Nicholas is available for hire
Hire NicholasNicholas Ecton
Verified Expert in Engineering
Full-stack Developer
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal member since September 9, 2022
Bio
Nick is a self-taught full-stack developer with over eight years of experience leading engineering teams and developing software for startups. His talents and passions have always aligned with the fast-paced, do-it-yourself mindset of early startup culture. His most recent success includes onboarding as a founding engineer for an iGaming startup and growing the company to over 40 employees and 10 million+ revenue/year within two years of his joining.
Portfolio
ArcaTwo LLC
React, Python, Azure, Full-stack, Node.js, Next.js, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)...
LARP Entertainment
Node.js, JavaScript, React, AWS ELB, ECS, Docker, Kubernetes, MongoDB...
Yellowbrick Holdings
Node.js, JavaScript, React, AWS ELB, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon CloudFront...
Experience
- Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) - 8 years
- JavaScript - 8 years
- React - 8 years
- Redux-Saga - 8 years
- MongoDB - 8 years
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 8 years
- Full-stack - 8 years
- Node.js - 8 years
Preferred Environment
JavaScript, Node.js, Web Development, Databases, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Architecture, Next.js, Full-stack Development, TypeScript, IT Consulting, Web Applications
The most amazing...
...thing I've accomplished is onboarding as the founding engineer, launching four MVPs, earning 10million+ in revenue, and hiring 35 employees over two years.
Work Experience
Full-stack Engineer | Venture Studio
2024 - 2024
ArcaTwo LLC
- Developed and launched scalable MVPs for multiple startup projects within tight deadlines, reducing go-to-market time by 30% and driving early customer adoption.
- Designed and implemented RESTful APIs and front-end interfaces, enabling seamless user experiences and efficient back-end communication for dynamic web applications.
- Led end-to-end architecture design for cross-functional projects, incorporating cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and CI/CD pipelines to improve deployment efficiency by 40%.
- Collaborated with founders and designers to deliver intuitive user-centric features, contributing to a 20% increase in customer retention and satisfaction.
Technologies: React, Python, Azure, Full-stack, Node.js, Next.js, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), ChatGPT, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Queuing Systems, Socket.IO, Security, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, WebSockets, Cursor AI, Web Applications, Cloudflare, n8n, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Chief Software Engineer
2022 - 2024
LARP Entertainment
- Architected and led the implementation of a Roblox-styled arcade, complete with eight unique games, on-site chat system, moderation capabilities, and an admin panel, scaled to handle 10000 concurrent users.
- Worked with business leaders to forecast and allocate developer resources toward the implementation of dozens of key features, leading to increased user engagement and revenue.
- Built custom in-house crypto payments solutions to handle a dozen different coins across four blockchains. Increasing user revenue and engagement from 100,000 to 10+ million annually.
Technologies: Node.js, JavaScript, React, AWS ELB, ECS, Docker, Kubernetes, MongoDB, MongoDB Atlas, Crypto, Blockchain, CTO, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Queuing Systems, Socket.IO, Security, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, WebSockets, Cursor AI, Web Applications, Cloudflare, n8n, Engineering Management, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Founding Full-stack Engineer
2022 - 2024
Yellowbrick Holdings
- Developed a RuneScape-styled arcade sight that handled 100000+ users and consistently 1000+ average users.
- Architected and implemented eight stand-alone game concepts such as blackjack, dice, limbo cases. case battles mines, and more.
- Implemented slots games from providers such as Hacksaw, leading to increased user signups and retention by 80%.
Technologies: Node.js, JavaScript, React, AWS ELB, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon CloudFront, MongoDB, AWS Lambda, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), CTO, Crypto, Blockchain, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Queuing Systems, Socket.IO, Security, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, WebSockets, Web Applications, Cloudflare, n8n, Engineering Management, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Chief Technology Officer
2022 - 2024
Pidwin
- Led four product teams during the ideation and implementation stages of MVP development, resulting in 35% increased efficiency, in time for delivery ahead of previous estimates.
