Faizal Zakaria
Mentor
(13 reviews)
US$30.00
For every 15 mins
17
Sessions/Jobs
ABOUT ME
CTO/DevOps/Software Engineer/Mentor
CTO/DevOps/Software Engineer/Mentor
Need an experienced engineer to ship features, fix what is broken, or scale your stack? I help startups move fast with Ruby, Rails, Python, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Elixir, APIs, AWS and Chef.
I have been building software since 2001, the last 15 years leading engineering teams and shipping production systems that handle real traffic and real revenue. I have taken products from zero to launch, migrated infrastructure without downtime, and untangled the kind of legacy code that slows teams down.
What I bring to your team
- Senior judgment on architecture, so you build the right thing once
- Fast hands on delivery across backend, frontend and infrastructure
- Clear communication and reliable timelines, no surprises
Available for freelance and contract work. Tell me what you are trying to ship and I will tell you how I can help.
French, Indonesian, English
Perth (+08:00)
Joined March 2016
EXPERTISE
5 years experience | 4 endorsements
I have been working with Ruby since 2012. I have used Ruby in few of my projects, from build system to Web Application (Ruby Rails, Sinat...
I have been working with Ruby since 2012. I have used Ruby in few of my projects, from build system to Web Application (Ruby Rails, Sinatra and even pure Rack app). I have wrote and contributes to a few open source projects, like ActiveMerchant. I mentored students to improve their coding skills in Ruby. I also passionate about OOP, data structures and algorithm, where I use ruby in a few of Algorithm contests.
10 years experience | 3 endorsements
I have been working with Ruby on Rails since 2013. I have built a bunch of complex Rails applications along the way and contributed to a ...
I have been working with Ruby on Rails since 2013. I have built a bunch of complex Rails applications along the way and contributed to a number of popular open source projects built with Ruby and Ruby on Rails. I have worked with a few startups, that use Rails to build their application. Duriana.com, Tidyhq.com, Booster.com, Fave.com, Onploy.com.
11 years experience
I have worked with Git since the last 11 years, and very verbose with all the git tricks, I also have deployed my own git server in my ow...
I have worked with Git since the last 11 years, and very verbose with all the git tricks, I also have deployed my own git server in my own server to host my private repositories back then. I was a Git admin for a 500 -1000 company, to host their private repos.
5 years experience | 1 endorsement
I wrote automation, setup monitoring and alert, improve the agile process in a team towards continuous delivery for a few startups in the...
I wrote automation, setup monitoring and alert, improve the agile process in a team towards continuous delivery for a few startups in the region using a few frameworks and tools like Chef, NewRelic, Monit, Nagios, etc. I have also design Infrastructure for few startups to support few burst traffics using AWS Auto Scaling. Cost and Performance Efficient solution.
I have used AWS, Softlayer, Heroku and Digital Ocean, and I can help advise you what to use to host your next big idea.
3 years experience | 1 endorsement
I have wrote few cookbooks and published it in the Chef Supermarket. I maintained few startups cookbooks, to provision around 10 - 20 ser...
I have wrote few cookbooks and published it in the Chef Supermarket. I maintained few startups cookbooks, to provision around 10 - 20 services in 1 command line.
1 year experience
I have started pickung up Ansible, to explore its potential over Chef. I've provision servers in production using Ansible.
I have started pickung up Ansible, to explore its potential over Chef. I've provision servers in production using Ansible.
3 years experience
I've built React App for a few of my clients. From partial react component to full react app. If you have a legacy big app, using jquery,...
I've built React App for a few of my clients. From partial react component to full react app. If you have a legacy big app, using jquery, I can help you move progressively to React.
REVIEWS FROM CLIENTS
(13 reviews)
Mac Tichner
August 2018
Knows pretty much everything regarding AWS!
kratos
September 2017
knowledgeable and he will help me to be more in ruby on rails and devops
Jeehye Park
July 2016
Faizal was really awesome! He showed me how to fish, not catch the fish for me so I can learn and improve my skills. I appreciate his help and highly recommend him!
Thomas
July 2016
Very thorough, good to work with!
Sathish
July 2016
Good knowledge in AWS.
EMPLOYMENTS
Hands On CTO
NadineWest
2023-01-01-2026-01-01
- Hands on engineering leader for a subscription e-commerce platform, leading a distributed team while staying deep in code across ...
- Hands on engineering leader for a subscription e-commerce platform, leading a distributed team while staying deep in code across architecture, infrastructure, and delivery
- Built and managed a full warehouse management system handling inbound and outbound operations, processing thousands of shipments daily at peak
- Architected a payment gateway abstraction layer to support multiple providers after Braintree's high-chargeback policy threatened to hold 50% of revenue, a business-critical migration that kept the company operational
- Designed a postage provider abstraction layer as part of a cost-cutting initiative, enabling the business to switch shipping carriers with minimal engineering effort when better rates became available
- Owned infrastructure and recommendation system integration for an AI powered stylist recommendation system, collaborating with the data team who handled model training and data pipeline
Ruby on Rails
Machine Learning
AWS
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Ruby on Rails
Machine Learning
AWS
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CTO
Caterspot
2018-10-01-2022-12-01
- Built and led the engineering organization from the ground up, scaling a B2B catering marketplace across Singapore and Hong Kong<...
- Built and led the engineering organization from the ground up, scaling a B2B catering marketplace across Singapore and Hong Kong
- Responsible for all technical decisions across infrastructure, architecture, security, and CI/CD, while remaining a hands on contributor
- Shaped engineering culture, defined work processes, expectations, and career growth paths in alignment with management, driving team motivation and retention
Ruby on Rails
Ansible
React
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Ruby on Rails
Ansible
React
Redux
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PROJECTS
STAMaster - Apnea TrainerView Project
2026
STAmaster is a freediving Static Apnea (STA) training coach. A mobile app available on both iOS and Android.
Purpose: It helps freediver...
STAmaster is a freediving Static Apnea (STA) training coach. A mobile app available on both iOS and Android.
Purpose: It helps freedivers train and extend their breath-hold ability safely and systematically, whatever their level, from complete beginners to competitive freedivers.
Android
Kotlin
Swift
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Android
Kotlin
Swift
iOS
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