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Available for new projects from January 2027

I build fast, reliable web products from the database to the browser.

Independent full stack engineer based in Lisbon. For nine years I've helped startups and product teams design, build and scale software that is quick to use, easy to change and calm to run in production.

Elena Marsh smiling with her arms crossed against a light studio wall
Elena MarshFull stack engineerLisbon, Portugal
Years building production software
9+
Products and platforms shipped
40+
Average uptime across the systems I run
99.9%

Trusted by teams at

  • Ledgerline
  • Northwind
  • Atlas Freight
  • Kin Health
  • Fieldnote
  • Brightwell
  • Oakline
  • Marlow & Co.

Selected work

Software that holds up in production

A selection of recent builds across web apps, APIs and infrastructure. Each one shipped to real users, with the numbers to show for it.

A smartphone on a white desk showing a payment card screen in a finance app

Ledgerline

Web app2025

  • TypeScript
  • Next.js
  • PostgreSQL
  • Redis
  • WebSockets
Two server racks with glass doors and small status lights in a bright white data centre

Northwind

API & backend2024

  • Node.js
  • TypeScript
  • PostgreSQL
  • Kafka
  • Kubernetes
Hands holding a smartphone with a navigation route on a map against a pale blue background

Atlas Freight

Full stack2025

  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Python
  • PostGIS
  • AWS
A doctor in a white coat talking with a patient in a bright consultation room

Kin Health

Web app2024

  • Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • Node.js
  • PostgreSQL
  • Stripe

Stack

Tools I trust in production

I default to proven technology and reach for something new only when it earns its place. These are the tools I know deeply.

  • Frontend

    Fast, accessible interfaces that feel effortless on any device.

    • TypeScript
    • React
    • Next.js
    • Tailwind CSS
    • React Native
    • Playwright
  • Backend

    Clear APIs and services that are easy to test and easy to change.

    • Node.js
    • Go
    • Python
    • GraphQL
    • REST
    • Kafka
  • Data

    Data models that stay fast as products grow from hundreds to millions of rows.

    • PostgreSQL
    • Redis
    • SQLite
    • PostGIS
    • Prisma
    • Drizzle
  • Cloud & DevOps

    Infrastructure and pipelines that make every deploy a non-event.

    • AWS
    • Docker
    • Kubernetes
    • Terraform
    • GitHub Actions
    • Grafana

Services

How I can help your team

Whether you need a product built end to end or an extra senior engineer on an existing codebase, I work as part of your team, not as a black box.

  1. Web applications

    Fast, accessible products built with React, Next.js and TypeScript, from the first prototype to a polished launch.

    • Product engineering
    • Frontend architecture
    • Design systems
    • Performance
  2. APIs & backend

    Well designed APIs and services with clean data models, solid tests and the monitoring to sleep well at night.

    • API design
    • Data modelling
    • Integrations
    • Background jobs
  3. Cloud & DevOps

    Infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines and alerting that make every deploy boring in the best possible way.

    • AWS and Vercel
    • Docker
    • CI/CD
    • Observability
  4. Technical consulting

    Code reviews, architecture audits and hands-on mentoring for teams who want to move faster without breaking things.

    • Architecture reviews
    • Performance audits
    • Team mentoring
    • Technical hiring

Process

How a project runs

Short feedback loops, working software every week and no surprises on launch day.

  1. Week 1

    Discover

    We map the problem, your users and your constraints. I review the existing code and infrastructure and ask a lot of questions.

  2. Week 2

    Architect

    I propose a technical plan covering the data model, APIs, stack and milestones, so we agree on the approach before any production code.

  3. Weeks 3 to 10

    Build

    Working software in short iterations, deployed to a staging environment you can try every week, with tests from day one.

  4. Week 11 onwards

    Ship & support

    A careful launch with monitoring in place, documentation for your team and support afterwards so nothing is left hanging.

Kind words

What clients say about working together

Elena rebuilt our dashboard without a single day of downtime. She explained every trade-off in plain language, and the result is now the fastest part of our product.

Sofia AlmeidaCTO, Ledgerline

Elena brought calm to a migration that had stalled twice before. Rigorous with testing, generous with our team, and the results speak for themselves.

Priya RamanVP of Engineering, Northwind

She spent a week with our dispatchers before writing any code. That is why the tool works the way they think, and why everyone actually uses it.

Tomás RibeiroHead of Operations, Atlas Freight