Mistaro Digital
Backend-focused web
engineering, done properly.
I build and fix the things that matter. WordPress systems under pressure, Laravel applications that need to last, backend infrastructure that doesn't fall over. No hand-holding, no overbuilding.
What I do
WordPress, done properly
Performance audits, load-time fixes, complex integrations, and custom plugin development. I work with large, established WordPress installations that need careful hands — not a rebuild from scratch.
Laravel development
Bespoke applications, version upgrades, API design, microservices, and admin systems via Filament. I take existing codebases seriously. I work inside what's there before suggesting you throw it away.
Backend systems & problem-solving
If something is slow, broken, expensive to scale, or held together by duct tape, that's where I'm most useful. I'm comfortable operating in messy, real-world codebases with constraints.
How I work
01
Pragmatic by default
The right solution is usually the boring one. I won't propose a microservices rewrite when a well-placed cache layer will do.
02
Long-term maintainability
Code should be readable in two years by someone who wasn't there. I write for the next developer, not for a portfolio.
03
Comfortable in the mess
Real businesses run on legacy systems with undocumented decisions. I don't require a clean slate to do useful work.
04
You deal with me directly
No account manager, no handoff. One person owns the work, start to finish.
05
Built with visibility in mind
A system you can't see is a system you can't trust. Error tracking, server metrics, and structured logging are part of the work, not something added after the first production incident. Sentry, Grafana, Prometheus.
Sense Check
Not sure what you actually need?
Before you commit to building something, it's worth a quick conversation. I'll give you an honest read on your options: what's realistic, what's overkill, and where the real risk is.
- You're early-stage and want a sanity check on your architecture
- You've been quoted something and it doesn't feel right
- You're not sure whether to fix, migrate, or rebuild
- You want to talk through a technical decision without obligation to hire anyone
Products
Sitemap Engine
A high-performance sitemap generator for large WordPress sites. Built because the existing options couldn't keep up.
Most sitemap plugins are fine for sites with a few hundred pages. Above that, they timeout, consume server memory, or produce incomplete output. Sitemap Engine is built from scratch to handle scale — generating accurate, fast sitemaps without grinding your server to a halt.
About
I'm Chris, and I started Mistaro because I kept seeing the same problems. Good businesses running on systems that nobody fully understood, with no single person accountable for keeping them healthy.
I started out in UX engineering, moved into infrastructure and backend, and never really stopped doing both. Most people call that full stack. I call it knowing where things break.
I work with clients directly, I don't subcontract, and I'd rather tell you something isn't worth building than take the work.
Based in Scotland. Available for project work, retained support, and advisory.
Contact
Let's talk about your project.
Drop me a line and I'll get back to you within a day.
[email protected]