My Name is Josh
I'm the Founder & CEO of Soft Clay Software. My journey into web development started in the early 2000's as child on the then-popular Neopets website. I joined a "guild", a customizable community space within the website, where the community granted me the title "CSS Wizard" (a title I wouldn't mind to still have). In high school, I took two web development classes that were taught with Adobe Dreamweaver, a visual website editor, where I was the only kid in class digging into the code underneath to get the precise customization I wanted. After a brief forray into Computer Science at RIT, I ultimately decided to focus my studies on Web and Mobile Application Development under the Information Technology program there. It was during those years my passion for the Web and everything it represents solidified.
After a two-term internship with Brand Networks, working with clients like Walmart and American Express, I went on to work on call center software for lead generation at a company in Rochester, NY. In 2017, I left Rochester for New York City to become employee number one at a start-up called ThankView, making software for sending personalized videos. I remained there as the team grew to over 100, following a merger and acqusition in 2022. From there, I decided to strike out on my own.
On this path, I've worked with a wide range of technologies in a variety of environments and learned a few things along the way. Mostly this: the industry has made the Web too complicated. Websites are often slow, inaccessible to people with disabilities and, in the worst of cases, user-hostile.
With a focus on simplicity, speed, and accessibility, I believe a better Web can be built. A Web that puts people first. It's with this perspective I'm offering custom web development services.
Why "Soft Clay Software"?
Soft Clay Software is inspired by two elements: clay and software. We here believe that software is never finished, and can always be changed. High-quality clay is stable, holding a desired shape, yet remains malleable as long as you wish to work with it. Software is no different. With the right expertise, both software and clay can be crafted to perform specific functions, integrate with other tools, or even be re-purposed for entirely different needs. This flexibility makes each element a powerful tool for businesses and individuals alike, allowing adaptation to new challenges and opportunities in an ever-changing landscape.
We are truly inspired by the grounding element of clay, and the malleability of software as each component enables entrepreneurs to evolve and improve in response to the constantly evolving demands of their users.