How I Built This Web App

Exploring new opportunities | Open to collaboration

Dominik Benger

Seasoned Business & Analytics leader with extensive experience in data-driven sales & operations

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Career Path

My professional journey

Leadership Analytics AI

2025+

AI Era

Professional Development

Building deep, hands-on AI/LLM capability, automating workflows, and leveraging code generation tools.

2021–25

Senior Leadership

Senior Analytical Lead, Large Customer Sales

Google · Northern Europe

2018–21

Technical Lead

Technical Apps Lead, EMEA Int. Growth

Google · Hamburg, Germany

2017–18

Google Start

Account Manager, SMB Ad Sales

Google · Dublin, Ireland

Analytical Consultant Intern

Google · Zagreb, Croatia

2016–17

Growth

Business Development Manager

Q Agency · Zagreb, Croatia

2014–15

Early Career

Marketing & BI Intern

Henkel & L'Oréal · Dubai, UAE & Zagreb, Croatia

Background

Experience

10+ years of driving growth through data, analytics, and strategic leadership.

My career sits at the intersection of business strategy, performance marketing, and data analytics. From managing and scaling multimillion-dollar portfolios as a Senior Analytical Lead at Google to building AI-integrated workflows and custom analytics platforms, I specialize in translating complex data into actionable, revenue-driving strategies.

Revenue & Client Impact

Partnered with leading global app and gaming advertisers, delivering $XXXmm+ per quarter with 40% avg YoY growth.

Performance Operations

Built KPI scorecards, alerting systems, and cohort/LTV views in BigQuery and Looker, reducing time-to-insight.

AI Integration

Leveraged Gemini models to optimize analytics and internal workflows—surfacing insights and reducing manual effort.

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Services

Collaboration

Practical analytics, measurement, and automation services for app and growth teams.

I provide outcome-first consulting and technical services built to produce clear decisions, reliable tracking, and repeatable performance improvements.

Audit

1–2 weeks to uncover leaks, map data, and create a "fix-first" prioritized roadmap.

Build

3–8 weeks to implement tracking, SKAN, data pipelines, and working dashboards.

Operate

Monthly retainer for ongoing performance monitoring and continuous dashboard upgrades.

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Background

Experience

10+ years of driving growth through data, analytics, and strategic leadership

2025+

AI & Technology Focus

Professional Development

Feb 2025 – Present · Munich, Germany

Building deep, hands-on AI/LLM capability to enhance productivity, automate workflows, and support data-driven decision-making while applying newly acquired expertise to real-world side projects.

Core Focus

Expanding technical expertise across the full AI ecosystem—automating user acquisition and performance marketing data workflows, integrating AI into analytics and reporting, leveraging code generation and optimization tools, and applying AI to strategic planning.
Actively designing and building product/code development and automation workflows through hands-on projects spanning diverse applications beyond performance marketing and user acquisition.

Competencies in Development

AI Tools & Platforms: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, NotebookLM, Google AI Studio, ElevenLabs
Developer Tools: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex CLI, Firebase Studio, Replit, V0, Bolt.new, Vercel
Workflow Automation: n8n, Make.com, Langraph, CrewAI, Zapier, Gumloop

AI/LLM Python Claude Cursor n8n Vercel React

2021

Senior Analytical Lead

Google · Large Customer Sales, Northern Europe

Sep 2021 – Feb 2025 · Amsterdam, Netherlands

Google’s Large Customer Sales (LCS) teams are strategic partners and industry thought leaders to the world’s leading brands. LCS teams continuously challenge how customers think about their business and how Google can support growth. Partnered with the largest apps and mobile gaming advertisers in Benelux + Nordics.

Revenue & Client Impact

Partnered with leading global app and gaming advertisers across Northern Europe to develop innovative digital solutions, leveraging Google’s resources to drive business growth and exceed client objectives—delivering $XXXmm+ per quarter with 40% average YoY growth.
Engaged C-suite and senior executives to present insights and strategic recommendations, building credibility and driving high-impact conversations at the leadership level.
Collaborated on the development and implementation of business strategies that contributed to sustained revenue growth and market leadership.

