Practical
Software that solves the actual problem you described. No invented features, no buzzwords, no platform lock-in for its own sake.
About
From carpenter to founder. Same standards.
CivicAI Solutions is a one-person agency — small on purpose, so the work stays good.
Teun de Jong
Founder · CivicAI Solutions
NL
Born & trained
AU
Based since 2019
EN/NL
Languages
The story
Built things with my hands. Now I build them in code.
I trained as a carpenter in the Netherlands and ran my own carpentry business there for years. The trade taught me how to read drawings, plan a sequence, and finish a job properly — the same discipline I now bring to software.
For roughly ten years, in parallel with the trade, I've been building apps and SaaS in my evenings and weekends. Self-taught, shipped end-to-end, on real stacks. Eventually the side work outgrew the day job.
I moved to Australia in 2019 and kept the same pattern — trade work by day, code by night — until I went full-time on software in 2023, after completing the Google IT Support certificate. CivicAI Solutions Pty Ltd was registered that same year.
Today I build websites, web apps, AI integrations, and mobile apps for clients. Mobile work runs on the same toolkit — React Native and Expo on top of the web stack we already know. CivicAI is small on purpose; that's how the work stays good.
Coffs Harbour, AU·Available globally·Speaks EN & NL
Timeline
Ten years building things. In wood, then in code.
- 012015–2019
Carpenter & business owner, Netherlands
Trained as a carpenter, then ran my own carpentry business in NL. Residential and commercial work — quoting, scheduling, finishing the job. Started teaching myself to code in parallel.
NL - 022019–2022
Moved to Australia
Relocated to Australia and kept the same pattern: trade work by day, building apps and SaaS by night. Real stacks, real users, end-to-end. The side projects kept getting more serious.
AU - 032022–2023
Google IT Support certificate, transition
Completed the Google IT Support certificate, formalising what I’d been doing for years on my own. First paid software projects landed. Quit the trades.
AU - 042023–Now
Founder, CivicAI Solutions
Registered CivicAI Solutions Pty Ltd. Built ContractGuard AI (live SaaS), the Integrated AI Assistant, started VIREX. Building software the way I learned to build — properly, with mobile apps now part of the toolkit.
AU
Values
Four ways we work.
Reliable
If we say two weeks, we mean two weeks. If something slips, you hear it from us first. Trust is built one promise at a time.
Transparent
Fixed scope, fixed price (or capped hours), private staging URL from day one. You see progress as it happens, not at handover.
Long-term
We build to maintain. Modern stack, sensible defaults, written documentation. The agency you can still call in three years.
Skills
Self-taught. Production-grade.
Frontend
- TypeScript
- React + Next.js (App Router)
- Tailwind CSS
- Framer Motion
- Component design systems
- Accessibility & responsive UI
Mobile
- React Native + Expo
- iOS & Android builds
- Native modules (when needed)
- Push notifications
- App Store / Play Store deploys
- Offline-first patterns
Backend
- Node.js + Express / Hono
- Postgres + SQL
- Supabase + Prisma
- REST + tRPC
- Stripe (subscriptions, checkout)
- Auth, roles, multi-tenant
AI
- OpenAI + Anthropic APIs
- Tool use & function calling
- Retrieval-augmented generation
- Vector DBs (pgvector, Pinecone)
- WhatsApp / Twilio / Postmark
- Evaluation & guardrails
Tools
- Vercel + Cloudflare
- GitHub Actions
- Sentry + Plausible
- Linear + Figma
- Docker basics
- Git workflow
Certifications
Trade qualifications, still current.
Google IT Support Certificate
Google / Coursera
Multi-course program covering networking, security, system administration, and IT troubleshooting fundamentals.
Carpentry diploma
Vocational, Netherlands
Three-year apprenticeship in residential and commercial carpentry.
White Card
Australia
Construction induction (CPCCWHS1001).
Working at Heights
Australia
Certified for working safely at heights on Australian sites.
Want to work together?
I take on a small number of projects each quarter.
If you have something to build, send a brief and we'll talk.