For clients
Production engineering, scoped to your problem.
The same standards I hold as a full-time backend engineer — clean contracts, failure handling, zero-downtime deploys — available as fixed-scope projects or an ongoing retainer. Remote, any timezone.
Offerings
What I build
Backend & API development
REST APIs, database design, auth (OAuth2/JWT), background jobs, and deployment. Django, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker — the stack I've shipped 7 production services and 60+ endpoints on.
AI & LLM features
RAG pipelines, semantic search (pgvector + embeddings), LLM integrations with fallbacks and cost control, prompt-management workflows, and self-hosted inference (vLLM/LiteLLM). AI as an engineering problem, not a demo.
ERP / HRMS customization
ERPNext/Frappe custom doctypes and internal tooling, Horilla HRMS extension and migration, biometric attendance integration (ZKTeco), and reporting endpoints — done for a ~200-employee workforce.
Automation & integrations
n8n workflows, third-party API integrations, data pipelines, web scraping with structured fallbacks, and healthcare HL7 integration tooling.
Engagement
Two ways to work together
Fixed-scope project
A defined deliverable with milestones and a fixed price. Best for a new API, an AI feature, an ERP customization, or an integration with a clear finish line.
- Scoped proposal before any commitment
- Weekly demos; code in your repo from day one
- Docs, tests, and deployment included
Retainer / contract
Ongoing part-time or hourly engineering. Best when you need a backend owned, systems kept healthy, and features shipped every week without a full-time hire.
- Fixed weekly hours, any timezone overlap
- Async-first: updates in your Slack/tracker
- Cancel monthly — no lock-in
Process
How it works
-
01
Brief
You send a short description of the problem, current stack, and timeline.
-
02
Scope
I reply with questions, then a fixed scope or retainer proposal — deliverables, milestones, price.
-
03
Build
Weekly demos and async updates. Code in your repo from day one; CI, tests, and docs included.
-
04
Hand-off
Deployment, documentation, and a hand-off call. Optional retainer for maintenance.
FAQ
Common questions
What kinds of projects do you take on?
Four areas: backend and API development (Django, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker), AI and LLM features (RAG pipelines, semantic search on pgvector, LLM integrations with fallbacks and cost control, self-hosted inference), ERP and HRMS customization (ERPNext/Frappe, Horilla HRMS, ZKTeco biometric attendance), and automation and integrations (n8n workflows, data pipelines, third-party and HL7 integrations). If your problem sits in one of those, two sentences describing it is enough to start.
How does an engagement start, and what happens before I commit?
It starts with a short brief — the problem, your current stack, and your timeline. I reply with questions, then send a scoped proposal covering deliverables, milestones, and price, so nothing is committed until you have that proposal in front of you. From there the build runs on weekly demos and async updates, and closes with deployment, documentation, and a hand-off call.
How is pricing decided?
Pricing is quoted per engagement in the scoped proposal rather than from a rate card. After your brief I ask questions to pin down the scope, then price it either as a fixed-scope project against a defined deliverable and milestone set, or as a retainer against fixed weekly hours. You see the number before any commitment, so there is nothing to sign before you know the cost.
Should I choose a fixed-scope project or a retainer?
Choose fixed-scope when the work has a clear finish line — a new API, an AI feature, an ERP customization, or a specific integration — and you want defined milestones at a fixed price. Choose a retainer when you need a backend owned continuously: fixed weekly hours, features shipped every week, and systems kept healthy without a full-time hire. Retainers are cancelled monthly, so there is no long lock-in either way.
Which timezones do you work across, and how do we stay in sync?
Remote, any timezone. I am based in Lahore, Pakistan, and retainers are set up with fixed weekly hours picked for overlap with your team; on-site work in Lahore is also possible. The default rhythm is async-first — updates land in your Slack or tracker — with a weekly demo, so you see working software rather than a status report.
Who owns the code, and what do I get at hand-off?
You own it. Code goes into your repository from day one rather than being handed over at the end, and docs, tests, and deployment are part of the deliverable, not extras. Every engagement finishes with a hand-off call so your team can run and extend the system; a maintenance retainer afterwards is optional, never a condition.
Have something in mind?
Two sentences about your problem is enough to start.