Performance Operations & Analytics

Owned daily pacing and analytics across Google Ads: built KPI scorecards, alerting systems, and cohort/LTV views in BigQuery and Looker; translated signals into actions (budget shifts, bidding, creatives), reducing time-to-insight and improving operational efficiency.
Embedded with client growth teams to manage day-to-day performance operations: monitored ROAS, CPI, LTV, and retention metrics; triaged anomalies; and guided bid, budget, and creative optimizations that sustained targets while unlocking incremental scale.
Operated a “daily performance engine”: automated data pipelines, performance decoding, and executive dashboards; led standups with senior stakeholders to align on risks and opportunities and trigger rapid optimization decisions.
Delivered hands-on analytics and optimization: combined change-history forensics with funnel analysis to diagnose performance swings and prioritize actions with the highest marginal gain.

Experimentation & Insights

Led day-to-day experimentation and analysis: designed A/B and lift tests, quantified impact on CPA, ROAS, and retention, and codified winning tactics into playbooks adopted across markets.
Coordinated cross-team execution across marketing, product, and data functions to connect campaign metrics to downstream events (in-app revenue, LTV), ensuring optimizations served business outcomes rather than vanity metrics.
Converted findings into scalable artifacts (SOPs, checklists, GTM documentation), raising operational consistency and enabling rapid onboarding across accounts and markets.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Strategy

Led cross-functional teams in executing complex, data-driven initiatives designed to scale operations and improve advertiser performance.
Built and implemented comprehensive cross-functional plans, delivering tailored strategic support that accelerated business growth.
Mentored stakeholders and managed complex technical relationships, providing ongoing consultative support to high-priority clients.
Organized and directed workflows across cross-functional teams, streamlining solution discovery and planning processes to increase collaboration and output quality.

Platform & Capability Building

Pioneered and operationalized the end-to-end process for a performance insights platform, resulting in commercialized offerings, improved service quality, and higher client satisfaction.
Established the team’s data and reporting strategic pillar; led Sales-Value-Add and Go-To-Market (GTM) processes from ideation to execution.
Founded an internal performance analytics capability with standardized packages and narratives to generate actionable recommendations and measurable performance improvements.
Demonstrated prototypes and proofs-of-concept using Google Cloud infrastructure and BigQuery, enabling feedback loops that improved tool usability and data access.

AI Integration & Innovation

Leveraged AI and Gemini models to optimize analytics, performance analysis, and internal data workflows—streamlining reporting, surfacing advanced insights, and reducing time-to-insight.
Applied Gemini-assisted features to dashboards, surfacing narrative insights, next-best actions, and risk flags; accelerated weekly business review preparation and improved cross-functional alignment.
Applied conversational analytics within Looker and Google AI Studio to enhance product and performance insights, uncovering multimillion-dollar opportunities at scale.
Integrated emerging AI capabilities into day-to-day operations, scaling strategic recommendations and improving stakeholder alignment with product impact.

Key Projects

iOS SKAN Reporting Pack View →

Developed a comprehensive performance reporting solution integrating Google Ads App Campaign and SKAdNetwork data for seamless iOS campaign analysis. Combined Google Ads change history and campaign performance reports with SKAdNetwork reports to visualize iOS performance data and translate SKAdNetwork values into meaningful metrics with real-time SKAN CV schema decoding and cohort analysis. Solution officially included in the internal Sales-Value-Add solutions catalog and published externally.

BigQuery Looker Python Google Ads SKAdNetwork SQL Gemini AI Google Cloud

2018

Technical Apps Lead

Google · EMEA International Growth Team

Dec 2018 – Aug 2021 · Hamburg, Germany

The EMEA International Growth Team is a specialist consultative sales organization responsible for accelerating the international growth of customers through in-depth strategic and operational consultations, scalable initiatives, and opening new revenue lines. Managed large advertisers across EMEA.

Client Management & Revenue Growth

Managed and consulted over 25 clients across Gaming and Non-Gaming app verticals, driving 55% average YoY increase in market exports.
Led export revenue growth by advising gaming clients on market expansion and improving performance in key markets through a data-driven approach.
Adopted a hands-on approach to craft personalized performance and market export strategies, achieving 100% client satisfaction rate through direct communication and customized tools.
Developed and implemented customized tools that increased client productivity by 40%.

Executive Engagement & Thought Leadership

Engaged and advised C-level executives to align strategies with business objectives.
Delivered workshops to C-level management on gaming strategy and opportunities, resulting in multiple success stories and cases published on Think with Google.
Advised the Analytical Consultant community on app insights and data knowledge; presented gaming growth opportunities at Google Conferences (GameCamp, AppHub).

