in code.

Do you take over code written by someone else?

Yes, it is a regular part of my activity. I start by running the project locally and reading the code, then I hand you a written assessment: what holds up and what will break first. You then decide whether we fix things as we go or rewrite part of it.

Who owns the code you write?

The code is yours. I work on your repository, or I transfer mine to you at the end of the engagement with the hosting access and the deployment documentation. You have no licence to pay me and nobody needs me to carry the project on.

How does an engagement unfold?

An engagement starts with a call where you describe the need and I ask questions. I then send you a written scope, with the milestones and the price, before the first line of code. During development, each milestone is deployed on a test address that you use yourself. The engagement ends with the release to production and a documented handover.

What languages do you work in?

I work in French and in English, in writing as well as in meetings. Code, comments and technical documentation are in English by default, because the next person to open the repository will not necessarily speak French. If your team prefers French everywhere, that is how we do it.

Where are you based and which clients do you work with?

I am based in Paris and I work with clients in France and across Europe. Time zones close to Paris time cause no difficulty. For wider gaps, we agree on a common window at the start of the engagement and I stick to it.

Let's talk about your project

Describe in a few lines what you want to build, where you stand and when you want it live. If I am not the right person, I tell you in my reply.

You get an answer the next business day.