Hey, I’m Tolic

Staff Software Engineer with 20+ years leading teams and building scalable SaaS platforms. I’ve led engineering teams of 4-15 developers at companies like StackAdapt, Instacart, CultureAmp, Seek, and Redbubble.

I think in patterns, optimise for maintainability, and believe the best architecture evolves gracefully when assumptions change.

What I’ve Built

Currently: Tech Consultant at Ovie Health (AI startup) — Advising on technical architecture and AI/ML integration for healthcare platform.

At StackAdapt (Staff Engineer, 2024-2025): Led 8-person distributed team delivering platform features. Reduced mean time to repair by 67% through comprehensive observability. Architected GraphQL gateway serving 8 backend services, cutting API response times by 40%.

At Seek (Senior Engineer, 2018-2021): Led distributed team building job aggregation platform serving 2M+ users globally. Migrated monolithic Rails to event-driven microservices using AWS EventBridge and Lambda. Built AI/ML spam detection processing millions of classifications daily with 95% accuracy. Reduced operational overhead by 70% through automation.

At Culture Amp (Senior Engineer, 2023): Led zero-downtime migration from MongoDB to PostgreSQL for enterprise HR platform serving 3M+ users. Used CQRS and Strangler Fig patterns. Reduced infrastructure costs 30% through AWS optimisation.

At Redbubble (Senior Engineer, 2021-2022): Built 5 self-service automation tools reducing operational overhead by 70%. Optimised PostgreSQL queries, cutting API latency 35%.

Earlier (2010-2018): Led teams at SoftServe (Nissan Dealer360, BMC BRPM), Sony Mobile (serverless device management), Hero Gaming (4 casino platforms simultaneously).

Technical Focus

Core: Ruby/Rails (15+ years), AWS infrastructure, PostgreSQL, DevOps/CI/CD, multi-tenant SaaS architecture

Leadership: Led teams of 4-15 developers, Agile delivery (Scrum Master certified), product collaboration, mentorship

Recent: AI/ML integration (production models, LLM workflows), event-driven architectures, platform modernisation

Current Obsessions

AI-Native Architecture: Building systems designed for intelligent agents. Exploring how LLMs can own modules, make decisions within constraints, and create self-evolving software.

Event-Driven Everything: Moving from batch processing to event streaming. From snapshots to flows. From pull to push architectures.

Neurodivergent-Friendly Systems: As someone with ADHD, I’m passionate about creating tools that amplify different thinking patterns. Checklists as external memory, automation that reduces cognitive load, systems that work with your brain.

Beyond the Code

I believe in learning in public. The articles on this blog represent my thinking at specific moments — they evolve as I learn more.

I’m fascinated by the intersection of technology and human behaviour. How does automation affect how we work? What happens when AI agents start owning code modules? How do we build systems that enhance human capabilities rather than replace them?

The Journey

20 years of professional development across fintech, e-commerce, gaming, media, and AI tooling. From junior developer writing PHP to Staff Engineer designing distributed systems and leading architectural initiatives.

The most valuable skills aren’t technical — they’re systems thinking, communication, mentorship, and adaptability.

What’s Next

Exploring the future of software development: AI agents that write and maintain their own code, event-driven architectures that respond to reality in real-time, and development workflows optimised for neurodivergent thinking patterns.

The goal isn’t just to build better software — it’s to build software that makes humans more capable, creative, and fulfilled.

Work With Me

If you’re an engineering manager or CTO facing complex architectural challenges, I help teams build scalable, maintainable systems. Learn more about my consulting services →

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