Build the useful thing
Pragmatic architecture, clear boundaries, and fast feedback loops so you can ship without ceremony.
Senior Backend Engineer
Available for thoughtful teamsHi, I'm Nathan Clayton.
I build software that survives production.
Senior backend engineer with a soft spot for boring reliability: APIs, queues, webhooks, AWS, observability, and the kind of architecture you can still understand when production is on fire.
Mobile. Agile. Hostile.
How I help
Fewer moving parts. Better failure modes.
I like systems that are clear to change, boring to operate, and honest when they break.
Make integrations predictable
APIs, queues, webhooks, retries, idempotency, and logs that answer questions instead of creating new ones.
Leave production calmer
AWS, CI/CD, observability, deploys, and the operational awareness that comes from owning production systems.
Notes from the messy middle of software.
I write about backend systems, APIs, cloud work, integrations, deployment habits, and the production lessons that rarely fit neatly into architecture diagrams.
Read the notes →Have something worth untangling?
Reach out about Rails work, backend systems, integrations, or anything I have written here.
Contact me →