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NAVIGATION · MARK III

DAVID A VARGAS · SOFTWARE ENGINEER

SYSTEM ONLINE · MARK III · LOADING PROFILE

David A Vargas

DRIVEN BY THE FEAR OF UNFULFILLED POTENTIAL

Software Engineer. Builder. Marathon Runner. Always Creating.

VIEW PROJECTSABOUT ME

MODULE 02

PROJECTS

  • PRJ-001
    DEPLOYED

    Full-stack fashion portfolio and event hub for a college fashion student. Built to showcase work, promote events, and connect with collaborators.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Tailwind
    • Clerk
    • UploadThing
    • Payload CMS
    • shadcn/ui
    • Vercel
  • PRJ-002
    DEPLOYED

    This site. A JARVIS-inspired HUD portfolio built to stand out — not just show code, but show how I think and who I am.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Tailwind CSS v4
    • shadcn/ui
    • Vercel
  • PRJ-003BEST IN CLASS
    DEPLOYED

    Final bootcamp capstone — a tutor marketplace for developers. Best project in the class. Led frontend and UX/UI. Hid a farewell easter egg: every classmate, teacher, and tutor on the expert tab with their LinkedIn.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • JavaScript
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • Stripe
    • REST APIs
  • PRJ-004BEST IN CLASS
    DEPLOYED

    First solo bootcamp project — a browser game where you answer coding questions to dress your character for a software engineering interview. Built everything: code, art, design.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • JavaScript
    • HTML
    • CSS
  • PRJ-005INITIATIVE
    BETA

    A free financial education platform for U.S. military members and veterans — credit cards, credit scores, and financial literacy built to fight veteran homelessness.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Tailwind
    • Vercel
  • PRJ-006
    DEPLOYED

    Full-stack site for a live, operating pressure washing business in Fort Worth, TX. Real customers. Real revenue. Fully deployed.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Tailwind
    • Clerk
    • UploadThing
    • Brevo
    • Vercel
  • PRJ-007
    DEPLOYED

    A Next.js PWA field guide for Milsim events — check-in flow, field tactics, gear guide, and faction breakdowns. Works offline, packs into a condensed PDF, and has an infrared mode for nighttime ops.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Tailwind
    • PWA
    • Vercel
  • PRJ-008INITIATIVE
    DEPLOYED

    My IRS-certified tax prep business. No hidden fees, no runaround — built for individuals, side hustlers, and small businesses ready for the 2027 tax season.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • TypeScript
    • Tailwind
    • Vercel
  • PRJ-009CLIENT
    IN PROGRESS

    Bilingual real estate site for a Central New Jersey REALTOR® — built to boost his exposure, drive local traffic, and turn visitors into buyers, sellers, and renters.

    • Accessibility (A11Y)
    • Next.js
    • Tailwind
    • i18n (EN/ES)
    • SEO
    • Vercel

BEYOND THE JOB DESCRIPTION

INITIATIVE

BUILT WITHOUT BEING ASKED

I don't just code — I identify problems and build solutions for them, even when it's not my job to.

Every place I've worked, I've spotted inefficiencies slowing down the team, the managers, sometimes the whole operation — not just for me, but for everyone around me. Instead of just flagging it, I built a working solution and proposed a better way. These aren't tutorial projects. These are real gaps I saw, real builds I shipped, and real results — even when the timing wasn't right.

These aren't tutorial projects. These are real problems I saw, real solutions I built, and real results — even when the system wasn't ready for them yet.

  • INI-001 · HEALTHCARE

    • PROTOTYPE BUILT
    • PRESENTED TO LEADERSHIP
    • PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
    PROTOTYPE — PRESENTED TO LEADERSHIP

    // THE PROBLEM

    Patients arriving at the clinic had to check in first, then answer intake questions, then wait to be seen — a three-step bottleneck that slowed down the entire flow for both staff and patients.