- Evaluated and re-architected our cloud architecture to increase scale-out performance from 2,500 concurrent active users to 100,000.
- Instituted a new system to track and monitor user reported issues, allowing full transparency through multiple departments and decreased time to resolution by 50%.
- Designed an in-house crypto payments solution using custom nodes and RPC protocols to reduce our dependence on 3rd-party providers, lowering costs for payments by 80% and increasing purchases through crypto by 200%.
- Recruited and vetted every engineer hired on staff, building the organization from one engineer on one product to 15 engineers on four products over one year.
Technologies: Node.js, JavaScript, React, Zod, Next.js, Server-side Rendering (SSR), MongoDB, Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), AWS Elastic Beanstalk, AWS Lambda, AWS Secrets Manager, Redis, Redis Cache, Redis Pub/Sub, Redis Queue, Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS), Blockchain, Crypto, TypeScript, Amazon DynamoDB, Back-end Development, Design Patterns, Microservices, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Scalability, Front-end Development, HTML5, CSS3, DevOps, Kubernetes, Serverless, NoSQL, API Integration, CTO, AWS DevOps, Tailwind CSS, Puppeteer, Large-scale Projects, Web Security, Webpack, Games, Gaming, Startups, Vercel, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Queuing Systems, Socket.IO, Security, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, WebSockets, Web Applications, Cloudflare, Engineering Management, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Principal Engineer
2019 - 2022
Versational
- Built a 12-person engineering team and 3-person machine learning team to facilitate the implementation of an MVP product.
- Designed a machine learning pipeline to automatically feed customer data into our in-house models, increasing efficiency of development for our machine learning team by 80% and allowing for the continuous deployment of our updated models.
- Architected custom blue/green deployment resources that allowed for consistent availability to all users during deployments with zero downtime.
- Implemented a strict test driven development cycle for our engineering team, resulting in a reduction of escalated incident reports by 40%.
Technologies: JavaScript, React, Redux-Saga, Node.js, SQL, PostgreSQL, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), AWS Lambda, Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), Machine Learning, Web Development, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Full-stack, Deployment, APIs, Databases, Amazon RDS, Back-end, Back-end Architecture, CI/CD Pipelines, Technical Leadership, Express.js, Redux, Web Scraping, Team Leadership, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon EC2, MySQL, Software Architecture, Architecture, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Next.js, Jest, CSS, HTML, PHP, Git, Azure, REST APIs, API Development, REST, Cloud Architecture, Application Architecture, Front-end, Agile, Leadership, Estimations, DevOps, Linux, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Full-stack Development, Authentication, Scraping, TypeScript, Back-end Development, Design Patterns, Microservices, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Scalability, Front-end Development, HTML5, CSS3, Kubernetes, Serverless, API Integration, AWS DevOps, Tailwind CSS, Puppeteer, Large-scale Projects, Webpack, Startups, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Queuing Systems, Socket.IO, Security, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Web Applications, Cloudflare, Engineering Management, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Lead Back-end Engineer
2019 - 2021
Morpheus
- Implemented a multi-tenant accounts architecture that allowed coaches and users to use SSO to access all our products, leading to a 40% increase in user retention and a further 80% increase in coach signups.
- Developed a production REST API using Django, which actively serviced three standalone applications with over 20,000 users and a growing number of 3rd-party integrations.
- Led a team of four back-end engineers as the architectural lead, directing design decisions and implementation strategies that enabled our services to scale successfully with user growth.
- Integrated DevOps resources to increase efficiency and deployment stability, including blue/green architecture and containerization.
