I am Ethan Laurent, a Node.js and TypeScript engineer in Austin, Texas. Nine years in backend engineering, currently freelancing on architecture and AI-integration projects after a stint leading backend at a logistics analytics SaaS and, before that, building payment APIs at a fintech startup that taught me more about the Node.js event loop than any book ever could.
nodewire is the publication I wish I had three years into my career. Every article on this site has to do four things, no exceptions:
- Open with a real problem — the kind that breaks production on a Friday afternoon, not a textbook example.
- Show working code — every snippet runs on a clean Node 20 LTS install before publication.
- Name a number when claiming X is faster than Y. “47 ms after the change,” not “much faster.”
- Tell you when not to use the thing — the part most tutorials skip because it doesn’t fit the “buy my course” funnel.
The stack I work in and write about every day: Node.js 20 LTS, TypeScript, Fastify on greenfield work and Express on legacy, PostgreSQL with Prisma or Drizzle, Redis where it earns its keep, Docker, and the occasional brush with OpenAI / Anthropic SDKs when a client wants AI features that actually ship.
What you will not find here
- “10 Node.js libraries that will revolutionise your stack” listicles.
- “Let’s dive into” anything.
- Affiliate links to courses I have not personally completed.
- Posts written by AI without a senior engineer rewriting every line. AI helps with first drafts; it does not get to ship security tutorials.
How I make money
Freelance backend and architecture work. Some of the AI-integration articles on this site come straight out of client engagements, with sensitive bits filed off. The site itself runs no ads and accepts no sponsored posts — both kill technical credibility on the kind of topics I write about.
Got a correction or a topic request?
Email ethan@nodewire.net. Corrections published the same day, with a dated note at the top of the article. Topic requests get triaged once a week — if I have shipped the pattern in production, I will write it; if not, I will tell you who has.