    // WHAT I BUILT

    A digital auto check-in prototype that collected intake responses (simple yes/no questions) before the patient even sat down. By the time they were called, the doctor already had context. Fewer delays. Faster visits.

    // THE OUTCOME

    Presented the prototype to management and senior leadership. They responded positively to the concept. Implementation was paused over patient data privacy concerns — a valid call, and one that taught me how to think about security and compliance from the start.

    VIEW CODE ON GITHUB (opens in new tab)

  • INI-002 · MILITARY / VETERANS

    • BETA — LIVE
    • NONPROFIT VISION
    • REAL PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
    BETA — IN DEVELOPMENT

    // THE PROBLEM

    Military members leave service without financial literacy. No one teaches them how credit works, how to use credit cards strategically, or how to build a financial foundation in civilian life. That gap is a direct pipeline to veteran homelessness — and it's completely preventable.

    // WHAT I BUILT

    Vet Finance — a free financial education platform built specifically for U.S. military members and veterans. Credit cards, credit scores, financial strategy, all in one place at no cost. Platform is live in beta. Education courses are in development. Long-term vision: a veteran-specific credit card with three tiers and a rewards structure that gives back to active troops.

    // THE OUTCOME

    Platform deployed and live. Education module in development. Pursuing nonprofit structure to keep it free and accessible permanently. Nobody asked me to build this. I saw the gap and I'm closing it.

    VIEW LIVE SITE (opens in new tab)

  • INI-003 · MILSIM / COMMUNITY

    • DEPLOYED — LIVE
    • DOMAIN SECURED 10 YRS
    • GOING TO NEXT EVENT
    DEPLOYED — LIVE

    // THE PROBLEM

    The official event documentation for most Milsim operations runs close to 200 pages. Nobody reads it. So every event, the same scene plays out — new players show up unprepared and the veterans spend the day answering the same questions: when do we arrive, how does check-in work, what should I bring, what do the factions mean? There was no simple, centralized resource. Just forums, word of mouth, and a PDF nobody opened.

    // WHAT I BUILT

    MilsimReady covers everything a new player needs to walk in ready: check-in and processing flow, basic field tactics that actually matter, a gear guide broken down into what to get, what to bring, and what not to waste money on, and faction explanations so the scenario makes sense before you're in it. I took the overwhelming 200-page manual and condensed the essentials into a downloadable PDF — something you can actually read. The whole site is a PWA so it works offline on the field where there's no signal. Infrared display mode for use at camp in the dark without lighting yourself up.

    // THE OUTCOME

    Problem solved. Already sending it to new teammates joining the platoon before the next event. Once one squad has it, the next one will too — it'll spread on its own because it fills a gap every group runs into. No more re-explaining the same things on the field.

    VIEW LIVE SITE (opens in new tab)

  • INI-004 · TAX / FINANCE

    • DEPLOYED — LIVE
    • IRS CERTIFIED
    • 2027 TAX SEASON
    DEPLOYED — 2027 SEASON

    // THE PROBLEM

    For a long time, I was one of those people who just handed over their documents and hoped for the best. Every time, same story — overcomplicated explanations, surprise fees, and that feeling like you were being charged more simply because you didn't know enough to push back. Once I started my own small business, it got worse. Finding a preparer who wouldn't immediately upcharge me just for having an LLC felt impossible. So I made a decision: I was going to learn it myself.

    // WHAT I BUILT

    Got IRS certified. Studied the tax code from W-2s to self-employment to small business filings. What I found surprised me — it's not as complicated as people make it seem. It just requires someone who actually knows what they're doing and isn't trying to make it feel harder to justify a higher bill. That's when I realized I wasn't the only one dealing with this. DAV Tax is the service I wish had existed — real expertise, honest pricing, no runaround.

    // THE OUTCOME

    Live and taking clients for the 2027 tax season (2026 filings). Studying for the AFSP credential next month. Path: AFSP → Enrolled Agent → CPA. Not building a tax factory. Building something people can actually trust.

