Arnold Technologies

Technology advisor for founders and SMBs throughout the upper Midwest.

Senior tech leadership with honest communication and organization, without the buzzwords and wasteful processes. For teams in the Sioux Falls area and upper Midwest that want a CTO’s judgment without the full-time hire — and would rather enjoy the build than dread the standup.

Connect

How I Work

Most technology consultants over-index on the code and under-deliver on the engagement. I make sure to lead with engagement and then the tech.

Turning vibe-coded apps into software that is reliable and something users want to use.
Weekly written updates. Every week, what got done, what’s still in progress, questions that need answering, and what the plan for the week is. The client has a paper trail they can refer back to or forward to investors.
Plan before code. I frequently sketch the UI or draw the data flow and confirm with you before building. No surprises at delivery.
Focused on proven technical approaches instead of looking at what sounds cool.
Done is done when you sign off. Not "should work." Merged, deployed, tested in your real environment.
Transparent communication is key. If something is going wrong, you’ll hear about it from me before you notice it yourself.
Enjoy the process. Work is serious enough already, I try to have fun with it.

Services

Vibe-coded App Expansion

Whether you are a founder that has validated their vibe-coded app in Lovable or a non-technical professional that built an app using Claude Code, I can help you bring it to the next level.Best fit for: subject matter experts that need to expand their vibe-coded software to be more scalable, reliable, stable, and manageable.

Fractional CTO

A monthly, regular engagement. Tech strategy, hiring help, architecture decisions, code review, and senior dev work where it moves the business forward. Monthly retainer.Best fit for: funded founders pre-CTO, startups that have outgrown the original builder, or SMBs looking for technical guidance on using technology in the organization.

MVP Development

A new product, from zero to in users' hands. Not the "send me a 40-page requirements doc and I'll come back in a month with a finished thing" model. We work in tight loops: sketch the flow together, confirm, build a slice, get it in front of real users, adjust.Best fit for: future entrepreneurs with a proven market problem that needs an MVP built in order to sell to customers and validate product / market fit.Not a fit for: equity-only deals, buzzword projects, or work where the trendy tech is the pitch instead of the problem.

Project & Advisory

Scoped engagements with a clear outcome. Tech due diligence, a specific build, an architecture review, or a fixed-scope project.Best fit for: "we need this one thing built right, and want it done in a way that makes users happy to use it"

Results

Cut appliance estimate creation from 15+ minutes to 2 minutes by developing a web application to automate appliance estimates for customers. Staff now say they look forward to putting together quotes because they get to use the new software.

- Heartland Hardware - George, IA

"I've worked with several developers in the life of my startup and Trevor was always the one who consistently did what he said he would do, when he said he would do it. This simple leadership quality is very noticeable in the world of dev work and has set him apart from other talent I've worked with.
Not only do I appreciate Trevor's work ethic and development skills but I am equally appreciative of his ongoing quest to better himself, always learning more, practicing his craft, and humbling himself to learn from others."

- Alisha Vincent - Desty

Technologies

Experience (highlights)

Building Java test suite for Department of Defense
Building real time dashboard for test results in Angular
Helping get travel website to production for customer use
Managed team of software and data developers at one of the largest public safety companies in the country
Developing employer / candidate matching algorithm for startup.

Technology Thoughts (AI)

In software development, writing the actual code was rarely the hardest part. AI agents have made it easier to generate code, but building software the users want to use is still difficult. AI makes building software very different than before and it makes writing bad software even easier. I am not an AI doomer and I am not an AI worshiper. I fall somewhere in the middle and see AI as a tool to get you where you want to be. See more of my thoughts on this topic and many others on Substack.

Substack

Bio

A decade in software — sales, data, management, and development. I have led teams and built things in large organizations and helped several startups build a product for their users.I run Arnold Technologies out of Lester, Iowa. Grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota. Faith, family, and hard work in roughly that order. Married, two daughters, one spoiled dog who clearly outranks me in the household. Outside of work: lifting, time outside, reading, and the occasional video game if I can make the time.I try to make people laugh in meetings because I strongly believe that enjoying the process is important to the success of anything you do.

Connect

Best fit if you’re a founder or growing team that needs senior tech leadership without a full-time hire. A 30-minute intro call is free and there’s no pitch — I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help or if I know of someone else who might be a better fit. Worst case, you get an honest read and (hopefully) laugh once.