Program Leadership & Scaled Solutions

Established and co-led the IGT EMEA Apps & Gaming program, securing 2 funded headcounts with potential for 2 additional roles.
Collaborated with Global Program Managers for App Development on the export initiative, achieving 1,500+ clients adopting narratives and solutions via scaled tools—increasing client investment by 300% YoY.
Launched, developed, and scaled a complete Go-To-Market playbook globally, leading the export initiative alongside Global Program Managers for Apps.
Established scalable narratives, tools, and Go-To-Market processes for sub-regional teams.

Reporting & Cross-Functional Operations

Owned and led reporting for cross-functional teams at Google EMEA, streamlining the delivery of App Promo insights at scale.
Developed impactful narratives and solutions for market expansion and performance enhancement in key markets.

Key Projects

“One-Stop Shop” App Campaigns BI Platform

Designed, developed, and managed a comprehensive app campaign insights platform providing in-depth analysis and recommendations for client performance, creative trends, seasonal trends, and benchmarking. Automated data retrieval and visualization processes. Impact: Multi-billion USD in revenue coverage; 3,000+ daily/weekly internal active users.

Global App Campaigns Data Sharing Compliance Policy & Framework

Identified compliance limitations restricting advertisers from reaching full campaign potential; initiated development of a comprehensive policy solution. Collaborated with Global Product Leads and Go-To-Market teams to design and launch the policy, officially published for all App Campaigns sales teams worldwide. Co-led the global training rollout.

Google Ads BigQuery Python Looker Studio App Campaigns

2017

Account Manager

Google · Marketing Solutions, SMB Ad Sales

Aug 2017 – Dec 2018 · Dublin, Ireland

Managed top-tier clients in the UK/I and CE/CEE markets with revenue under management ranging from $XXXk to $XXMM per quarter. Excelled in growing the book of business by developing customized digital strategies that matched client needs with Google solutions.

Key Achievements

Achieved 135% of Q4’17 target a month early; 157% of Q1’18 target two months early; exceeded Q2–Q3’18 revenue by +15% and hit targets a month early. Awards: H1 CE Brilliant Basics winner; GMS UK&I Audience Champion.
Advised 20 mid-size clients (Apps/Retail/Tech/Travel; $XXXk to $XXMM per quarter) on digital strategy, growth, and export; mapped needs to Google solutions for high ROAS. Built strategies for 140 SMBs ($XXk–$XXXk/quarter).
Drove +383% audience depth (top-18 CE pod) and +158% automation growth; scaled RLSA from 87% to 562% with >50% win rate; led team in Attribution, Audience Depth, Display & Search Auto-bidding.
Served as analytical consultant across Google; shipped automated QBRs, reports, and scripts; delivered AppDev performance dashboard and shareable multi-market brand-popularity models; provided EMEA-wide insights and technical support.
Trained 50+ representatives across EMEA/US on automation and insight generation; upgraded AppDev KPI best practices via automation; led CE/CEE projects to build an information/insights hub and helped develop the startup-client pipeline.

Google Ads Google Analytics SQL Attribution Display & Search

Additional Experience

2017

Analytical Consultant Intern

Google

Jan 2017 – Aug 2017 · Zagreb, Croatia

Supported Google LCS across CEE markets, delivering quantitative market landscape work and presenting insights to Industry Managers.

Supported Google LCS across CEE (Apps, Airlines, Gaming, IT, Fashion, Retail, Government, OTAs), delivering quantitative market landscape work and presenting insights to Industry Managers.
Led a CEE ad market sizing (online/offline), built SQL/Looker Studio data products including a multi-market brand-popularity tracker, and contributed to portfolio modeling and quarter-by-quarter forecasting.

SQL Looker Studio Google Ads Market Analysis

2016

Business Development Manager

Q Agency

Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 · Zagreb, Croatia

Operated at a Top 10 World’s Best Agency (Clutch, 2022); owned the UK market and the full sales cycle from pre-sales to post-sales.

Owned the UK market and the full sales cycle from pre-sales to post-sales (presentations, negotiation, contracting, account management).
Built the sales operating system: introduced a new sales strategy and toolset, implemented CRM for the team with trainings, and defined reporting metrics/cadence to track performance and hit goals.

CRM Sales Tools Business Development

2015

Marketing Analyst Intern

L’Oréal

Sep 2015 – Dec 2015 · Zagreb, Croatia

Supported PMs and Brand Managers on Croatia GTM: localized global concepts/ads, ran launch ops and catalog management, built sales/brand/competitor analyses, and planned/optimized the annual media budget.

