Backend engineer · Builder

From wiring buildings to wiring systems.

I’m Jared Lemler, a backend engineer and former electrician. I build practical systems with Python, FastAPI, Postgres, and Docker — focused on real-world problems, especially for animals and the people who care for them.

Calm under pressure, obsessed with craftsmanship, and always looking for clearer, more honest systems.

View projects Read my story

At a glance

Backend-first

FastAPI, Fastify, SQL, Postgres, system design, and testability.
From trades to tech

Years wiring real infrastructure before wiring backend systems.
Building in public

Learning openly, sharing the process on VoxPort, ATProto, and micro-SaaS experiments.

From electrician to backend engineer.

I started my career in construction and electrical work. I was coordinating with teams, reading plans, and wiring systems that had to be safe, reliable, and maintainable. That work taught me craftsmanship, patience, and how to stay calm under pressure.

Over time I got hooked on the logic behind automation and control systems. Eventually that pulled me into software. Now I use the same mindset to design APIs, databases, and services that solve problems for people and animals instead of just chasing hype.

I care about honesty, ownership, and better systems. That shows up in the tools I use (Python, FastAPI, Postgres, ATProto), the projects I build, and the way I learn: in public, without pretending to have it all figured out.

Brand pillars

Craftsmanship: do it right, not just fast.
Purpose: build things that make life better.
Calm clarity: break problems into clear steps.
Independence: prefer open, user-owned systems.

Outside of code

I live in California with my wife and our dogs. Outside of work you’ll usually find me gaming, reading docs I don’t strictly need yet, or thinking about how to give animals a better life.

What I’m good at.

Backend & data

Python, FastAPI, Django
TypeScript, Fastify
PostgreSQL, SQLAlchemy
API design & auth (JWT)
Background jobs & ETL

Systems & delivery

Docker & docker-compose
Env & config management
Testing with pytest / Vitest
CI/CD, basic observability
ATProto / decentralized apps

How I work

Breaks work into clear steps
Calm, honest communication
Strong bias toward learning
Care for animals & people
Open to pairing and feedback

Projects that represent how I think.

Not toy apps. Real problems, real constraints, and systems I care about.

PawNode – Pet Health Tracker (Micro-SaaS)

FastAPI · Postgres · Docker · Auth

Backend for a pet health tracker that lets owners manage animals, appointments, vet visits, and medications in a structured way. Built as a real micro-SaaS foundation with JWT auth, relational data models, and room for mobile apps later.

Why it matters: animals can’t advocate for themselves. Good records, reminders, and shared access make their lives — and their owners’ decisions — easier.

FastAPI PostgreSQL Docker JWT Auth

Travel Wishlist – Full-stack Travel Planner

FastAPI · React · Maps · Analytics

A real deployed app for saving, organizing, and analyzing travel. Combines a FastAPI/Postgres backend with a React frontend, including map views and basic analytics around visits and plans.

Why it matters: it’s a complete loop — database design, APIs, frontend integration, deployment, and iteration based on actual usage.

FastAPI PostgreSQL React Deployable

VoxPort – Creator tools on the AT Protocol (Early Work)

Fastify · Next.js · ATProto

Exploring decentralized creator tools where podcasters own their identity, feed, and audience. Working with the AT Protocol, custom lexicons, and a Fastify/Next.js stack to keep creator data portable and under their control.

Why it matters: I care about ownership and systems that don’t trap people. This project pushes me to think beyond a single app and into protocols and ecosystems.

Fastify Next.js ATProto

Learning in public.

I write to document the journey from the trades to backend development, Docker headaches, and what I’m learning about building systems that last.

From Electrical Work to Software Development: Embracing Public Learning

Why I stopped hiding the messy part of learning and started sharing the process instead.

My Docker Learning Journey: Struggles, Headaches, and Small Wins

A straightforward look at what actually tripped me up with Docker and how I worked through it.