About me

Who I am

I'm Damone Hartnick, a developer based in Cape Town. I build custom systems, reporting and business tools, and I look after the IT side of the businesses I work with.

I like fixing real problems. Most of my work is taking something messy, like a slow report, a clunky process or a system nobody fully trusts, and turning it into something people can rely on. I ask a lot of questions and never take the first answer for granted, whether it comes from a tool, a colleague or myself.

The biggest growth in my career came when I took over a live multivendor WooCommerce store. For about eight months I was the only developer on it. Management gave me direction and priorities, but when something broke, fixing it was down to me. So I learned the whole platform: the front end and user experience, the back-end PHP and database work, and the testing. I tested everything I built before release, checking results against SQL queries and exports, and I kept markdown documentation for every change, so I always know where to look and my AI tools have the context they need.

That role taught me as much about people as about code. I document every issue, explain it to management in plain language, and train the sellers who use the system, so they're comfortable with the interface and know what to do when something looks wrong. I went from building features to owning the outcome.I'm a different developer because of it.

When there's a problem, I don't stop at a workaround. I stay with it until I understand the cause and have a fix I trust. I've also learned that pushing through without rest has a cost, so now I step back when I'm stuck, go for a walk, and return with a clearer head. It's usually the fastest way to the answer.

I believe people understand things better when they can see them. I always start with documentation, then turn it into diagrams and mockups so everyone can see how a system will work before it's built. It's like cooking: a recipe lists what goes in, but a picture of the finished cake shows what you're aiming for. I love cooking, and I bring the same habit to every project.

Outside of work, I'm a runner. It has taught me patience and honest self-assessment. Progress comes from showing up, and when a race doesn't go to plan, I work out why, adjust and go again. I try to bring that attitude to everything: stay positive, stay curious, and don't take setbacks personally.