# About Peter Schmalfeldt - Experience & Approach Source: [https://new.peterschmalfeldt.com/about]() Hey! I'm Peter Schmalfeldt. I create web applications and AI tools, from the first idea to the finished product. I enjoy exploring possibilities and shaping how things look and work, whether I'm creating something independently or helping a team move it forward. ## Software development - TypeScript - API Design - React & Next.js - CI/CD & DevOps - Full-Stack Development ## AI and automation - AI-Assisted Development - Workflow Automation - RAG Applications - Responsible AI - Generative AI - Agentic AI ## My Approach ### Curiosity I like understanding how things work and exploring what could work better. Each project starts with questions and room to learn. ### Purpose I take time to understand the people who will use what I create. Their needs guide the decisions along the way. ### Exploration I use design and prototypes to give ideas a shape. Trying things early helps me find what works and refine the experience. ### Perspective My experience connects design with development, through deployment. I consider how decisions affect the whole project, including what happens after launch. ### Collaboration I can create a complete project or work alongside your team. I share what I know and help move the work forward. ## Statistics - 50+ Clients I've worked with - 80% Clients that return for more projects - 25+ Years of professional experience - 200+ Completed projects ## Work Experience ### Senior AI Engineer Patagonia \| 2022 - present I create AI tools for teams across Patagonia. Previously a Senior Digital Engineer, I moved into the AI team in July 2026. ### Senior SFCC Full-Stack Developer Red Van Workshop \| 2017 - 2022 I developed ecommerce applications and helped teams connect the systems behind them. I also mentored developers and created tools to support their work. ### Independent Consultant Freelance \| 2000 - present I take ideas from research through design and development to launch. I also join teams to help lead their projects. ## Qualifications ### Bachelor of Interactive Media Webster University \| 2004 Studied interactive media, with a minor in Audio Engineering and a Certificate in Web Design. ### Certified AI Associate Salesforce \| 2024 Covers AI fundamentals and the responsible use of data, including ethical considerations when applying AI to business needs. ### Certified B2C Commerce Developer Salesforce \| 2022 Covers creating and customizing ecommerce applications with Salesforce Commerce Cloud, including storefront development and integrations with other systems. ## Testimonials ### Nina C. - Senior Software Engineer Peter is the go-to person for anything and everything with productivity and tooling. He thinks outside of the box and looks for new ways to make processes more efficient for developers, businesses, and customers. He is always willing to help and teach others. I'm glad to have the opportunity to meet and work with Peter! [Recommendation source]() ### Rob M. - Director of Engineering The best way I could describe Peter is to say that he is a swiss-army knife, capable of handling any and every aspect of software development. He is truly a rare breed: talented in design, development, project management, and innovative product development. I highly recommend Peter and his outstanding work. [Recommendation source]() ### Jameson M. - Senior Developer Peter is one of those rare developers who claims to have a wide range of skills and actually does have a deep level of understanding in each of those areas. He's an asset to any team he's on, and has a relentless work ethic, a passion for quality, and a fun sense of humor \(an invaluable trait in long meetings and long days\). [Recommendation source]() ### Ted E. - Senior Developer I worked with Peter for over a year while he was working for my company in a consulting capacity. I got the general feeling that he truly cared about the people he was working with regardless of who was writing the checks. He was trust worthy and honest with our team always. This is an exceptional trait in the part of the IT world we inhabit. [Recommendation source]() ### Shaylin G. - Engineering Manager From his clear and detailed approaches to problem solving down to his handy productivity tools, I was blown away. I felt like I grew as a developer after having worked with him; he set me up with some of the custom tools, and helped give me a great high-level overview to the new things I was working on. [Recommendation source]() ### Michael C. - SFCC Administrator For a little over a year, I had the pleasure of working with Peter. As a developer and team leader, he has all the essential characteristics: responsive, positive, analytical, and inspiring. In addition, Peter's web development skills are second to none. When Peter is asked for help, he guides, coaches, and encourages. [Recommendation source]() ### Alec C. - Sales Executive He's as good at front-end as he is at back-end development which is very unique and enormously valuable. He's an entrepreneur and is all about creating exceptional business applications that create real and measurable value. Most importantly, he's an awesome guy to work with. [Recommendation source]() ### Kaci C. - Technical Manager Peter is ambitions, thorough, and ingenious. He doesn't miss a detail and his ability to scope and execute new projects is unparalleled. When I get the chance to work or consult with Peter, his insights are always welcome. He is true team-player. [Recommendation source]() ### David L. - Senior Developer Peter is an exceptional developer with a great depth of knowledge. Frontend or backend, he has tackled any problems our team needed to solve. He has particularly impressed me with his enthusiasm for ADA compliant user experiences and the many development tools he has created that make our jobs easier. [Recommendation source]() ### Nancy H. - Senior QA Analyst Peter is one of the most passionate developers I know. He truly loves his work and it shows in the amount of time, effort and consideration he puts into everything he does. He is not only a highly skilled developer though, he also enjoys teaching others what he knows and showing them how things work. [Recommendation source]() ## Recent Insights ### WebMCP gives AI agents a way to use your website [Read in Markdown]() Learn how WebMCP lets websites expose tools to AI agents, with a working nine-tool demo, real-world ecommerce use cases, and insights into GEO, browser support, and implementation. Published: 2026-09-16 Tags: WebMCP, GEO, AI ### Is the NVIDIA DGX Spark Worth It for AI Developers and Development Teams? [Read in Markdown]() Exploring what it takes to build a local AI development environment, where the DGX Spark fits, and whether dedicated AI hardware is actually worth the investment. Published: 2026-08-26 Tags: AI, Development, DGX Spark, OpenCode ### Convert Markdown to Beautiful PDFs on macOS [Read in Markdown]() Turn Markdown files into polished, shareable PDFs on macOS with a free, open-source workflow using Pandoc, WeasyPrint, and custom CSS. Published: 2026-06-29 Tags: Development, Markdown, PDF, macOS ## Links - [Resume]() - [Testimonials]() - [LinkedIn]() - [GitHub]() - [Salesforce]() - [CodePen]() - [Calendly]()