
Ben Walton
Verified Expert in Engineering
Software Developer
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Toptal member since May 4, 2021
Ben is a seasoned full-stack developer who excels in guiding companies through their technical journeys towards profit. At Dubzzle, he grew traffic from almost nothing to 300 million page views per month and founded the R&D department. Ben is skilled in growing technical teams and was the first developer on the ground for companies such as Dubizzle and NOW Money. His passion lies in building products from databases through the back end and APIs up to the front end and single-page apps.
Portfolio
Experience
- Databases - 20 years
- JavaScript - 16 years
- Python 3 - 15 years
- MongoDB - 8 years
- Node.js - 6 years
- React - 2 years
- React Native - 2 years
- Angular - 2 years
Availability
Preferred Environment
Node.js, Angular, React, MongoDB, Databases, APIs, Python 3
The most amazing...
...product I've built is a virtual bank for low-income workers in the Middle East enabling the unbanked to become banked.
Work Experience
CTO | Co-founder
TeamSkip
- Built a running coaching chatbot from the ground up, combining generative AI and sports science.
- Architected the system on the front end using OpenAI/ChatGPT API, Python FastAPI, MongoDB, and React. Also incorporated WebSockets for live chat handled by a Redis queue.
- Handled all DevOps requirements using Microsoft Azure.
Software Engineer (via Toptal)
Unit21, Inc
- Helped design, architect, and convert existing monolith logic into a new service following the microservice architecture and using Protobufs for communication.
- Added several highly requested customer features from start to finish using Python and React.
- Increased the test coverage on the module I worked on from practically 0 to above 90%.
- Built a new product vertical using FastAPI and MongoDB with 100% test coverage. It was seen as one of the most successful engineering projects in the company's history.
- Developed a hashing algorithm to preserve privacy from 3rd-parties but still allow data matching. Implemented it into a new product vertical to much success.
Technical Advisor
NOW Money
- Assisted as a technical advisor after I stopped working with the company full-time.
- Solved complex problems that often came up working with various financial institutions and technology providers.
- Guided the recruiting of technical personnel and conducted interviews.
CTO
Houza
- Built a scalable product from the ground up in a very short time frame to hit the launch deadline.
- Reached feature-level of incumbent property portals in less than 12 months with a fraction of the team and budget size.
- Migrated seamless deployment from Alibaba Cloud to AWS with zero downtime.
CTO
NOW Money
- Rebuilt the entire technology platform, integrating with a payment processor and multiple 3rd-parties to create a virtual bank.
- Built the region's first eKYC system to help onboard our customers and offer the service to 3rd parties.
- Oversaw the launch for thousands of low-income workers in the Middle East.
Co-founder and CTO
Styck FZ
- Launched a startup to encourage UAE residents to move more and be less sedentary.
- Achieved 20,000 registered users with zero marketing spend.
- Became the biggest lead driver for Deliveroo's launch in the UAE.
- Built iOS, WatchOS, and Android fully native apps for the application from the ground up.
Technical Lead
Unihorn Labs
- Created a private workplace messaging tool allowing employees and management to interact anonymously. Built with Ionic and Parse.
- Implemented an AI-based moderation tool for the communication app.
- Assisted with an on-demand car washing application as part of the company.
Director of Technology
Dubizzle
- Grew the technology team from 2 to 30 people working in six different teams.
- Grew traffic from almost nothing to 300 million page views per month.
- Founded the R&D department, which spun out an additional marketplace app product that became its own company.
Experience
AI Running Coach Application
Live Video Streaming Shopping Application
Real Estate Website
"Virtual Bank" Mobile Application
http://nowmoney.meeKYC Platform
Fitness Mobile Application
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Business Computing
Leeds Metropolitan University - Leeds, UK
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Node.js, React, REST APIs, Protobuf, TensorFlow, Parse SDK, Accelerometers, SQLAlchemy
Tools
Apple HealthKit, Apple Push Notifications, Docker Compose, Agora, MongoDB Atlas, Create React App, ChatGPT
Languages
Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python 3, SQL, CSS, CSS3, Swift, Solidity
Frameworks
Angular, Hapi.js, React Native, Flutter, Tailwind CSS, Flask, iOS SDK, Ionic, Django
Paradigms
Microservices, Management
Platforms
Firebase, iOS, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Android, Ethereum, Meteor, Parse, Azure, WatchOS
Storage
Databases, MongoDB, Realm, PostgreSQL, Data Synchronization, Alibaba Cloud, Azure Cache, Redis, Firebase Realtime Database
Industry Expertise
Project Management
Other
Programming, APIs, Software Architecture, Full-stack, Architecture, Software Design, Technical Leadership, Back-end, CTO, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, CI/CD Pipelines, Recruitment, Card Payments, IT Recruitment, PCI DSS, Video Streaming, FastAPI, Algorithms, OpenAI, OpenAI GPT-4 API, LangChain, Live Chat, WebSockets, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Architecture, Software Development, Data Preprocessing, Data Privacy, Encryption, Silent Push Notifications
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