Technologies: Python, Django, Docker, Deployment, APIs, Databases, Amazon RDS, Back-end, Back-end Architecture, CI/CD Pipelines, Technical Leadership, Team Leadership, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon EC2, MySQL, Software Architecture, Architecture, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), CSS, HTML, Git, REST APIs, API Development, Python API, REST, Cloud Architecture, Application Architecture, Agile, Leadership, Estimations, DevOps, Linux, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Full-stack Development, Authentication, Back-end Development, Design Patterns, Microservices, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Scalability, Kubernetes, Serverless, API Integration, AWS DevOps, Large-scale Projects, Startups, Queuing Systems, Dashboards, Data Visualization, Web Applications, Engineering Management, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Full-stack Developer
2019 - 2019
Bungee Tech
- Architected a new strategy for web scraping that diversified the server workload, reducing server costs by up to 75% and increasing runtime efficiency by as much as 50% per scraper.
- Developed intelligent scraping tools for Amazon, Walmart, Macy's, and others capable of automatically and remotely gathering, cleansing, and uploading fresh data daily.
- Created the infrastructure and tools necessary for a lean startup to expand and grow easily into the future, including an established CI Git workflow and documentation of design protocols.
Technologies: Node.js, AWS Lambda, JavaScript, Web Scraping, Full-stack, Back-end, Back-end Architecture, Express.js, Amazon Web Services (AWS), MySQL, Software Architecture, Architecture, CSS, HTML, Git, REST APIs, API Development, REST, Application Architecture, Front-end, Agile, Full-stack Development, Scraping, TypeScript, Back-end Development, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Front-end Development, HTML5, CSS3, DevOps, Serverless, NoSQL, API Integration, DigitalOcean, Stripe, AWS DevOps, Puppeteer, Large-scale Projects, Webpack, Startups, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, Delivery Management, Software Engineering
Full-stack Developer
2018 - 2019
Carta
- Collaborated with product and design teams to develop rich software that enabled venture capitalists and corporations to manage their complex web of assets, leading to the growth and success of Carta as a software solution for asset management.
- Helped design and implement a first-of-its-kind scenario modeling service that accurately projected payouts to investors given a corporation’s pre-money valuation, total investment, and post-money option pool.
- Strategized with business development and engineering teams, from inception to execution, to provide the most valuable product to end consumers.
Technologies: Python, Django, React, Redux-Saga, Web Development, Full-stack, Back-end, Back-end Architecture, Redux, Jest, CSS, HTML, Git, REST APIs, API Development, Python API, REST, Application Architecture, Front-end, Agile, Full-stack Development, Back-end Development, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Front-end Development, HTML5, CSS3, Serverless, API Integration, DigitalOcean, Large-scale Projects, Webpack, Startups, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, Web Applications, Software Engineering
Founding Engineer
2016 - 2018
OneUp Software
- Developed an app for Shopify stores to display real-time purchases by customers and anyone visiting the site, driving revenue growth.
- Implemented a NoSQL database and REST API to service the application, granting it real-time performance and the ability to scale easily.
- Designed and implemented sleek UI/UX that was enticing to both users and app admins.
Technologies: JavaScript, Node.js, MongoDB, Web Development, Full-stack, APIs, Databases, Back-end, Back-end Architecture, CI/CD Pipelines, Express.js, Redux, Shopify, Shopify API, Web Scraping, Team Leadership, Software Architecture, Architecture, TypeScript, jQuery, Jest, CSS, HTML, Git, REST APIs, API Development, REST, Cloud Architecture, Application Architecture, Front-end, DevOps, Linux, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Full-stack Development, Authentication, Back-end Development, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Front-end Development, HTML5, CSS3, NoSQL, DigitalOcean, Stripe, Tailwind CSS, Webpack, Startups, Vercel, eCommerce, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, Web Applications, Software Engineering
Experience
Runestake
https://www.runestake.comAn online arcade game based on the game Runestake. As a principal engineer, while developing this website, I managed a team of 14 engineers, tech leads, product managers, graphic designers, UI/UX designers, and QA testers.
Versational
A conversational intelligence platform that transcribes meeting recordings and uses proprietary machine learning algorithms to pull out the most important information in easily digestible fragments. It includes integrations with Outlook, Gmail, Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Salesforce, and HubSpot.