Supported PMs and Brand Managers on Croatia GTM: localized global concepts/ads, ran launch ops and catalog management, built sales/brand/competitor analyses, and planned/optimized the annual media budget.

Marketing Analytics Media Planning Market Research

2015

Marketing and Business Intelligence Intern

Henkel

Dec 2014 – Aug 2015 · Zagreb, Croatia

Ran B2B media planning (print/online) with partner coordination and audience analysis; delivered monthly IMEA slow-mover analytics and contributed to supply-chain reporting migration.

Ran B2B media planning (print/online) with partner coordination and audience analysis; delivered monthly IMEA slow-mover analytics (SAP/Microsoft BI) to the Regional Lead.
Contributed to migrating supply-chain reporting from SAP to Microsoft BI; owned OtC KPI tracking and performance.

SAP Microsoft BI Media Planning Analytics

Education

2013

Rochester Institute of Technology

B.S. in International Business & Marketing · 2017

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Services

Collaboration

Practical analytics, measurement, and automation services for app and growth teams. Outcome-first consulting built to produce clear decisions, reliable tracking, and repeatable improvements.

Core Capabilities

Performance Analytics & Data Warehousing

End-to-end analytics infrastructure — from KPI scorecards and cohort/LTV modeling in BigQuery to automated reporting pipelines and executive dashboards that turn raw campaign, revenue, and server data into clear, actionable performance insights.

Performance Automation & AI Integration

Integrating Gemini, Claude, and Python workflows to automatically surface narrative insights from raw data, automate mundane weekly reporting, and drastically reduce the time-to-insight for your growth teams.

Growth Strategy & Optimization

Deploying rigorous A/B testing frameworks, LTV/cohort modeling, and direct campaign optimizations to drive efficiency, scale across global markets, and unlock incremental revenue opportunities.

What I Can Help With

Deep expertise across the full analytics and measurement stack, from initial setup to advanced AI integration.

Performance Analytics "Daily Engine"

Growth and marketing teams

Continuous visibility into spend, ROAS, CPI/A, LTV, and retention metrics. Build an automated daily reporting cadence that surfaces anomalies and opportunities before they become problems.

BigQuery + BI Implementation

Data teams and analysts

Consolidate fragmented data into a single, reliable BigQuery dataset. Build Looker dashboards, scheduled queries, and data quality checks that your entire team can trust.

Mobile App Measurement & Attribution Setup

App studios and gaming companies

End-to-end implementation of trustworthy conversion tracking across all mobile platforms and ad networks. Ensure your install, post-install, and revenue events are accurately captured and reported.

iOS Performance & Measurement

iOS-focused advertisers

Full-stack iOS campaign performance — from SKAdNetwork CV schema decoding and cohort analysis to MMP integration (Adjust, AppsFlyer) and unified reporting that connects App Campaign spend to real LTV and retention outcomes.

Marketing Spend Optimization

Marketing leaders and CFOs

Apply diagnostic frameworks to improve budget allocation, creative performance, and channel mix. Identify wasteful spend and reallocate toward highest-impact opportunities.

Experimentation & Incrementality Program

Growth strategists

Establish proof-based growth allocation decisions through geo-lift tests, holdout experiments, and incrementality measurement. Move beyond last-click attribution.

AI-Powered Analytics & Reporting

Lean analytics teams

Automate insights generation using LLMs and AI agents without building a full analytics team. Generate automated commentary, anomaly detection, and forecast summaries.

Marketing Ops Automation

Operations and marketing ops

Eliminate manual reporting work using n8n, Make, and Zapier. Build automated data pipelines that pull, transform, and deliver reports on schedule.

Internal Tools for Growth Teams

Product and growth teams

Build lightweight web applications tailored to specific workflow needs. Custom calculators, planning tools, and internal dashboards that solve real daily problems.

Workshops & Team Enablement

Teams and organizations

90-minute to 2-day training sessions covering analytics best practices, BigQuery fundamentals, AI tools for marketers, and measurement strategy. Hands-on, practical sessions.

Engagement Models

Choose the level of involvement that fits your needs.

Audit

1–2 weeks

A focused diagnostic of your current analytics, measurement, and marketing setup. I uncover data leaks, map your tracking architecture, and deliver a prioritized 'fix-first' roadmap with quick wins and long-term recommendations.

Deliverables

Tracking & measurement audit report
Data quality assessment
Prioritized action roadmap
Quick-win implementation guide

Build

3–8 weeks

Hands-on implementation of tracking, deep performance reporting & custom solutions, data pipelines, BigQuery warehouses, and working dashboards. I build documented, reusable frameworks that your team can maintain and extend independently.

