Hello from JVA/dev

I’m Jacobo. I’ve spent years in and out of music, code, and the spaces where they overlap. JVA/dev is my freelance web design practice — built in Rochester, for small businesses anywhere.

This is the first post, so it’s also the manifesto.

Most small-business websites are quietly broken

Not visibly broken. The page loads, the photos show up, the contact form mostly works. But under the surface: it’s slow, it’s invisible to Google, it’s running on a platform that charges you every month and owns your data.

That’s the default state of the internet for a local business in 2026. It doesn’t have to be.

What I’m building

Custom websites, built with Astro, designed to:

• Load instantly. Not “fast.” Instantly.
• Show up when someone searches “[your service] near me.”
• Look like the work you do offline — not like a Squarespace template.
• Be yours. Code, content, hosting account — all yours.

What I’m not building

• Wix sites.
• WordPress sites with twelve plugins that break every six months.
• Sites that need a $200/mo SaaS subscription to keep the lights on.

If that’s what you want, there are plenty of people who’ll build it for you. I’d rather help you build something that lasts.

More posts coming. If you’ve got a business and a website that isn’t pulling its weight — let’s talk.