Product engineering
Legacy modernization
CodeIgniter or hand-written PHP to Laravel, legacy single-page apps to server-rendered Next.js, shared hosting to the cloud. The work runs in stages, with the old system serving customers until the new one has proved itself. I did exactly this for a motoring magazine, moving its CMS from CodeIgniter on shared hosting to Laravel on Google Cloud.
- Timeline
- An assessment first, then migration in stages on a schedule agreed with you
- Price
- Fixed-price assessment, then a fixed quote per stage
- Engagement
- Fixed-scope project
Is it a fit?
For
- Businesses running a PHP application nobody wants to touch
- Teams whose React or Angular single-page app is slow on phones or invisible to search
- Companies still on shared hosting or a single hand-built server
- Companies in Japan with aging core systems and too few engineers to replace them
Not for
- A rewrite for its own sake: if the old system works and rarely changes, I'll say so
- Migrations where nobody on your side knows how the business actually uses the system
What you get
- A written assessment: what to keep, what to rewrite and what to retire
- A migration plan in stages, each one reversible
- The new system, running alongside the old one until cut-over
- Data migration scripts with verification checks
- Permanent redirects for every changed URL, so search rankings survive
How it runs
- 01
Assess
Read the code, map the data and the integrations, and find out how people really use the system.
- 02
Plan the stages
Split the move into steps small enough to ship and reverse, starting where the value is highest.
- 03
Run both
New parts take over one route or module at a time while the old system keeps serving the rest.
- 04
Cut over and retire
Final data sync, redirects checked against the full URL list, monitoring, and then the old system is switched off.
Typical stack: Laravel · CodeIgniter · Next.js · React · Google Cloud · AWS · MySQL · PostgreSQL · Redis
Questions
Will the migration hurt our search rankings?
Not if it's done carefully. Every URL either stays the same or gets a permanent redirect to its new home, and I check the full list before and after cut-over.
Can we keep our backend and replace only the front end?
Often, yes. A new Next.js front end can talk to your existing Laravel, Node or Python backend through its API, which keeps the risk small.
Do you work with Japanese companies?
Yes. I work in English, write detailed plans and documentation, and schedule my working day to overlap Japanese business hours.
More in product engineering
- MVP Sprint: A production-grade first version of your product in six to eight weeks, at a fixed price.
- Web platforms and SaaS: Custom web applications, APIs and integrations, built to be inherited.
Tell me about your project.
A short brief is enough to start. I’ll reply with questions, a suggested first step and when I could begin.