I develop and architect web applications, services, and databases for a diverse set of clients and consult with companies on creating and optimizing software development processes. This work includes architectural decisions, coaching and mentoring engineering teams and engineers, designing release processes, and consulting leadership.
My previous experience includes working with startups, as well as large tech companies. I have helped these companies build and scale from their first user to millions.
At Readwise, I develop AI-driven products that enhance reading experiences. My work centers on natural language processing—combining classical algorithms, machine learning, and large language models to build systems that interpret and generate human language. The goal: smarter, more intuitive reading tools.
At GitLab, I was part of the Incubation Engineering team—a small, experimental group reporting directly to the CEO. Each member explored high-impact product ideas; my focus was real-time collaboration.
I built a CRDT library for Ruby on top of the Rust-based yrs lib, enabling multiplayer editing through custom Redis and ActionCable adapters. Throughout the project, I collaborated closely with the open source y-crdt collective, including Kevin Jahns (author of the YATA CRDT paper) and Bartosz Sypytkowski, contributing improvements and deepening integration between the Rust and Ruby ecosystems.
At Shopify, I co-founded and led the core team that built the foundational infrastructure for the company’s large-scale search and recommender systems. The project—internally known as Disco—originated within Shopify’s “New Capabilities” program, an internal incubator where small teams of engineers were empowered to pursue bold, high-impact ideas without permission.
We developed streaming pipelines, feature stores, and internal tooling to support ML-driven ranking and retrieval. Our system architecture reduced indexing times from multiple weeks to under an hour—transforming the pace and flexibility of experimentation across product search and personalization.
Within Shopify’s Core Foundations group, I contributed to the team that implemented Single Sign-On (SSO) across all Shopify stores. We migrated from a one-email-per-shop model to a unified identity system without downtime or merchant disruption—an effort that required backwards-compatible changes, and tight coordination across services. A (now abandoned) patent was filed for our approach to backfilling authentication data with minimal UX friction: US20200349620A1.
Previously taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Web Development & Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg. In addition to teaching, I helped develop the MSc curriculum, supervised BA and MA theses, and organized events and meetups for students and the local developer community.
One of the greatest aspects of web development is the continuous opportunity to learn new tools, libraries, paradigms, and even programming languages with each project. However, I have several years of project experience with the following technologies:
You can find my open source projects at: eliias
The Red Bull Content Pool is the global B2B self-service media & news platform for press, journalists and business partners. The content portfolio ranges from high-quality photos to HD videos about the latest news & stories relating to sports, culture & lifestyle.
I cofounded and developed the pet sitting platform “cnuddl”. We were part of the academic founders program BCCS (Business Creation Center Salzburg GmbH) and pitched the project on national television.
cnuddl was a comprehensive web application designed to cater to pets and their owners. We aimed to solve a common problem for pet owners: the stress-free search for reliable pet sitters.
cnuddl connected pet sitters with pet owners, allowing them to easily find and book trusted sitters in their neighborhood. Customers could also select add-on packages such as additional insurance and pick-up services, and complete their payment directly on the platform.
In my first full-time role at PICS and elements, I developed online games in Flash. This involved creating various innovative technical solutions, including side-scrollers, Mario Kart-like racing games, isometric 2.5D puzzle games, and much more.
At Freshminds, a business development company focused on online entertainment solutions, I began as a full stack developer and quickly progressed to the lead developer role in my second year. During my tenure, I was responsible for the conceptualization, development, and maintenance of two large-scale websites, an asset management system, and various system-critical infrastructure. I also hired, built, and led a team of three developers.
My first experience as a lecturer and coach began at WIFI, one of Austria’s leading adult education institutes. Hired as a contractor for the Advertising Academy (WDA) course program, I taught Flash and web development. This experience ignited my passion for teaching, and I later expanded my courses to include web design and web development.