Leading a custom Adobe Commerce build for fundraising

Challenge

MarketNation runs a fundraising and donations business on Adobe Commerce. The domain does not fit a standard retail catalog: campaigns and donations push the platform well past its default behavior. A small engineering team needed one person to turn business goals into a plan, an architecture and work they could ship without rework.

Approach

I lead a team of three engineers and own the path from idea to merged code. Each new requirement starts with analysis: what the business needs, which parts of Adobe Commerce already cover it, and where a custom module is the honest answer. From there I keep the roadmap, decompose the work into tasks small enough to review in one sitting, and sequence them so each release stands on its own.

On the technical side I set the architecture for the customizations, so they extend the platform through its own extension points instead of fighting it. I review code against agreed standards, watch performance as the custom logic grows, and step in on the problems that need someone who has seen the platform from the inside for 17 years.

Result

The build moves forward in predictable increments rather than large, risky drops. The team works from a clear roadmap and a shared definition of done, and review standards keep the codebase consistent as it grows. Because the custom features follow the platform’s conventions, they stay maintainable as requirements change. The engagement continues, with the same team and the same rhythm.