Joel's analytical chops and design skills are every bit as amazing as his ability to query for and produce technical solutions using non-tech language.

His work is astonishingly efficient and beautiful, consistently delivered on-time.

Furthermore, he is a delight to work with.

Susan Alexander, Sr. Publications Coordinator
University of California Press
unsolicited (referral to colleague)

Look no further because Joel Shapiro is FANTASTIC. You will absolutely be pleased with his work.

I have never worked with anyone who is more customer-focused. He really listens to what you need, asks just the right questions, and is a genius with Filemaker so you will end up with a product that does exactly what you want, and probably things you didn't even know you needed it to do.

He is fast at what he does, too. The databases he built for us enable my admin team to serve our department with fewer staff than admin teams in other departments, and we provide a better level of service, too.

Stephanie Dueltgen, Administrative Officer
(client name withheld for confidentiality)
unsolicited (referral to colleague)

You're really good at what you do. Thanks for making this project happen in an absurdly short period of time!

Stuart Gripman, President
Crooked Arm Corp.
unsolicited

You have been such an easy and helpful person to work with. In addition, you are exceptionally perceptive when it comes to this kind of work. Having dealt with other people who do similar things you have been much more innovative and understanding about the real world applications.

Greg Spicer, Professor
Department of Biology
San Francisco State University

Joel's an excellent (awesome, even) database designer. Back when I had a government job, I worked with several developers to do custom applications and he was far and away the best, and one of the few I've met who thinks about how the system is used by real people, in the real world.

Price-wise, Joel's about in the middle, but he's fast and usually gets it right the first time, which in my experience counts far more than the hourly rate.

I probably sound like I'm either easily pleased or on the take. Neither is the case. It's just that he's one of the two or three best people I've ever worked with.

P. Scott Brown, Editor
Fine Books & Collections Magazine
unsolicited (referral to colleague)

I have been using the FileMaker Pro program you set up for us, and it is wonderful. First and foremost, thank you for creating really a truly remarkable home-grown system.

Michael Brady, Assistant Superintendent
Piedmont Unified School District
unsolicited

Wow does this look good and seems easy to work with! I am totally blown away with web site/file maker pro file you've made. -wow- You have outdone what others have developed many times over!

My department chair is very pleased (she mentioned something about falling in love with your program several times)

Dave Woods, Counselor
Grand Island Public Schools
unsolicited

Joel has a calm, inquisitive approach toward the design and development of databases. Not only does he ask the appropriate "what if" questions, he also listens to the response and is diligent in understanding all of its ramifications. The work he did with our organization was significant: stabilizing what had become an unreliable database, then building a stronger framework on it. The work was done promptly, and completed on time and within budget.

Art Hsieh, CEO & Education Director
San Francisco Paramedic Association

Working with Joel has made my job easier. When setting out on the task of developing on-line registration for our trainings...I was grateful to have Joel's expertise and patience. His knowledge of FileMaker, the Web, and networks, coupled with his thoroughness, consistency, and analytical skills (all things I don't possess), has helped us create a database system that has lifted the effectiveness and productivity of our team, as well as all our moods.

Carrel Crawford, Training Services Coordinator
UCSF AIDS Health Project

It's a friggin' work of art!

In all seriousness, somehow in my head I had it that like it was going to be really complicated to do this and even when you told me that you could do it I was worried that somehow it would be complicated and as is generally the case, or pretty much always the case with you, you found a way of making it really simple and easy to do. It's exactly what we wanted so thank you, and yeah, it looks great.

Rob Gitin, Director
At the Crossroads
unsolicited

Joel produced a FileMaker database that far exceeded our hopes and expectations. He was able to customize the program for our unique needs, while creating a tool that was extremely user-friendly and could be learned very quickly. Within just a few years, the database has already saved us thousands of hours of labor over our previous software system.

Joel has been an absolute pleasure to work with -- he is responsible, responsive, and a consummate professional. Joel has a keenly analytical mind, a wealth of patience, and the ability to arrive at solutions quickly and efficiently. He helped us think through our goals, alternatives, and potential pitfalls, and he has been able to make adjustments to the system when new circumstances required us to modify the software.

Ken Yale, Principal
Millennium High School

As a trustee and receiver, I have to maintain detailed time and expense data to satisfy court regulations. After an extensive search, I could not find an "off-the-shelf" package to meet my needs.

Joel Shapiro carefully listened to my specifications, and—for a very reasonable fee—designed a custom package that completely addresses my requirements. When after-sale questions arose, Joel responded quickly and effectively.

I have used the package for almost two years, and have experienced no problems. I have no hesitation in recommending his services to others.

David Bradlow, Trustee/Receiver

Joel Shapiro has been an extremely valuable resource for my division. Our work is very specialized and...after a very short time, it was as if Joel had worked in my field forever, and knew just what I needed in my database. He created a goof-proof database that had a minimum of data entry and a maximum of results. He is easy to work with whether you know a lot about databases and just need some expert help or are an end user that just wants to put the data in and get the reports out.

Colleen Arnold, Analyst
(client name withheld for confidentiality)

In addition to Joel's technical expertise and mastery of FileMaker Pro, I have been thoroughly impressed by the professional and cooperative manner in which he works with his clients. Joel is extremely thorough and expedient when responding to our requests, and he has never been anything other than friendly and supportive as we have worked through some challenging tasks.

Diane Milowicki
(client name withheld for confidentiality)

Intuitive database design - pleasant interface on top of flexible architecture. Working with Joel is easy and efficient - he knows which questions to ask up front so you have a complete picture of what needs to be done and how to prioritize. It makes the budgeting project easier and the overall project timeline realistic.

Oli Mittermaier, Founder
the lilaguide

The Piedmont Unified School District hired Joel Shapiro to format and develop an online report card for first through fifth grades. Joel communicated with us each step of the way to keep the process running smoothly. When we were ready to do a trial run with the report cards Joel was immediately available at all times. When we e-mailed him with a particular problem we received a response right away.

I like Joel's calm, quiet, positive manner. He listens and troubleshoots without becoming demeaning or derogatory. I appreciate his ability to explain a process in layman's terms so that one can easily understand what needs to be done. He is ready and willing to come on site when a problem arises.

Our online report card process has been seamless. I've received many compliments from the teachers about how smooth the entire process has gone. This is largely due to Joel's time and efforts. I've enjoyed working with Joel. He has met all of our expectations.

Valerie Jew, Assistant Principal
Havens Elementary School
Piedmont Unified School District