Deliverables

End-to-end implementation
Data pipeline architecture
Custom dashboards & reports
Technical documentation & handoff

Operate

Monthly retainer

Ongoing performance monitoring, continuous dashboard upgrades, and strategic advisory. I embed with your team to provide regular analysis, optimize campaigns, and ensure your data infrastructure evolves with your business.

Deliverables

Monthly performance reviews
Continuous dashboard optimization & upgrades
Ad-hoc analysis & insights
Strategic advisory sessions

Working Principles

Outcome-Focused

Every deliverable ties to a measurable business outcome. No vanity metrics, no busywork.

Documented & Reusable

Clear definitions, assumptions, and documented processes that your team can execute independently.

Practical Over Perfect

Working solutions shipped fast. Iteration over analysis paralysis. Real data over theoretical models.

Transparent Communication

Regular updates, honest assessments, and no surprises. You always know where things stand.

Discuss Your Project

Exploring new opportunities | Open to collaboration

Let's work together

Whether you need an analytics leader, a consulting partner, or want to explore how we can collaborate — I'd love to hear from you.

Schedule

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domi@dbenger.com

in/dombenger

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Munich, Germany

Central European Time (CET)

Europe & Remote

Open to global collaboration

Response within 24h

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What to Expect

Discovery call

30-min conversation to understand your challenges and goals

Tailored proposal

Scope, timeline, and approach customized to your needs

Execution & delivery

Hands-on work with clear milestones and regular check-ins

Case Study

Building dbenger.com:
An AI-Assisted Portfolio

How I Built an Interactive Resume Web App in 1 Day with Claude Code, Gemini 3.1 Pro, and modern AI tooling

Dominik Benger February 2026 15 min read

Summary

This case study documents how I built dbenger.com — a fully interactive resume web app — in approximately 1 day using Claude Code as my primary development partner. The site replaces a static 4-page PDF with animated SVG visualizations, a filterable career timeline, an AI chatbot, and a service offerings page.

The project was built with Next.js 15, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion, and custom SVG visualizations (no charting library). The AI chatbot runs on Gemini 3 Flash Preview via Google AI Studio with SSE streaming. The entire site ships with just 6 production dependencies and 158 kB of first-load JavaScript.

Visual mockups and UI exploration were prototyped using Gemini 3.1 Pro for rapid design iteration before implementation, enabling high-fidelity design decisions without traditional design tools.

1 Project Overview 2 Tech Stack & Tools 3 Setup & Configuration 4 Architecture & Design 5 Development Workflow 6 Key Features Built 7 Challenges & Solutions 8 Lessons Learned 9 Final Results A Appendices

Project Overview

The Problem

Static PDF resumes are limited. They're flat, one-dimensional documents that force 10+ years of career experience into bullet points on a page. Recruiters scan them in 30 seconds. There's no way to filter by relevance, explore career progression visually, or engage with the content interactively.

The Vision

Replace my PDF resume with a fully interactive web application — a living document where visitors could:

Explore my career trajectory through animated SVG visualizations
Filter my experience by industry, role type, or technical capability
Interact with 77 skills across 7 categories in a filterable tag grid
Connect directly through an integrated contact form
Download a traditional PDF when they needed one

The Constraint

I built the entire project in approximately 1 day using Claude Code as my primary development partner. No design team, no Figma mockups — instead, I used Gemini 3.1 Pro to rapidly prototype UI mockups and explore visual directions before implementation. Just a 4-page resume PDF, a product requirements document, and AI tools.

What It Became

Interactive visualizations

Skills showcased

Service offerings

AI Chat

Gemini-powered chatbot

Tech Stack & Tools

Core Framework & Libraries

Layer	Technology	Purpose
Framework	Next.js 15	App Router, SSG, Turbopack dev server
Language	TypeScript 5.7	Type safety across all data and components
Styling	Tailwind CSS 3.4	Utility-first CSS with custom design tokens
Animations	Framer Motion 11	Scroll animations, SVG path drawing
Visualizations	Custom SVG	Hand-built, no charting library
AI Chatbot	Gemini 3 Flash Preview	Google AI Studio integration
Design Mockups	Gemini 3.1 Pro	Rapid UI prototyping and visual exploration
Analytics	Vercel Analytics	Page views and Web Vitals
Contact Form	Formspree	Serverless form handling

Development & Deployment

Tool	Purpose
ChatPRD	AI product management — helped draft initial PRD
Codex	AI research assistant — refined PRD structure and requirements
Cursor	AI-powered IDE — Plan Mode with Codex models
Claude Code	AI pair-programming — wrote majority of code
Gemini 3.1 Pro	Design mockups — rapid UI prototyping and layout exploration
Git / GitHub	Version control
Vercel	Hosting, CDN, SSL, custom domain

What I Didn't Use (and Why)

✕No charting library — Custom SVG gave full control without bundle bloat

✕No CMS — Career data lives in TypeScript files. A CMS adds complexity without value.

