Independent software engineer
Build useful software.
Make clear decisions.
I’m Nicolas Videla, a senior full-stack developer. I help founders and product teams turn ideas into web applications, improve existing systems, and work through the technical decisions along the way.
Product thinking. Hands-on engineering.
How I work
Clear decisions. Work you can follow.
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- Spain (Madrid)— h
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10+ years building software
- 01
Understand the problem
Start with who uses the product, what gets in their way, and the constraints we need to work within.
- 02
Choose the next step
Explain the options and tradeoffs. Agree on what to build first and what we need to learn.
- 03
Build, review, adjust
Share progress, test assumptions, and use what we learn to guide the next change. Keep the code and decisions understandable.
Experience in practice / 01 — 03
A workflow your team has outgrown
Turn a manual process into a usable application.
When spreadsheets and disconnected tools make everyday work harder, I can help define a focused application and build the interface, APIs, and data connections it needs.
Work we can scope
An internal tool, a customer workflow, or a first useful version of a web product. We agree on the users, scope, and acceptance criteria before implementation.
Technical details
React, Next.js, TypeScript; interfaces, APIs, and data integration. The example project used Vue.js, Pinia, and Quasar.
Languages
TypeScript · JavaScript · Java · Clojure
Interfaces
React · Next.js · Vue.js · Redux · TailwindCSS
APIs and services
Node.js · Express · Spring Boot · Prisma
API design
RESTful APIs · API Gateway · Backend for Frontend (BFF)
Frontend design
Flux/Redux · Reactive Streams (RxJS) · Component-Driven Development · Feature Flags / A/B Testing
Start with the workflow
Map the steps, the people involved and the data they need. Then agree on a small, testable slice before expanding the application.
Experience in practice / 02 — 03
A system that needs its next change
Connect the systems your product depends on.
When a feature crosses several services, the difficult work is often between them. I work on APIs, event flows, and application changes, with attention to failure handling and how the team will operate the result.
Work we can scope
A focused integration or staged system change, including implementation, tests, and documentation appropriate to the agreed scope.
Technical details
Java/Spring, Node.js, AWS, SQL, messaging, testing, and observability, selected to fit the existing system.
System architecture
Microservices · Event-Driven Architecture · Domain-Driven Design · Microfrontends · Monolith to Microservices Migration
Data flows
Event Sourcing · CQRS · ETL Pipelines · Pub/Sub Messaging · Stream Processing
Handling failure
Circuit Breaker · Retry with Backoff · Dead Letter Queues · Graceful Degradation
AWS
EC2 · EKS · Lambda · SQS · SNS · S3 · Kinesis · CloudFormation
Data and messaging
Apache Kafka · PostgreSQL · MongoDB
Delivery and infrastructure
Docker · Kubernetes · GitHub Actions · Jenkins · Argo
Observability
New Relic · Coralogix · Logz.io · OpenTelemetry
Infrastructure patterns
Infrastructure as Code · Container Orchestration · CI/CD Pipelines · Blue-Green Deployments
Make the boundaries explicit
Identify what each service owns, how data moves and where failures need handling. Scope the change around the existing application, not a rewrite by default.
Experience in practice / 03 — 03
A team that needs senior hands-on help
Add senior engineering support to your team.
I work alongside product and engineering teams on implementation, technical decisions, code review, and knowledge sharing. You work directly with the person writing the code and explaining the tradeoffs.
Work we can scope
Part-time support for a defined workstream, with priorities, responsibilities, and availability agreed upfront.
Technical details
Full-stack development, reviews, integration work, documentation, and mentoring around the project’s needs.
Collaboration
Technical leadership and mentoring · Working across product, design, and engineering · Architecture decisions and documentation
Product
Planning with Scrum and Kanban · Technical and business communication · Code review and testing
Team
Breaking down problems and scope · Onboarding and knowledge sharing
Keep decisions transferable
Agree on a defined workstream and make the reasoning visible through reviews, documentation and knowledge sharing. Availability and responsibilities are scoped upfront.
Project collection
The work, and my part in it.
From payments and lending to flight coordination. Explore each project and open its details to see my contribution.
Ways to work together
What does your product need next?
Build a web product
Turn an idea into a working application. I help define the first useful version and build the interface, APIs, and data behind it.
Product development · Frontend & backendImprove an existing system
Work through a difficult codebase, integration, or manual process. I help plan changes in manageable steps, with care for what already works.
Modernization · Architecture · IntegrationsMake technical decisions
Compare the options, surface the constraints, and agree on a practical scope. I can help your team decide what to build and how to approach it.
Technical discovery · Planning · Team supportStart a conversation
What are you working on?
Tell me what you’re building, what’s getting in the way, and where you’d like help. A short description is enough to start.