    VIEW LIVE SITE (opens in new tab)

  • INI-005 · TBD

    • LOADING...
    CLASSIFIED

    // THE PROBLEM

    Another one is coming. Every place I've worked, I've spotted something worth fixing.

    // WHAT I BUILT

    Currently identifying the next gap worth building for.

    // THE OUTCOME

    To be filed.

MODULE 03

CAPABILITIES

OPERATING MODE

Full-stack — end to end. I build the backend, wire the database, handle auth, and deploy. I don't waste time reinventing what already exists. But where I truly come alive is the frontend — the UI, the feel, the experience. If it doesn't look good, nobody uses it. If it's confusing, same result. You have three seconds. I build for those three seconds.

// power levels are self-assessed — visual representation, not a standardized score. always growing.

  • PRIORITY SYSTEM

    BUILT FOR EVERYONE — WCAG 2.1 AA

    1 in 4 U.S. adults lives with a disability. Thousands of ADA website lawsuits are filed every year. Most teams treat accessibility as an afterthought — I build it in from the start.

    • WCAG 2.1 AA
      PROFICIENT, 60%
    • Semantic HTML
      PROFICIENT, 72%
    • Keyboard & Focus Mgmt
      PROFICIENT, 65%
    • ARIA & Screen Readers
      DEVELOPING, 55%
    • Color Contrast
      PROFICIENT, 62%
    • Accessibility Auditing
      DEVELOPING, 58%

  • CORE SYSTEMS — HIGH OUTPUT

    • React
      PROFICIENT, 70%
    • Next.js
      PROFICIENT, 65%
    • HTML & CSS
      PROFICIENT, 72%
    • JavaScript
      PROFICIENT, 68%
    • Tailwind
      PROFICIENT, 75%
    • shadcn/ui
      PROFICIENT, 70%
    • TypeScript
      DEVELOPING, 55%

  • FULL-STACK CAPABLE

    • Node.js
      PROFICIENT, 60%
    • MongoDB
      PROFICIENT, 58%
    • PostgreSQL
      PROFICIENT, 55%
    • REST APIs
      PROFICIENT, 62%
    • Prisma
      DEVELOPING, 50%
    • Python
      FAMILIAR, 42%

  • RAPID DEPLOYMENT SUITE

    • Vercel
      PROFICIENT, 70%
    • Git/GitHub
      PROFICIENT, 65%
    • Clerk
      PROFICIENT, 60%
    • UploadThing
      PROFICIENT, 60%
    • Payload CMS
      PROFICIENT, 55%
    • Sanity CMS
      DEVELOPING, 50%
    • Neon
      PROFICIENT, 55%
    • Postman
      FAMILIAR, 55%

  • EXPERIENCE LAYER

    • GSAP
      DEVELOPING, 50%
    • Motion
      DEVELOPING, 55%
    • Capacitor
      FAMILIAR, 45%
    • Mobbin
      PROFICIENT, 60%

  • AI-AUGMENTED DEVELOPMENT

    AI-assisted development is not a shortcut — it's a force multiplier

    • Claude Code
      ENHANCED, 92%
    • MCP Servers
      PROFICIENT, 75%
    • Context Engineering
      PROFICIENT, 80%
    • Gemini
      PROFICIENT, 70%
    • AI-Assisted Dev
      ENHANCED, 88%
    • Prompt Engineering
      PROFICIENT, 80%

J.A.R.V.I.S. PROTOCOLS: AI doesn't replace the engineer — it amplifies one. I use it to move faster, think bigger, and build better.

MODULE 04

ABOUT

ORIGIN STORY

“Tony Stark had errors too. He just kept building.”

When I was deep in my bootcamp, staring at broken code at 2am, I almost convinced myself I wasn't cut out for this. Then I started watching Iron Man. Tony Stark didn't build a perfect suit on the first try — he built Mark I in a cave, with scraps, and kept iterating. That shifted everything for me. Errors aren't failure. They're just the next thing to fix.

