I'm Brandon Werner. I work full-time at Walmart and build practical software outside that job: full-stack products, developer tools, family-focused apps, and the occasional ridiculous game idea that turns into a real system.
I didn't arrive through a traditional software career. I learn by building, testing, deploying, and reviewing the thing that actually exists — not just the version that sounded good in a plan. That means real databases, failure paths, browser journeys, Docker deployments, and sending work back for another pass when it functions but still isn't finished.
The move into professional development looks like this: one real project, one reviewable branch, one honest status at a time. Quality means evidence — tests that run, previews a person can inspect, and an accurate status on everything I publish.
Workflow note
AI is part of my workflow, not a substitute for ownership. I use models to help plan, implement, and review; I set the scope, make the product decisions, inspect the previews, validate the behavior, and decide what ships.