Aleksandar Abu Samra
Verified Expert in Engineering
Software Developer
Belgrade, Serbia
Toptal member since July 26, 2017
Aleksandar has seven years of full-stack Ruby on Rails experience and modern Rails practices like Hotwire and StimulusJS. He's built customer-facing products, APIs, SaaS tools, and marketplace solutions - from sketch to production. As a CTO and CPO, he's led tech, project delivery, product experimentation, strategy, and customer interviews.
Portfolio
Experience
- Ruby on Rails (RoR) - 7 years
- On-page SEO - 7 years
- PostgreSQL - 5 years
- Stripe API - 3 years
- Google Maps API - 3 years
- Behavior-driven Development (BDD) - 3 years
- Stimulus - 1 year
- Hotwire - 1 year
Work Experience
Founder | Chief Product Officer
AWST
- Led product strategy and development of NFT SaaS storefront with gasless NFT minting and USD sales and creator earnings using Stripe Connect.
- Created a two-sided art display, rental marketplace Stripe payments, and an IRL QR code labeling system.
- Managed compliance process and KYC for cross-border payments and payouts.
- Managed remote tech teams and development agencies across Asia and Europe.
- Implemented product analytics and insight tools for rapid product experimentation.
Chief Technology Officer
Kromatic
- Led technical architecture and full-stack development in Ruby on Rails.
- Developed an automation tool integrated with Trello and Google Calendar APIs.
- Developed a Chrome extension using JavaScript to integrate with the internally used templates and automation tools.
- Built the Kromatic.com website and its sales funnel automation.
- Created a CRM tool with integration to the Streak API.
- Integrated live error reporting with New Relic and Sentry.
Founder / Chief Technology Officer
LaptopFriendly Ltd
- Designed technical architecture, DevOps, and full-stack functionalities in Ruby on Rails.
- Built a 2-sided marketplace platform with social network functionalities.
- Created an email automation tool to optimize interaction with clients.
- Integrated subscription with Stripe and Braintree APIs.
- Remotely led external programmers, copywriters, and marketers.
- Held over 100 customer development interviews and sales discussions.
Data Visualization Engineer
Future Cities Laboratory
- Worked on visualizing Singapore’s energy data with interactive software for educational and decision-making purposes.
- Developed mockups and final designs for a big data visualization tool.
- Built an interactive Sankey diagram tool in D3.js and JavaScript.
- Researched different 2D data visualization techniques.
- Cooperated with academic researchers from ETH Zurich.
Ruby on Rails Developer
Modomoto | Curated Shopping GmbH
- Created in-house ERP solution used by sales and customer support departments.
- Contributed to the Modomodo.de back-end and front-end development.
- Worked on MySQL database that backed an eCommerce solution.
- Optimized the sales funnel process for better purchase conversions.
- Cooperated with sales and customer support departments to build tools to optimize their processes.
Software Engineer
Mobilinet GmbH
- Led the technical decisions and full-stack development in Ruby on Rails.
- Engineered a custom database solution and database management interface.
- Set up a WordPress website to support the team's blogging needs.
- Optimized WordPress themes and optimized plugins with PHP.
- Worked on the UX and front-end design together with the lead designer.
Software Developer
SHARE Foundation
- Developed software for barcode readers and a MailChimp-like emailing service with CodeIgniter and PHP.
- Engineered a participant management solution that served as the main information tool for conferences in multiple countries.
- Built online ticketing solutions with user surveys and statistics.
Project History
LaptopFriendly
Hackathon Award: Best Embodiment of Values and Ethics
Open Data Barometer
http://opendatabarometer.org/Algorithms in Social Studies
UAE Open Data Study
Startup Finalist in Mobile and Web Category
Education
Certificate in Ethereum Blockchain Development
ConsenSys Academy - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Master of Science Degree in Engineering Systems and Management
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology | MIT Certified - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Software Engineering
School of Electrical Engineering | Belgrade University - Belgrade, Serbia
Certifications
Ethereum Blockchain Developer
ConsenSys Academy
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Google Maps API, Trello API, jQuery, Foursquare API, Facebook API, D3.js, Stripe API, Google Calendar API, X (formerly Twitter) API, Instagram API, REST APIs, Google Maps, Stripe, Node.js
Tools
Sketch, RubyMine, Sublime Text, Git, AutoCAD, Photoshop CC, Jekyll, Tableau, Adobe CC, Hotwire
Languages
HTML, PHP, Ruby, HTML5, JavaScript, Processing, C++, Python, Java, R
Frameworks
Ruby on Rails (RoR), Truffle, CodeIgniter, Ruby on Rails 5, Django, Ionic, OpenFrameworks, Stimulus
Paradigms
On-page SEO, Test-driven Development (TDD), Behavior-driven Development (BDD), Kanban, Agile UX, UX Design, Agile Software Development, Agile Product Management, DevOps, Gamification, Design Thinking
Storage
MySQL, PostgreSQL
Platforms
New Relic, Linux, WordPress, Heroku, MacOS, Blockchain, Ethereum, RStudio, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Docker
Other
MVP Design, Altcoin, Front-end Development, Full-stack, Product Management, Product Strategy, APIs, Architecture, Leadership, Technical Leadership, Engineering, Software Engineering
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