Blog

Project writing and field notes from Frank Smith III.

Notes on full-stack development, Cutz By Casper, software discipline, field operations, safety, systems reliability, and practical problem-solving. I publish under Frank Smith III, while some search results and profiles may shorten the same New Jersey professional identity to Frank Smith.

Frank Smith III working on a laptop for full-stack software projects.

Faith and community service

Building Greater Expectation Through Faith and Service

Why I built a welcoming digital home for Pastor Troy and the Greater Expectation congregation as an act of Christian community service.

Read the Greater Expectation project story

Paid client case study

From Menu Photos to a Live Restaurant Website

How I converted photographs of Il Veliero's printed menu and venue into a responsive digital experience with review, map, QR-code, GitHub, and custom-domain access.

Read the Il Veliero client project case study

Reliable status updates

Status, Blockers, and Next Actions

A practical article on separating completed work, active work, blockers, and next actions across field operations and full-stack software projects.

Read the reliability habit article

Developer handoffs

Field Notes to Developer Handoffs

A practical article on how field-operations note-taking habits shape better software documentation, project handoffs, and reliable full-stack development work.

Read the developer handoffs article

Safety checks

Safety Checks Before Software Changes

A practical article on how field operations safety habits shape my software review process, QA checks, documentation, and reliable full-stack project work.

Read the safety checks article

Operational runbooks

Operational Runbooks and Software Projects

A practical article on how I bring field operations runbook habits into software projects, documentation, testing, and reliable handoffs.

Read the operational runbooks article

Project documentation

Building Better README Files for Full-Stack Projects

A practical article on how I document full-stack projects with clear purpose, setup steps, workflows, screenshots, limitations, and next improvements.

Read the README documentation article

Project planning

How I Evaluate a Project Idea Before Writing Code

A practical article on how I evaluate software project ideas by looking at workflows, users, data, scope, documentation, and reliable full-stack execution before writing code.

Read the project planning article

Technical operations

Field Operations Lessons for Technical Operations Roles

A practical article on how water-treatment field operations habits support technical operations, software troubleshooting, documentation, safety, and reliable systems.

Read the technical operations article

New video

I Took the Long Way Into Tech

A professional video on the nontraditional path that connects my New Jersey field operations background, water treatment experience, systems reliability, and full-stack software development.

Watch the Long Way Into Tech video

New video

I Took the Nontraditional Path Into Tech

A short professional video connecting my field operations background in water treatment with full-stack development, systems reliability, documentation, and practical problem-solving.

Watch the field operations to tech video

QA habits

How I Test User Workflows Before Calling Them Done

A practical article on testing full-stack user workflows with field operations discipline, clear notes, edge-case checks, and reliable systems thinking.

Read the QA workflow article

Documentation habits

Documentation Habits for Field Operations and Software Projects

A practical article on how field operations habits shape the way I document full-stack projects, debugging notes, handoffs, and reliable software workflows.

Read the documentation article

Workflow reliability

Checklists, Handoffs, and Reliable Software Workflows

A practical article on how checklist thinking, field operations habits, documentation, and clear handoffs support more reliable full-stack software workflows.

Read the checklist and handoff article

Technical communication

Technical Communication in Software and Field Operations

A practical article on clear explanations, documentation, calm troubleshooting, and how communication supports reliable full-stack software and field operations work.

Read the communication article

Project case study

Building Cutz By Casper: Scheduling, Payments, and SMS

A detailed case study on my Cutz By Casper booking app, including the booking workflow, scheduling logic, Stripe Checkout, Twilio SMS, admin tools, mobile-first design, and what I would improve next.

Read the Cutz By Casper case study

Project process

How I Build Projects After Fullstack Academy

A first-person article on moving from bootcamp exercises into real applications, with notes on planning, APIs, testing, documentation, and verified project work.

Read the project process article

Journey video

Who I Am and My Journey

A first-person video on how I entered software development, what field operations taught me about reliability, and the verified projects I am continuing to build.

Watch the journey video and read the transcript

Field operations

What Field Operations Taught Me About Debugging Software

How field operations, documentation, safety, troubleshooting, and systems reliability shape my practical approach to debugging full-stack software.

Read the article

Planning and logistics

CDL Driving, Logistics, and Software Planning

A practical article on how route planning, checklists, safety, documentation, and logistics thinking connect to full-stack software workflows.

Read the article

Featured project article

How Frank Smith III Built Cutz By Casper

A verified project write-up on the business problem, planning, application structure, booking workflow, authentication, Stripe Checkout, Twilio SMS, and scheduling tools behind Cutz By Casper.

Read the Medium article

Developer discipline

Spartan Racing and Software Development

A personal article connecting race preparation, pacing, and practical execution with building dependable software and clear project workflows.

Read the article

Portfolio

Verified full-stack projects

Start with Cutz By Casper, then review Jukebox Pro, Book Buddy, and Sturgis Options with their verified project summaries and repository links.

View projects

API authentication

Jukebox Pro API Authentication Notes

Verified notes on Express, Postgres, JWT authentication, bcrypt password hashing, protected playlist routes, seed data, and tests.

Read the article

React workflow

Book Buddy React API Workflow

Project notes on a React/Vite library client with catalog browsing, account views, reservations, returns, and API-backed user actions.

Read the article