Publication
Why the Hell Would I Use Node.js? A Case-by-case Tutorial
https://www.toptal.com/javascript/why-the-hell-would-i-use-node-js
Tomislav is available for hire
Hire TomislavTomislav Capan
Verified Expert in Engineering
Cloud Solution Architect and Lead Developer
Location
Zagreb, Croatia
Toptal Member Since
February 20, 2013
Tomislav is a software engineer, technical consultant, and solution architect who began as a technical partner for an online media business, growing it from zero to over 100,000 monthly readers. After years in software engineering, he now provides technical leadership through consulting and architecting dynamic, reliable, and scalable cloud solutions to support business growth and optimize complex architectures gone wrong. As an infrastructure lead, he makes the cloud a friendly place.
Portfolio
Octobit
Backbone.js, Marionette.js, AngularJS, Angular, React, Node.js, Express.js...
Hospitality Digital GmbH - Main Hospitality Digital GmbH
Architecture, Microservices Architecture, Microservices, Cloud...
Deliveroo
Software Architecture, User Requirements, Technical Requirements...
Experience
Availability
Full-time
Preferred Environment
Sublime Text, Linux, Git, Trello, Terraform, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
The most amazing...
...back-end architecture and real-time data processing system I've built was for the financial platform Scout Finance, acquired in 2017 by Money.net.
Work Experience
Technical Consultant | Solution Architect
2013 - PRESENT
Octobit
- Acted as a technical consultant and a software architect on multiple software solutions to deliver APIs, single-page applications, real-time web applications, and distributed applications for the cloud.
- Served as a cloud solution architect, designing and provisioning AWS cloud infrastructures and optimizing costs by right-sizing and choosing the appropriate cloud technologies.
- Performed R&D and concept development work, helping select appropriate technologies and platforms for future development.
- Stepped into the role of an operations engineer and was in charge of running cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, logging and monitoring, and enabling development teams to focus on development.
- Implemented several web applications in Node.js on the server side with Backbone.js, Marionette.js, AngularJS, Angular, or React on the client side.
Technologies: Backbone.js, Marionette.js, AngularJS, Angular, React, Node.js, Express.js, Hapi.js, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), CI/CD Pipelines, Software Architecture, Architecture, WebSockets, RabbitMQ, Less, CSS, Sass, HTML, AngularUI, Git, GitHub, MongoDB, Heroku, Amazon Web Services (AWS), JavaScript, Single-page Applications (SPA), CircleCI, R&D, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Terraform, Cloud Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, AWS Certified Developer, AWS Certified Solution Architect, REST APIs, Database Schema Design, Database Architecture, Relational Database Design, NGINX, Kanban, APIs, Agile Software Development, PostgreSQL, REST, Full-stack, Web Development, Consulting, Advisory, Technical Leadership, Software Development, Solution Architecture, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Remix, Docker, IT Infrastructure, .NET Core, Database Modeling, API Integration
Senior Enterprise Architect
2022 - 2023
Hospitality Digital GmbH - Main Hospitality Digital GmbH
- Collaborated with the company leadership to improve company culture and communication.
- Worked with the tech leadership on future architecture and technology planning.
- Advised development teams on architecture, tech choices, and identifying software issues.
- Created a set of standardized guidelines for approaching software projects across teams.
- Improved one system's performance by over 10,000% by identifying and resolving a bottleneck in a SQL stored procedure through collaboration with the relevant team.
Technologies: Architecture, Microservices Architecture, Microservices, Cloud, Cloud Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Performance, SQL Performance
Technical Solution Architect
2021 - 2021
Deliveroo
- Supported the integration of enterprise partners with Deliveroo as a technical solution architect in the enterprise integrations team. Worked on the design and architecture of technical solutions for multimillion-worth integrations projects.
- Gathered relevant data points for integration, analyzed the partners' systems and data availability, and assessed the requirements to enable successful partners' integrations with Deliveroo.
- Handled technical communication with the partners' commercial and technical teams during the project discovery phase, aligning the technical capabilities of both parties for successful integration.
- Produced technical specification documents based on the analyses and discoveries made, describing the details of the integrations implementations.
- Collaborated with other internal teams in Deliveroo—commercial, integrations project managers, and engineers—to drive the projects to a successful roll-out.
- Produced RFC documents suggesting improvements and advancements in Deliveroo's integrations systems and the core product's support for the integrations work.
