On Velocity: From an Idea to a Deployed App in a Few Hours
The term "velocity" in software development is often associated with sprints and team performance. But what does it mean for an individual developer? For me, it's about the speed and efficiency with which I can bring a vision to life and deliver a polished, valuable solution.
Over the past few months, I've put that principle to the test by taking on a few personal projects. Each one, a passion project or a favor for a friend, was an opportunity to see just how quickly a modern tech stack could deliver a high-quality, fully-featured web application.
Case Study 1: The Personal Blog - From React to Next.js in Under an Hour
The journey began with a simple thought: I needed to establish a stronger online presence. My previous personal website was a simple React app, but I knew a modern revamp with a better user experience was overdue. I wanted a blog to share my technical expertise and insights.
My new tech stack was a no-brainer: Next.js for its performance and routing capabilities, Tailwind CSS for lightning-fast styling, and Shadcn UI for elegant, ready-to-use components. My secret weapon for the initial draft was a rapid UI prototyping tool like v0, which helped me draft a clean design in minutes.
The result was vladlazar.blog — a sleek, fast, and feature-rich website that felt infinitely more polished than its predecessor. With a seamless CI/CD pipeline through Vercel, I had the web app deployed in perhaps less than an hour of focused effort. This velocity sparked an idea.
Case Study 2: The Community Hub - Connectomics.club
My rapid development experience inspired me to lend a hand to a friend who was looking to promote his Discord server for connectomics enthusiasts. They needed a landing page to create a great first impression and attract new members.
Using the exact same tech stack—Next.js, Tailwind, and a headless approach for content—I built a highly optimized landing page. The goal was simple: showcase the community's value proposition, provide clear calls to action, and ensure the site was highly optimized for search engines (SEO) to improve market reach.
You can see the final result at connectomics.club. This project, like my personal site, was a quick-turnaround effort that took only a few hours of development. The ability to deliver a custom, high-quality solution with such speed felt like a superpower.
Case Study 3: The Professional Portfolio - MihaiRailean.site
The final project came from a conversation with another friend who was navigating the job market. He needed a modern portfolio to stand out from the crowd, showcasing not only his professional experience but also his photography and other interests.
This project had a unique challenge: to improve market reach and appeal to an international audience, the website needed to be localized in multiple languages—German, English, and Romanian. Again, using Next.js and its robust localization features, I was able to deliver a beautiful, multi-language portfolio that highlights his work and personality.
You can view the outcome at mihairailean.site. This portfolio isn't just a resume; it's a carefully crafted image designed to make a lasting impression on potential employers. This was another weekend project that came together in a matter of hours.
The Takeaway: Velocity, Polish, and Impact
These three projects, each with a different purpose and audience, were all developed and deployed in a maximum of a few hours each. This velocity in development, driven by a modern, efficient tech stack, has been a game-changer.
The end result for each project was a polished, professional web application complete with CI/CD and web analytics—highly valuable features for seeding traction.
The engineering aspect of building these apps is now incredibly approachable. What's required is a clear vision, the right tools, and the drive to bring an idea to life. This newfound velocity has sparked a passion to help others achieve their goals with the same speed and polish.