✕No test framework — The site is entirely presentational. Visual QA was sufficient.

✕No database — Everything is statically generated at build time.

Key Insight: The "no charting library" decision saved significant bundle size and gave pixel-perfect control over the Career Path visualization — including year-proportional node positioning, custom bezier curves, and per-node label placement.

Setup & Configuration

The project started from a standard Next.js 15 scaffold with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and the App Router enabled. Six production dependencies — that's the entire runtime footprint.

package.json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "next": "^15.1.0",
    "react": "^19.0.0",
    "react-dom": "^19.0.0",
    "framer-motion": "^11.15.0",
    "@vercel/analytics": "^1.4.0",
    "@google/generative-ai": "^0.21.0"
  }
}

Design System

The warm color palette was encoded in Tailwind config. Gemini 3.1 Pro was used to explore color combinations and layout variations during the design phase, generating mockups that informed the final palette choices.

Background #FDFCFA

Terra Cotta #E07A5F

Sage Teal #4A9B8E

Amber #E6B35A

Lavender #7C6FB0

Text #1A1814

Architecture & Design Decisions

Page Architecture

The site is a single-page scrollable app with additional routes:

/                 → Hero + Visualizations + Filters + Experience + Contact
/collaboration    → Service offerings, packages, working style
/how-i-built-this → This case study
/api/chat         → POST endpoint for AI chatbot (SSE streaming)

Data Architecture

All career data lives in typed TypeScript objects under src/data/:

File	Contents	Records
experience.ts	Career entries, education, filter tags	8 entries, 7 tags
skills.ts	Skill categories, industry data, role nodes	7 categories, 77 skills
offerings.ts	Service offerings, packages, tools	10 offerings, 3 packages
chatbot-knowledge.ts	AI chatbot knowledge base, system prompt	~5K tokens

Why TypeScript over JSON? TypeScript data files give type checking at build time. If you misspell a filter tag ID, the build catches it. JSON would require runtime validation.

Z-Index Strategy

Element	Z-Index	Position
Sticky filter bar	z-30	sticky top-[68px]
FloatingNav	z-50	fixed top-4
Chat widget	z-[60]	fixed bottom-4 right-4
Skip-to-content	z-[100]	Absolute on focus

Development Workflow

The Document-First Approach

Before writing a single line of code, I created three foundational documents:

PRD — Product Requirements Document

~900 lines covering goals, user stories, functional requirements, UX flows, success metrics. Drafted using ChatPRD and Codex.

Technical Specification

~380 lines defining the tech stack, data models, design system tokens, component specs, and performance budgets.

Implementation Plan

~470 lines breaking the project into 32+ tasks across 8 phases with explicit dependencies.

Key Strategy: Front-loading the documentation paid massive dividends. Using ChatPRD and Codex for the PRD, Gemini 3.1 Pro for UI mockups, and Cursor in Plan Mode meant the requirements and visual direction were well-established before any code was written. Claude Code could then reference the spec when making implementation decisions.

The CLAUDE.md File

The project's CLAUDE.md file grew to ~200 lines and served as persistent memory across sessions — including startup rituals, tech stack reference, architecture decisions, pitfalls, and session continuity notes.

Multi-Agent Parallelism

For Phase 8 (Polish & Optimization), I used Claude Code's agent system to parallelize work across 4 agents:

Agent 1

Responsive design for hero components

Agent 2

Responsive design for experience & contact

Agent 3

Accessibility audit across all layouts

Agent 4

Performance analysis and optimization

Design with Gemini 3.1 Pro

Before implementing each major UI section, I used Gemini 3.1 Pro to generate design mockups. This allowed me to explore multiple visual approaches — card layouts, color combinations, spacing ratios, and component compositions — without committing to code. The mockups served as a shared visual reference when directing Claude Code's implementation, drastically reducing back-and-forth iteration on visual details.