Technologies: Software Architecture, User Requirements, Technical Requirements, Functional Requirements, Distributed Systems, Solution Architecture, API Integration, Data Structures
Principal AWS Solution Architect
2017 - 2021
LEVELS Cloud Infrastructure
- Acted as the infrastructure lead during product development.
- Designed and built an auto-scalable, fault-tolerant, and secure AWS cloud infrastructure.
- Designed and set up automated CI/CD pipelines for all server-side and web-based services.
- Assisted the development teams in optimally utilizing the AWS cloud for their use case.
- Consulted with the client on distributed software architecture.
- Developed on-demand background processing utility services with AWS Lambda and Fargate and Amazon ECS.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), CircleCI, Linux, Docker, JavaScript, Terraform, DevOps, AWS DevOps, Infrastructure, Cloud Infrastructure, Security, Networking, Cloud, Amazon EC2, Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS), AWS Fargate, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon CloudFront CDN, Amazon ElastiCache, Amazon Aurora, Amazon API Gateway, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), AWS Simple Notification Service (SNS), Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), AWS Lambda, Lambda Functions, Amazon EBS, AWS ALB, Cost Management, AWS IAM, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), AWS CodeDeploy, AWS CodePipeline, System Architecture, AWS Certified Developer, AWS Certified Solution Architect, Cloud Platforms, GitHub, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), CI/CD Pipelines, AWS Cloud Architecture, Amazon CloudWatch, Web Application Firewall (WAF), Cloud Architecture, NGINX, Kanban, Containers, AWS Deployment, Datadog, Automation, MySQL, Solution Architecture, Bash, Amazon RDS, Distributed Systems, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Technical Leadership, IT Infrastructure, Performance, SQL Performance, Query Optimization, Load Balancers, Elastic Load Balancers, API Integration
Senior Software Architect
2014 - 2017
Scout Finance
- Designed the system architecture for scalability and performance, supporting over 30,000 registered users at the time of acquisition.
- Made the technology choices using Node.js, Hapi, React, and MobX.
- Provided implementation of the REST APIs, web applications, and data imports.
- Interfaced with external data providers like Thomson Reuters, Wall Street Horizon, and Xignite.
- Designed and handled the AWS-based cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines.
- Built the system from the ground up. It was acquired by Money.net about two and a half years later.
Technologies: CircleCI, Git, MobX, React, RabbitMQ, Redis, Hapi.js, Node.js, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Software Architecture, System Architecture, Cloud Platforms, GitHub, GitFlow, Architecture, CI/CD Pipelines, Infrastructure, Cloud Infrastructure, AWS DevOps, DevOps, APIs, REST APIs, MongoDB, Database Architecture, Mocha, Grunt, Agile Software Development, REST, Full-stack, Web Development, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon EC2, Fintech, Solution Architecture, Amazon RDS, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Technical Leadership, Software Development, IT Infrastructure, Database Modeling, API Integration, Data Structures
JavaScript Developer
2012 - 2013
iVendi, Ltd.
- Developed a front-end Marionette.js application and a server-side Node.js RESTful API.
- Implemented real-time WebSockets communication between the front and back end via RabbitMQ.
- Implemented the front end using HTML5 and Less CSS while incorporating responsive web design techniques.
- Involved in setting up automated build and deployment CI procedures for the web application and the API and handling basic Joyent SmartOS server administration.
- Coached a junior JavaScript developer in Backbone.js, Marionette.js, and Git.
- Introduced the company to remote work processes and Kanban agile practices.
Technologies: Git, CQRS, RabbitMQ, MongoDB, Express.js, Grunt, Marionette.js, Backbone.js, Node.js, JavaScript, Software Architecture, GitHub, CI/CD Pipelines, REST APIs, Kanban, CSS, Single-page Applications (SPA), Agile Software Development, Full-stack, Web Development, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Software Development, API Integration, Data Structures
Technical Director | Partner
2002 - 2013
Muzika.Hr Magazine
- Ran the company as a technical co-founder, building it from the ground up to over 100,000 regular monthly readers.
- Took part in defining content strategies and handled the technical aspect of cooperating with partners and advertising space offerings.
- Managed a small engineering team for content management system (CMS) development.
- Integrated third-party solutions into the line-of-business stack, including an ad-serving platform, bulletin board, blogging platform, and photo gallery.
