I Help Companies Ship Products That Actually Work
Over 20 years, I’ve built platforms that serve millions of users, led engineering teams through critical pivots, and turned ambitious ideas into production systems. I’m the technical partner you bring in when shipping fast matters, but shipping broken doesn’t.
What I actually do: I help startups and established companies build AI-powered products, modernize legacy systems, and make technical decisions that won’t come back to haunt you in six months.
What Sets Me Apart
I write the code and run the teams. I’m not a consultant who hands you a deck and disappears. I’m hands-on with architecture, implementation, and the messy reality of getting software into production. Whether you need a technical co-founder, a fractional CTO, or someone to unfuck your current architecture, I can do all three.
I’ve been through the full cycle. Founded startups. Scaled them. Watched them fail. Learned why. Built the next one better. I know what works in theory versus what works when your database is on fire at 3 AM.
I speak business and code fluently. I can translate between your board’s concerns and your engineering team’s constraints. I’ve pitched to investors, closed enterprise deals, and debugged production issues, often in the same week.
How I Can Help You Right Now
If You’re a Founder or Executive:
AI Strategy & Implementation – Not the hype. The actual integration of LLMs, vector databases, and ML pipelines into products people will pay for. I’ve shipped AI features that increased conversion, not just made demos.
Technical Due Diligence – Evaluating acquisitions, assessing technical teams, or validating that your CTO isn’t selling you vaporware. I’ve been on both sides of these conversations.
Fractional CTO/Advisor – Strategic technical leadership without the full-time hire. Architecture decisions, team building, roadmap planning, making sure engineering and business stay aligned.
Product Strategy – From validation to launch. Customer development, MVP scoping, feature prioritization, growth tactics that aren’t just “spend more on ads.”
If You’re a Technical Leader:
Architecture & Systems Design – Building systems that scale without over-engineering. Microservices when you need them, monoliths when you don’t. Real-world tradeoffs, not textbook answers.
Team Leadership – Hiring, mentoring, building high-performance engineering cultures. I’ve built distributed teams across multiple countries and timezones.
Technology Modernization – Migrating legacy systems without taking the site down. Moving to cloud infrastructure. Making technical debt manageable instead of paralysing.
Technical Capabilities
Core Stack:
- Backend: Ruby on Rails (expert level), Node.js, Python, NestJS
- Frontend: React, React Native, TypeScript, Vue, Angular
- AI/ML: LLM integration, vector databases (PgVector), ML pipelines, prompt engineering
- Mobile: iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), cross-platform (React Native)
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
- Infrastructure: AWS, GCP, Heroku, Docker, Kubernetes
- Blockchain: Solidity, multi-chain wallets, DeFi protocols, Rust
What I don’t do: Shiny object chasing. If the technology doesn’t solve your actual problem, I’ll tell you. Sometimes the boring solution is the right one.
Industries Where I Add Value
- Fintech – Payment processing, banking infrastructure, fraud detection
- AI/ML Products – From prototype to production-grade systems
- Blockchain/Web3 – Smart contracts, DeFi, crypto infrastructure
- SaaS Platforms – Multi-tenant architecture, API design, integration ecosystems
- Marketplaces & Social – High-traffic platforms, real-time features, recommendation systems
- Enterprise Software – Internal tools, workflow automation, data analytics
Recent Work
- Led development of a multi-chain crypto wallet with swap, stake, and investment features
- Built distributed printing service with remote terminals and touchscreen interfaces
- Developed AI-powered analytics platform processing millions of data points daily
- Architected microservices migration for legacy Rails monolith serving 10M+ users
- Created real-time collaboration features for enterprise SaaS product
Why Companies Hire Me
You need someone who’s done it before. Not someone who read about it. Not someone who did a tutorial. Someone who’s shipped production systems, managed incidents, and knows where the landmines are.
You want honest technical advice. I’ll tell you when your timeline is unrealistic, when your architecture won’t scale, and when you’re solving the wrong problem. You’re not paying me to tell you what you want to hear.
You need to move fast without breaking everything. Startups can’t afford to move slowly. But they also can’t afford to rebuild from scratch every six months. I know how to ship quickly while keeping technical debt manageable.
You value experience across the full stack. Business development, customer research, UX design, backend architecture, DevOps, team building – I’ve done it all. I can see how the pieces fit together.
Background
Based in London, educated in Slovenia and Sweden, worked across 30+ countries. This global perspective matters when building products for international markets or managing distributed teams.
I write regularly about AI, software development, and startup building at ivanturkovic.com. Recent topics: how AI is changing development workflows, why Rails is having a renaissance, and what actually kills company culture (spoiler: it’s not remote work).
Also available through Toptal for verified contract work.
Let’s Talk If…
- You’re launching a product and need technical leadership from day one
- Your engineering team is stuck and you need someone to unstick them
- You’re scaling and your current architecture won’t support it
- You need AI capabilities but don’t know where to start
- You’re facing a technical decision that will define your next 2-3 years
- You want someone who challenges assumptions instead of just taking orders
Not A Fit If…
- You want someone to just follow a detailed spec without thinking
- You need staff augmentation for simple CRUD applications
- You’re looking for the cheapest option (I’m not, and you get what you pay for)
- You expect miracles without realistic timelines or budgets
- You want extensive PowerPoint decks instead of working code
Ready to Work Together?
Email: ivan.turkovic @ gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ivanturkovic
Website: ivanturkovic.com
I’m currently taking on 2-3 new clients. Response time is typically within 24 hours. Let me know what you’re building and what challenges you’re facing – I’ll tell you honestly if I can help.
“Ivan is a very smart, well-rounded guy that thinks outside the box when it comes to building the ultimate product. We have taken a concept and developed it into a portal that provides value to millions of users across the world. Hard-working, creative-thinking and a great work ethic are just some of the words that describe Ivan’s character.”
“Ivan is a great engineer with good people skills, capable of designing and implementing many kinds of applications on different platforms.”