Before software engineering, I worked in healthcare — a world where communication, care, and attention to detail matter at a level most fields never demand. I bring that same standard to code.

MINDSET.LOG

Inspired and driven by the fear of unfulfilled potential. That's not a tagline — that's what gets me up. The idea of having the ability to build something, to grow, to move my future forward — and wasting it — that's the thing I won't accept.

Some people watch TV. Some play video games. Nothing wrong with that. Me? Every hour I'm not building something, learning something, or pushing myself — I feel it. That's just how I'm wired. It's not pressure. It's purpose.

David A Vargas

5+

YEARS IN HEALTHCARE

2024

BOOTCAMP GRAD

3+

MARATHONS RUN

10+

PROJECTS BUILT

CAREER TIMELINE

  1. PRESENT

    Software Engineer

    Building, growing, shipping.

  2. 2024

    Bootcamp Graduate

    Full-stack development, the Tony Stark way.

  3. BEFORE

    Healthcare Professional

    Communication, care, and precision under pressure.

MODULE 05

SIDE MISSIONS

The code is one system. These are the others. Business owner, endurance runner, financial strategist — I don't just build software. I build everything.

David A Vargas in a pinstripe suit and tinted sunglasses, arms outstretched in the desert as explosions rise behind him — a nod to Tony Stark's Jericho demo in Iron Man
  • MSN-001 · BUSINESSFULLY OPERATIONAL

    Pressure washing business based in Fort Worth, TX. Established, structured, and profitable.

    • LLC
    • FORT WORTH TX
    • PRESSURE WASHING
  • MSN-002 · FINANCIALPTIN ACQUIRED · AFSP NEXT

    Licensed to prepare taxes. AFSP certification coming June. EA and CPA on the roadmap.

    • PTIN LICENSED
    • AFSP · JUNE
    • EA ROADMAP
  • MSN-003 · ENDURANCEMISSION COMPLETE

    First ever marathon — an ultra. Signed up 3 weeks before. No training. Finished.

    • ULTRA MARATHON
    • FIRST EVER
    • NO TRAINING
  • MSN-004 · TACTICALACTIVE DEPLOYMENT

    72-hour Airsoft and camping events with infantry exercises, minimal sleep, and constant movement.

    • 72-HOUR EVENTS
    • INFANTRY SIMULATION
    • AIRSOFT
  • MSN-005 · FINANCIALACTIVE

    Credit score: 520 → 720+ in 2 years. 8 cards, fully optimized. Chase Sapphire Reserve. Amex Gold.

    • 520 → 720+
    • 8 CARDS
    • CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE
  • MSN-007 · PERFORMANCEON HIATUS · CREDITS REAL

    Took acting classes, got cast, and appeared in three short films. Each with a named character. Credits listed on IMDb.

    • THE RECONCILE
    • WHO'S THAT KNOCKING?
    • TWO ROBBERS AND A MAD MAN
  • MSN-008 · AVIATIONFLIGHT DISCOVERY INCOMING

    Learning to fly. Flight discovery coming up. Goal: earn a Private Pilot License (PPL) and own the skies.

    • FLIGHT DISCOVERY SOON
    • PPL ROADMAP
    • STUDENT PILOT
  • MSN-009 · HOROLOGYALWAYS EARNING THE NEXT ONE

    ~8 watches. Each one earned, not bought. They're trophies — I only get one when I've done something that deserves it.

    • ~8 WATCHES
    • TROPHIES NOT TRENDS
    • BULOVA · SERIES X
  • MSN-006 · KNOWLEDGEALWAYS READING

    Never liked reading until Rich Dad Poor Dad changed everything. 40+ books in — all business, mindset, and self-improvement. No fiction. No fluff.

    • 40+ BOOKS READ
    • 2 CURRENTLY READING
    • 18 IN QUEUE

MODULE 06

CONTACT

Whether you're a recruiter, a collaborator, or just curious — the comms are open.

I'm currently open to full-time software engineering roles and interesting side projects. Let's build something.

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