- Founded and developed the photography section. Led a team of 12 photographers as an editor of photography, coordinating their assignments.
- Implemented backup automation to the Amazon S3 cloud. Handled system administration and IT support.
Technologies: NHibernate, Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, C#, IIS, ASP.NET, CSS, HTML, Software Architecture, System Architecture, Git, Architecture, Relational Database Design, SQL, REST APIs, Database Architecture, Database Schema Design, CTO, REST, Full-stack, Web Development, Solution Architecture, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Technical Leadership, Software Development, IT Infrastructure, .NET, Performance, SQL Performance, Query Optimization, Database Modeling, API Integration, Data Structures
JavaScript Developer
2011 - 2012
CANDDi
- Developed a client-side Backbone.js single page application.
- Restyled front-end implementations to comply with higher and more modern standards.
- Prototyped and implemented Node.js and Socket.IO communication, enabling real-time application capabilities.
Technologies: Git, MongoDB, Socket.IO, Node.js, Backbone.js, CSS, Single-page Applications (SPA), Agile Software Development, REST, Full-stack, Web Development, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Software Development, API Integration, Data Structures
Software Engineer
2006 - 2008
TEB Informatika
- Delivered C# and Java web applications using the underlying Oracle databases.
- Developed Oracle PL/SQL scripts used for procedural on-demand data processing.
- Contributed to GIS systems development on Intergraph's platform.
- Introduced the company to using version control systems for managing the source code.
- Introduced the company to using Wiki platforms for the documentation, resulting in the ISO certification requirement of having the full change history easily satisfied later.
Technologies: Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, C#, Software Architecture, SQL, Database Schema Design, Database Architecture, Relational Database Design, REST, Full-stack, Web Development, PL/SQL, Functional Requirements, Technical Requirements, Software Development, .NET, ASP.NET, Database Modeling, Data Structures
Experience
WebCamp Zagreb Conference | Co-organizer, 2013-2018
http://webcampzg.orgAs a community conference co-organizer, I have had multiple roles throughout the years. As a core team member during conference planning and preparation, my most significant contribution was acquiring and coordinating volunteers. I also served as a talk committee member, selecting the conference content and helping with conference workshops and general conference activities. It has been a tremendous experience organizing an event for over 900 people and positively changing the IT community in Zagreb, Croatia.
JavaScript Zagreb Meetup | Co-founder, 2013-2017
http://www.meetup.com/JavaScript-Zagreb/I co-founded a JavaScript Zagreb meetup back in 2013, growing it from zero to over 550 members in three years before passing it on to younger generations. Regular monthly event organization tasks included finding speakers with interesting topics, promoting the events, and finding occasional sponsors for the after-meetup socializing portion. Occasionally, I gave some talks on JavaScript-related topics myself.
Muzika.hr | Partner, 2002-2013
http://www.muzika.hr/My role in Muzika.hr was more than just technical. Besides the usual 'all things IT, a common single-person role for the early 2000s, I worked closely with the editor-in-chief on the strategy and content, assisted as an author, and started the concert photography section, gathering and coordinating a group of about a dozen collaborating photographers. As a result of almost ten years of that activity and an associated online photo gallery, I coordinated the organization of a physical exhibition of concert photographs for the 10th anniversary of the media, initially hosted in one of the most famous Zagreb art galleries. Later on, it traveled to several other cities around Croatia.
"Cutting Costs with AWS Lambda for Highly Scalable Image Processing" | Publication
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/cutting-costs-with-aws-lambda-for-highly-scalable-image-processing/I wrote this article describing a horizontally scalable solution for a customer's image upload processing. This type of serverless solution can reduce the strain on API servers and eliminate the need for running separate servers to handle spikes without crashing.
A serverless computing model with AWS Lambda is a natural fit for utility classes of tasks, such as preparing and sending transactional emails and push notifications.
A serverless computing model with AWS Lambda is a natural fit for utility classes of tasks, such as preparing and sending transactional emails and push notifications.
Technical Consultant and Project Manager
https://www.beautypass.app/Served as a technical consultant and a project manager for a social network mobile application. I was hired to detect the reasons for the team's productivity issues in technical and organizational aspects, provide solutions, and get the team back on track. During this engagement, I helped the management think through critical decisions and make the right moves. I also introduced several work organization best practices in a remote team, helping bring them to the right path.
