Ahmad B. Amireh

Portfolio

SYNG

A structural code search tool that understands syntax and shape, not just text. Built to complement grep. Powers my own workflow daily.

Nova

A reliable and secure alternative to .env files. Small and POSIX-friendly.

Canvas LMS: Rethinking Modularity

I introduced a modular architecture that helped the giant LMS escape a rewrite and evolve safely for over six years. The solution adapted access control principles from systems languages like Go and Rust — a concept that later became esmac, a general-purpose tool I’ve since applied elsewhere.

Vertigo

A video game built around perception of color and human pattern sensitivity. Designed to explore visual discomfort as a mechanic.

This selection of prior work informs the services I offer today, where the need isn’t just for “working code”, but for clarity, durability, and better defaults.

Advisory Services

My offerings are focused and advisory.
I don’t build apps.
I don’t rewrite legacy systems.
I help you see what’s worth building, and what’s worth letting go.

I work with teams facing deep architectural uncertainty; where the system resists change, or the code feels haunted.

1. System Clarity Audit

Some systems don’t scale. Others simply… rot. If your engineers can’t name the parts, can’t isolate them, can’t fix what breaks without holding their breath: the problem is not velocity. It’s structure.

I offer architectural assessments for teams who’ve outgrown their codebase. I’ll map the system’s real shape, surface its tightest couplings, and propose clean boundaries and paths forward.

You can build again with confidence.

2. Legacy Rewrite Diagnosis

A rewrite sounds clean, but it might not solve what’s broken!

When teams are stuck in legacy systems, our reflex as builders is often to rebuild — from scratch, in the latest stack, with grand promises of sanity and speed. It all sounds wonderful.

What is often understated, however, is that not only are rewrites expensive and risky to undertake, but they can miss the root of the problem altogether.

So.

I help you diagnose, first.
The system – is it salvageable?
The people – are they in the right place?
Could a few precise cuts, or perhaps a shift in team capability, restore health without starting over?

If a reboot is the answer, I’ll help you chart a path that avoids the classic traps.
If it’s not… you’ll save money and months of effort.

3. Empathic Programming (Workshop or Advisory)

Code isn’t just for machines! It’s for humans, too.

I teach software engineers how to write code that’s easy to comprehend, hard to misuse, and less disgusting to maintain. This isn’t about style guides or prettier syntax, but rather, empathy. Empathy for the future reader, the maintainer, the teammate, and even your future self!

What You’ll Learn

You already write readable code. Great. Let’s go further and toward clear code: Code that signals its intent. Code that guides the eye. Code that resists misuse.

This workshop covers:

Readability & Naming

• The anatomy of source code: how structure, naming, and formatting work together to tell a story
• How to choose names that pull their weight
• When to be explicit, when to abstract, and when to stop
• Using declarative and imperative styles in harmony
• Commenting with integrity (not noise)

Interfaces & Human Factors

• How to shape an interface based on audience, domain, and scope
• The Rule of One: reduce surprises, improve fit
• Defaults, shorthands, and the cost of “convenience”
• Good magic, bad magic – tell which is which (!)
• The art of exposing less

Guardrails & Future-Proofing

• Spotting scope creep (and how to push back)
• Signs you’re building too much (or too soon)
• Knowing when to retreat
• Writing docs and comments your future team will thank you for

This isn’t a style guide — it’s a mindset shift to help teams avoid a certain class of mistakes and build systems that last.

Formats include talks, workshops, or one-on-one coaching.