Today we’d like to introduce you to Elija Hart.
Hi Elija, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I spent the first 15 years of my career in the consulting space, mostly on one-off custom software development projects. For the first decade, I worked at a small consulting firm in Boulder with clients spanning a wide variety of industries and technologies. One month I might be implementing a protocol for operating electronic signboards for a nuclear safety firm, the next learning mobile development skills and working on a flight training app. Every project required learning a new industry, business model, and often a new technology. I had to get very good at assimilating a lot of information and new skills in a short time window. It was an amazing learning experience; I picked up a lot of skills and met some amazing people.
But I felt like I didn’t have enough control over my projects and clients. In 2011 I decided to go out on my own and started freelancing with my own company, CodeWise. I got to decide which projects to take on, and more importantly I got to say “no” to clients and industries I was uncomfortable with. I also got to control my schedule and spend more time working on side projects.
I enjoyed the independence and working with smaller companies, but a few years in I was between projects and noticed a job opening at a start-up working on a software product I liked. On a whim, I applied for the job and got an offer. Up to this point, I had professionally only worked on one-off projects; I had never been part of a team developing and maintaining a single product before. So I decided to give it a try. Six months later, they were acquired by Microsoft. So I spent the next several years in product development at one of the largest software corporations in the world.
It was a very different experience from custom software development. I learned a great deal, both about product development and about how large corporations function (and how they sometimes don’t). It was fantastic experience and I learned a lot, but ultimately I again felt the need for more control of what I was working on and how. So I left in early 2024 and resumed CodeWise.
Working for and with giant corporations has reaffirmed my desire to work with small businesses and non-profits. Every business has tech needs; smaller businesses and non-profits historically lag behind in tech adoption and access. I want to help close that gap, to lend my talents to organizations which have positive impact and create strong local communities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are a lot of toxic ideas in start-up/tech bro/hustle culture that are easy to fall prey to, especially with regard to working hours and mental health. And I definitely struggled with these in my earlier years working at a small firm and dealing with clients (and some coworkers) who admired the wrong parts of Silicon Valley’s ideals. I learned a lot about the ill effects of overwork the hard way, to the detriment of health and relationships. The big corporate world wasn’t any better; those same toxic ideas are present, just couched in different language. Keeping a firm barrier between work and the rest of life is a constant battle.
One of the words that shows up multiple times on the CodeWise website is “sustainable”, and sometimes folks confusedly ask me if I’m talking about making eco-friendly software. But “sustainable” in this context has a couple meanings. The first is working at a sustainable pace. I learn fast and I work fast, but I also take the time to exercise and relax and sleep so that clients are getting the best of me, not a burnt-out, exhausted, and error-prone version. Clients who’ve had too much exposure to toxic start-up culture don’t always appreciate that, and it can be a struggle to convince them that it’s a better way to work.
The other meaning is craftsmanship. It’s more sustainable to spend the time and resources to do things right, to make something that can last. But the benefits of craftsmanship aren’t always immediately apparent, and it can be a tough sell. I have to compete against (and sometimes work with) other developers who’ve been drawn in by the allure of “move fast and break things”. It’s not as sexy, but I believe in “slow down and fix things”, and my work will last longer.
We’ve been impressed with CodeWise LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I provide custom software development and tech solutions for folks who don’t have the in-house resources to build their software vision. I’ve got experience in every aspect of software development (mobile, desktop, web front end, web back end, database), so whatever you have in mind, I can help. I can also temporarily augment your existing development staff to fill in gaps, provide experienced advice, and help your team push a project to completion.
The other service I provide is code auditing. Think of it like a professional second opinion of software your organization is running (or considering). I review the source code and architecture and write up a thorough evaluation of the stability, maintainability, security, and overall quality. Clients use this to inform their IT decisions. Often it’s non-technical leaders who suspect that they have lurking software problems and want to confirm or allay their fears. Or it’s folks in the organization who need an outside opinion to convince their leadership that it’s time to make some changes in the their tech stack.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Almost 20 years ago I lucked into a life-changing hobby. I was interested in taking up a martial art and I decided to give Krav Maga a try simply because the local training center was close to where I lived and I didn’t have a car at the time. I took one class and was immediately hooked. I loved going to class and learning self-defense, but the luckiest part was the side benefits. First, it turned out to be fantastic stress relief after my workday; I immediately felt and slept better than I had in ages. Second, it got me into shape. I didn’t have the motivation to force myself to a gym for a workout. For Krav I didn’t need to force myself, I just always wanted to go.
I trained for years, and eventually decided to become an instructor myself. I passed my first certification in 2019, and I got my level 4 certification in late 2024. I teach classes every week at Colorado Krav Maga in Broomfield. It’s made me a better public speaker and a better mentor for other programmers. I was lucky to find something I loved so much that also happened to improve my life so drastically.
That’s the second-luckiest thing that’s happened to me. The first was randomly meeting my wonderful wife Katie on a bus. I was the last person on and the only seat open was next to her; that’s either fate or incredibly good luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.codewise-llc.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezhart/
- Other: https://ezhart.com
Image Credits
Gabriela Gjurekovec
Katy Paulson