Technical Consultant and Trainer
Technical consultant on a supply chain analytics application hired to set up the client's team and lead them to release the first functional version. The engagement consisted of an architecture setup, technical leadership, and team training at the chosen technology stack, code management, and continuous delivery. The assembled team met their delivery target under my supervision and continued improving the application afterwards.
High-end Second-hand Designer Clothes Retailer
https://www.materialworld.co/Four weeks before the official MVP launch date, the client's development efforts were behind schedule with unclear features and functionality boundaries. They hired me for last-minute help to determine what was feasible and what wasn't less than a month before the public launch. My role was to focus the client on doable areas: build the necessary functionalities required for the launch, trim the excess or unclearly defined features, and hit the release target. The final result of this intense, short-term effort was an improved existing codebase with some functionalities better scoped, bugs squashed, UI polished, and the implemented features correctly working for a successful MVP launch.
Web-based Phone Solution with Extra Functionalities
https://www.bettervoice.com/This client needed verification of an experimental client-side JavaScript framework to develop their web and mobile solution. After a short R&D stint, that framework turned out to be a highly risky choice due to a series of unfulfilled promises by the vendor, so I advised against using it. The client settled on one of the proven client-side frameworks instead, in conjunction with Apache Cordova, for mobile deployment. I laid out the application architecture, built initial functionalities, and configured the deployment pipelines before handing it over to their in-house hire.
Employee-sourced Problem Solving and Idea Generation Application
https://getspeakup.com/I joined this client to support their MVP release efforts by shaping up the required set of features while improving their existing codebase. I organized a process of CoffeeScript to JavaScript migration without affecting the ongoing development at a time when CoffeeScript was becoming obsolete and needed to be phased out. Additionally, I advised on the advantages of switching from Marionette.js to AngularJS as a good choice for their use case, a step the company took later.
Skills
Languages
JavaScript, Sass, HTML, Less, SQL, CSS, C#, Bash
Frameworks
Hapi.js, ASP.NET, Express.js, .NET, .NET Core, NHibernate, Angular, AngularJS
Libraries/APIs
Node.js, REST APIs, React, MobX, Backbone.js, Marionette.js, Socket.IO, AngularUI
Tools
Amazon CloudFront CDN, GitHub, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Terraform, CircleCI, AWS Deployment, AWS IAM, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), NGINX, Amazon ElastiCache, Git, RabbitMQ, Mocha, AWS Fargate, Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS), Grunt, AWS Simple Notification Service (SNS), Amazon EBS, AWS CodeDeploy, Amazon CloudWatch
Paradigms
DevOps, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), Kanban, Agile Software Development, Automation, CQRS, REST, Management, Microservices Architecture, Microservices
Platforms
Amazon EC2, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Windows Server, Heroku, Linux, AWS ALB, AWS Lambda, Oracle
Storage
Amazon S3 (AWS S3), MongoDB, Amazon Aurora, Database Modeling, PostgreSQL, Database Architecture, SQL Performance, Redis, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Datadog, PL/SQL
Other
APIs, Infrastructure, Cloud Infrastructure, Software Architecture, System Architecture, AWS Certified Developer, AWS Certified Solution Architect, Cloud Platforms, Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Cloud Architecture, CTO, Full-stack, Web Development, Cloud, AWS DevOps, Technical Requirements, Functional Requirements, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership, Software Development, Amazon RDS, Load Balancers, Elastic Load Balancers, API Integration, Data Structures, Networking, CI/CD Pipelines, Relational Database Design, Containers, Database Schema Design, Remix, IT Infrastructure, Performance, Query Optimization, WebSockets, Serverless, IIS, Lambda Functions, Cost Management, AWS CodePipeline, GitFlow, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Single-page Applications (SPA), Organization, People Management, Business, Business Planning, Media, R&D, Knowledge Transfer, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Web Application Firewall (WAF), Amazon API Gateway, User Requirements, Distributed Systems, Consulting, Advisory, Fintech, Technical Consulting, Team Leadership, Training, Management Consulting
Industry Expertise
Security, Photography
Education
2000 - 2006
Master's Degree in Computing
University of Zagreb - Zagreb, Croatia
Certifications
DECEMBER 2017 - DECEMBER 2020
AWS Certified Developer Associate
AWS
NOVEMBER 2017 - NOVEMBER 2020
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
AWS