I implemented the majority of systems, as well as led a team of engineers that were responsible for the entirety of the application. Systems included a Node.js back-end API, React front end with state management, and machine learning model deployment into AWS resources using Docker and Lambda.
I implemented the majority of systems, as well as led a team of engineers that were responsible for the entirety of the application. Systems included a Node.js back-end API, React front end with state management, and machine learning model deployment into AWS resources using Docker and Lambda.
Morpheus
http://www.trainwithmorpheus.comA fitness app for iOS and Android that uses patented heart rate variability (HRV) tracking technology to deliver the most accurate recovery score to the end user. A proprietary algorithm incorporates a user's overall activity and fitness level to provide custom recommendations on how to achieve their fitness goals best. It includes integrations with Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Health, and Google Fit.
I created a REST API to service all three mobile applications currently used by over 20,000 users. My role included leading a team of back-end engineers towards successfully implementing all of our integrations and implementing our multi-tenant architecture, which included complex permission schemes that protected end-user health data.
I created a REST API to service all three mobile applications currently used by over 20,000 users. My role included leading a team of back-end engineers towards successfully implementing all of our integrations and implementing our multi-tenant architecture, which included complex permission schemes that protected end-user health data.
Hype App | Shopify Application
https://apps.shopify.com/hype-1A full-stack application offered on the Shopify store for eCommerce businesses. We generate additional sales for large and small stores by providing notifications for all visitors that show other products being purchased in real time.
I built out custom components and a unique admin interface that allows store owners to visually see our application's impact on sales for their store.
I built out custom components and a unique admin interface that allows store owners to visually see our application's impact on sales for their store.
Education
2014 - 2018
Bachelor's Degree in Finance
University of Washington - Seattle, WA, USA
Skills
Libraries/APIs
React, Node.js, jQuery, REST APIs, API Development, Python API, Stripe, Puppeteer, Socket.IO, Redux-Saga, Shopify API, Zod, Redis Queue
Tools
Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), Git, Webpack, ChatGPT, n8n, Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS), AWS ELB, Amazon CloudFront, MongoDB Atlas
Languages
JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, CSS, HTML, HTML5, CSS3, SQL, PHP
Frameworks
Django, Express.js, Redux, Next.js, Jest, Tailwind CSS
Paradigms
Back-end Architecture, REST, Application Architecture, Agile, DevOps, Design Patterns, Microservices, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Redis Pub/Sub
Platforms
AWS Lambda, Docker, Shopify, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon EC2, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Linux, Kubernetes, DigitalOcean, Vercel, Azure, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Blockchain
Storage
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Databases, MySQL, Amazon DynamoDB, NoSQL, Redis, Redis Cache, Amazon S3 (AWS S3)
Other
Web Scraping, Web Development, Full-stack, Deployment, APIs, Amazon RDS, Back-end, CI/CD Pipelines, Team Leadership, Software Architecture, Architecture, Cloud Architecture, Front-end, Leadership, Estimations, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Full-stack Development, Authentication, Scraping, Back-end Development, Scalability, Front-end Development, Serverless, API Integration, CTO, AWS DevOps, Large-scale Projects, Web Security, Games, Gaming, Startups, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Queuing Systems, eCommerce, Security, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Dashboards, Data Visualization, WebSockets, Web Applications, Cloudflare, Engineering Management, Delivery Management, Software Engineering, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Technical Leadership, Cursor AI, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Machine Learning, Server-side Rendering (SSR), AWS Secrets Manager, Crypto, ECS, IT Consulting
Collaboration That Works
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
1
Share your needs
Discuss your requirements and refine your scope in a call with a Toptal domain expert.
2
Choose your talent
Get a short list of expertly matched talent within 24 hours to review, interview, and choose from.
3
Start your risk-free talent trial
Work with your chosen talent on a trial basis for up to two weeks. Pay only if you decide to hire them.
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring