AI Product
FixMyPrompt
An AI prompt optimizer that rewrites and scores your prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
Available for interesting work
Hi, I'm Tim Garver — I build software and write about it.
Senior ColdFusion / full-stack developer with 24+ years building dynamic web apps, REST APIs, and the tooling that keeps them running. Here you'll find my projects, a dev blog, and a bit of family history.
Selected work
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AI Product
bestAIpacks
A curated directory of AI tools with hands-on reviews, pricing breakdowns, and head-to-head comparisons.
Writing
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Genealogy & Family History
Garver Surname Origin: Tracing Anglo-Saxon and German Roots Through History
The Garver surname carries a fascinating dual heritage, originating from both Anglo-Saxon wood-carving traditions and German leather-tanning professions, with documented history spanning over 750 years.
Software Development
The Reality Check: What AI-Assisted Software Development Actually Looks Like
I've spent months working with AI coding assistants, and the reality is far different from the "build an app in 4 hours" promises flooding social media. Here's what actually works—and what doesn't—when building real software with AI.
Development Tools
Building a Practical Claude Code Workflow: A Developer's Field Guide
Claude Code isn't magic, but it's powerful when you understand its boundaries. Here's how to build a workflow that leverages its agent-teams capability while managing the risks of direct file access.
AI
Local-first AI tools beat cloud chatbots for development
After a year of using both, the pattern is clear: integrated local tools win where it matters.