Hammers Lab

Independent software studio

We build software that ships.

Not slide decks. Not proof-of-concepts that rot in a folder. Actual products, in production, with rollback plans.

Hammers Lab is a one-person studio with one shipped product and a suspiciously good ship ratio. We model domains, write the backend, ship the frontend, wire the integrations, and stay around for the 2 a.m. alerts.

One client. One shipped product. Zero fake logos.

Hammers Lab logo: a grinning lab flask holding crossed hammers

What we do

Four ways we help: pick one, combine them, or hand us the whole problem.

Product engineering

From domain model to deploy button. Web apps, APIs, admin panels: typed, tested, and built to last longer than the sprint.

  • Domain-driven design and API design
  • Full-stack TypeScript (Node, React, Astro)
  • Admin tools, dashboards, and operator UX

Systems & integrations

Your software has to talk to someone else's. We build the adapters, queues, and webhooks so it does, reliably.

  • Third-party API integrations and sync jobs
  • Event-driven messaging and outbox patterns
  • WhatsApp, email, and notification pipelines

Infrastructure & DevOps

Docker, CI/CD, observability, and the rollback button nobody thinks about until they need it at 2 a.m.

  • Dockerised deployments on VPS or cloud
  • GitHub Actions pipelines and zero-downtime releases
  • Monitoring, alerting, and incident playbooks

Technical advisory

Second pair of eyes on architecture, stack choices, or a codebase that grew faster than the documentation.

  • Architecture reviews and ADRs
  • Stack selection and migration planning
  • Code audits with actionable output

PlayPadel

Padel club operations platform

Booking sync with Playtomic, WhatsApp notifications via Twilio, admin tooling, and infra that rolls back bad deploys in under a minute.

  • Hexagonal architecture with clear domain boundaries
  • Reliable outbound messaging with an outbox pattern
  • Automated Docker rollback on failed health checks
Read the case study

How we work

Four steps. No mystery phase where nothing happens.

  1. 01

    Discovery

    We map the domain, identify integrations, and agree on what 'done' looks like before writing code.

    Workshops, user flows, data model sketch, risk register, and a written scope you can share with stakeholders.

  2. 02

    Design

    Architecture decisions, API contracts, and UI wireframes: documented, not just discussed in a call.

    ADRs for non-obvious choices, OpenAPI specs, database schema, and a deployment plan.

  3. 03

    Build

    Incremental delivery with weekly demos. You see working software, not status slides.

    CI from day one, automated tests on critical paths, feature flags for risky changes.

  4. 04

    Operate

    We don't disappear after launch. Monitoring, runbooks, and a rollback button you hope you'll never need.

    Health checks, alerting, incident response docs, and optional ongoing support.

Tech we use

Honest list: these are the tools we reach for, not a logo wall to impress procurement.

  • TypeScript
  • Node.js
  • Next.js
  • Astro
  • PostgreSQL
  • Prisma
  • Docker
  • GitHub Actions
  • Cloudflare
  • Twilio
  • Sentry

We pick the boring, proven option unless there's a specific reason not to.

Got something worth building?

Tell us what you're trying to ship. We'll tell you honestly if we're the right fit, and if we're not, we'll say that too.

Start a project