Key Features Built

Feature 1

Career Path Visualization

An animated SVG chart showing career progression from 2014 to 2025. Each node is positioned proportionally by year using cubic bezier curves. The path draws itself using Framer Motion's pathLength animation.

const yearToX = (year: number) =>
  padding.left + ((year - minYear) / yearRange) * chartW

Feature 2

Skills & Tech Stack Grid

A filterable grid of 77 skills across 7 color-coded categories. Clicking a category filter isolates that category; clicking again resets. Colors defined as inline styles via a colorMap object.

Feature 3

Filterable Experience Section

Experience cards filter dynamically using pill toggle buttons with inclusive OR logic. Filter state lives at the page level and flows down to the experience section.

Feature 4

Scroll-Triggered Animations

A custom useScrollAnimation hook using IntersectionObserver. Elements animate once and stay visible. Respects prefers-reduced-motion — bypasses observer entirely.

Feature 5

Collaboration Page

10 service offerings with accordion-style deliverables, 3 packages (Audit/Build/Operate) in a comparison card layout, and a working style section with principle cards.

Feature 6

AI Chatbot ("Ask Dominik's AI")

Powered by Gemini 3 Flash Preview via Google AI Studio with SSE streaming. Uses a curated knowledge base (~5K tokens), in-memory rate limiting (100/day/IP, 20/session), and a manual ReadableStream + TextEncoder for streaming.

Lesson: System prompt instructions like "do not use markdown" are unreliable with LLMs. Always add a client-side stripMarkdown() function as a safety net.

Challenges & Solutions

SVG Label Overlap in Year-Proportional Chart

Early-career nodes (2014–2018) bunched in left ~36% of chart

Solution: Per-node labelPlacements array with diagonal offsets. Bunched nodes alternate between above-left and below-right placement.

Mobile Chart Horizontal Scroll

SVG had min-w-[500px] causing horizontal scroll on mobile

Solution: Removed min-width; let SVG scale naturally via viewBox + preserveAspectRatio.

Nav/Filter Bar Z-Index Overlap

Sticky filter bar overlapped the floating nav when scrolling

Solution: Changed filter bar to sticky top-[68px] to sit below the FloatingNav.

Cross-Page Anchor Navigation

#section hrefs didn't work from /collaboration back to home

Solution: Prefix all anchors with / — using /#experience instead of #experience.

Merging Two Visualizations into One

Skills (bar chart) and Tech Stack (timeline) tabs felt incomplete individually

Solution: Merged into a single "Skills & Tech Stack" interactive tag grid with category filters, showcasing all 77 skills at once.

Lessons Learned

On AI-Assisted Development

"Front-load your docs."

The more context you provide upfront (PRD, spec, plan), the less course-correction you need during implementation. The initial autonomous build (10,000+ lines in one commit) was possible because the spec was thorough enough for Claude Code to make correct decisions without asking.

"CLAUDE.md is your most important file."

It's the persistent memory that makes sessions composable. Every pitfall documented, every pattern recorded — they compound across sessions.

"Review everything."

AI-generated code is not reviewed code. The AI got the structure right ~90% of the time; the remaining 10% was the difference between "works" and "polished."

On Architecture

"Fewer dependencies, fewer problems."

Six production dependencies. One API route. Zero database. Every decision to not add something made the project simpler.

"Custom SVG beats chart libraries for bespoke visualizations."

The Career Path chart needed year-proportional positioning, custom bezier curves, per-node label placement, and Framer Motion integration. No charting library offers all of that.

On Design

"Warm palettes create approachability."

The deliberate choice of warm off-white over pure white, and warm near-black over pure black, creates a softer, more inviting feel.

"Use AI for design exploration."

Gemini 3.1 Pro mockups enabled rapid visual iteration — testing color variations, layout compositions, and component designs without writing code. This compressed the design phase from days to hours.

"Navigation simplicity wins."

The FloatingNav went through 3 iterations before arriving at the simplest version: a fixed horizontal pill bar with no scroll triggers, no hamburger menu. The final version is 47 lines.

Final Results & Reflections

By the Numbers

~1 day

Development time

30+

Total commits

Dependencies

158 kB

First Load JS

10,581

Lines (initial)

Source files

Skills showcased

Build warnings

What Worked

✓The document-first approach — PRD → Spec → Plan → Build. The upfront investment made the autonomous build phase possible.

✓Claude Code for rapid prototyping — Zero to deployed in 1 day would not have been feasible without AI assistance.

✓Gemini 3.1 Pro for design exploration — Rapid mockups enabled high-fidelity design decisions without traditional design tools.

✓Custom SVG visualizations — The differentiating feature. Visitors engage with the Career Path chart in a way they never would with a static timeline.

✓Persistent documentation — The docs survived across sessions and prevented context loss.

Final Thought

This project started as a replacement for a 4-page PDF. It became a case study in how AI-assisted development changes the economics of personal projects. What would have been a multi-week effort became a weekend sprint. The tools didn't write the vision — they executed it. The taste, the design decisions, the "should this be a chart or a grid?" choices — those remain human. But the implementation velocity? That's transformed.

Appendices

Commit Timeline

Date	Hash	Description
Feb 8	fb6a036	Initial commit: complete interactive resume (Phases 0–7)
Feb 8	34e5062	Phase 8: responsive design, accessibility, performance
Feb 8	53bdd97	Fix post-launch UI issues
Feb 8	47ba309	Merge Skills + Tech Stack into single tab
Feb 8	18a2ea5	Add Collaboration page
Feb 9	b5e26ea	UI rework: year-proportional chart, timeline, nav
Feb 9	2d65169	Company logos, full resume content
Feb 10	78bb8f6	Deployment complete — live at dbenger.com
Feb 10	1f47fd8	Mobile layout fixes
Feb 11	4095704	Add case study page

Source File Structure

src/
├── app/
│   ├── layout.tsx              Root layout (fonts, metadata)
│   ├── page.tsx                Home (Hero + Experience + Contact)
│   ├── globals.css             Global styles + Tailwind
│   ├── api/chat/route.ts       Gemini chatbot API (SSE)
│   ├── collaboration/page.tsx  /collaboration route
│   └── how-i-built-this/       /how-i-built-this route
├── components/
│   ├── layout/                 FloatingNav, Footer
│   ├── hero/                   HeroSection, 3 visualizations
│   ├── experience/             ExperienceSection, ExperienceCard
│   ├── filters/                FilterPills
│   ├── contact/                ContactSection (Formspree)
│   ├── collaboration/          OfferingCard, PackageCards
│   ├── ebook/                  EbookContent (case study)
│   └── chat/                   ChatWidget, TypingIndicator
├── data/                       TypeScript data files
├── hooks/                      useScrollAnimation
└── lib/                        Utilities, sanitization

View Source on GitHub

Dominik Benger

Career Path

AI Era

Senior Leadership

Technical Lead

Google Start

Growth

Early Career

Experience

10+ years of driving growth through data, analytics, and strategic leadership.

Revenue & Client Impact

Performance Operations

AI Integration

✨ Ask my AI Assistant

Collaboration

Practical analytics, measurement, and automation services for app and growth teams.

Audit

Build

Operate

✨ AI Solution Matcher

Recommended Approach

Experience

AI & Technology Focus

Core Focus

Competencies in Development

Senior Analytical Lead

Revenue & Client Impact

Performance Operations & Analytics

Experimentation & Insights

Cross-Functional Leadership & Strategy

Platform & Capability Building

AI Integration & Innovation

Key Projects

iOS SKAN Reporting Pack View →

Technical Apps Lead

Client Management & Revenue Growth

Executive Engagement & Thought Leadership

Program Leadership & Scaled Solutions

Reporting & Cross-Functional Operations

Key Projects

“One-Stop Shop” App Campaigns BI Platform

Global App Campaigns Data Sharing Compliance Policy & Framework

Account Manager

Key Achievements

Additional Experience

Analytical Consultant Intern

Business Development Manager

Marketing Analyst Intern

Marketing and Business Intelligence Intern

Education

Rochester Institute of Technology

Collaboration

Core Capabilities

Performance Analytics & Data Warehousing

Performance Automation & AI Integration

Growth Strategy & Optimization

What I Can Help With

Performance Analytics "Daily Engine"

BigQuery + BI Implementation

Mobile App Measurement & Attribution Setup

iOS Performance & Measurement

Marketing Spend Optimization

Experimentation & Incrementality Program

AI-Powered Analytics & Reporting

Marketing Ops Automation

Internal Tools for Growth Teams

Workshops & Team Enablement

Engagement Models

Audit

Deliverables

Build

Deliverables

Operate

Deliverables

Working Principles

Outcome-Focused

Documented & Reusable

Practical Over Perfect

Transparent Communication

Let's work together

Building dbenger.com:
An AI-Assisted Portfolio