15+ YEARS_ENGINEERING / BOUTIQUE_STUDIO

I build what you need,
not what you want.

I help founders take a rough idea or an unfinished product and build it properly — defined scope, fixed price, and you pay only after you approve the result.

Experience // Gartner · Capterra · Trivago · Socialpoint · Wallapop · Adevinta · Nannyfy

See how I work

01_FROM_THE_FOUNDER

Ivan with his wife and their dog in the mountains

This is me, with my wife and our dog in the mountains, doing the second thing I love most: finding inspiration in the peaks.

what_we_build

Software with judgment.

I use AI to move faster, never to replace expertise.

Behind every project: more than 15 years of product engineering at Gartner, Capterra, Trivago and Socialpoint, plus projects for Wallapop, Adevinta and Nannyfy.

I work with founders in the United States and Europe from my studio near Barcelona — on CET, with daily overlap with US mornings. I can start from zero, or step into a product that is already moving and needs structure and better execution.

Software is not just about shipping features. It is about judgment.

  • Knowing what to build.
  • What not to build.
  • What to simplify.
  • What to protect.

where_i_stand

I am not here to create AI slop.

Details become the product. Anyone can generate a prototype in a weekend — craft is what happens after: taking responsibility for the security, the edge cases and the small decisions that make a product feel solid.

selected_work

Proof, not promises.

Four products, four different starting points: a startup I joined before its first line of code, a product found through rapid MVPs, a v1 that still runs without me, and a spreadsheet that became a system moving real money.

01 / CTO_AS_A_SERVICE / 2018-2021

Nannyfy

Joined at zero, stayed three years as CTO. €1.1M+ raised, 17,600+ families, 4,100+ vetted nannies — and a full pandemic pivot.

Read the case → 02 / ONE_TIME_PROJECT / 3_MONTHS

Wanna

Three MVPs in three months to find a new kind of social product — tested with real people, then handed to an internal team.

Read the case → 03 / BUILD_AND_HANDOFF / LIVE

Booyah Fantasy

The entire first version of a fantasy football manager — drafts, leagues, live scoring — handed off and still live today.

Read the case → 04 / INTERNAL_SYSTEMS / INSURANCE

MGC Mutua

Their Unit Linked product lived in a spreadsheet. I built the system that runs it — clients, contributions, withdrawals — inside their infrastructure.

Read the case →

ways_of_working

Two ways to work with me.

One builds and delivers a specific product. The other keeps me close as your technical and product partner while it evolves.

Both start the same way: by understanding the problem before writing any code.

01 / DEFINED_OUTCOME

one_time_project

A focused product build, with a clear handoff.

Build it properly. Hand it over clearly.

For MVPs, internal tools, AI workflows, SaaS first versions, dashboards, marketplaces and products that need to be finished — the kind of software a prompt alone cannot produce.

If we are the right fit, a Product Study defines the scope, flows, technical approach, risks, timeline and final fixed price. You pay nothing upfront, and the build is billed by milestones — each one paid only after you see it, test it and approve it.

No lock-in and no hidden dependencies. The product is yours.

Already built something with AI that is starting to crack? There is a sprint for that →

one_time_project_process

From rough idea to owned product.

Eight clear stages.

01_send_the_idea

Start with what you know.

Send text, audio, links, screenshots, notes or a rough brief. No payment is required.

02_fit_review

I decide if I can help.

I review opportunity, complexity and risk — and if I am not the right fit, I say so.

03_product_study

Focused thinking before you pay.

I define scope, flows, approach, security, risks, timeline and final price before any payment is required.

04_proposal

A clear recommendation.

You receive the direction, scope, technical approach, what is included and the final fixed price.

05_build

Focused iterations.

Short cycles, working demos and clear communication.

06_approval_and_payment

See it before payment.

Each milestone is billed only after it is shown to you, tested and approved — you never pay for work you have not seen running.

07_handoff

Everything becomes yours.

Code, documentation and deployment are handed over into your accounts.

08_initial_support

I stay close.

An initial support period covers unexpected issues while the product settles.

02 / ONGOING_DIRECTION

cto_as_a_service

Technical leadership for a product still finding its shape.

Roadmap, architecture and standards as the product grows.

A fractional CTO for founders, small teams and companies that need senior product engineering leadership without hiring a full-time CTO too early.

I define the roadmap with you, make the architecture decisions and reduce technical risk as the product and the team grow.

The work begins with a paid setup. After that, the partnership continues through a recurring monthly fee.

The decisions and standards of a CTO, before you need one full-time.

best_for_cto_as_a_service

  • Founders without a technical co-founder
  • Early-stage startups and small teams
  • Products without senior technical leadership
  • Products that need direction before scaling
  • Teams using AI without engineering structure
  • Businesses bridging product, engineering and strategy

what_we_help_with

  • Product and technical strategy
  • Architecture decisions
  • Roadmap and MVP scoping
  • AI and automation strategy
  • Security and deployment guidance
  • Technical risk reduction
  • Vendor and tool selection
  • Hiring and team growth
  • Engineering process
  • Codebase and architecture reviews
  • Due diligence support
  • Product quality standards

cto_as_a_service_process

Study the problem. Set direction. Execute together.

A structured ongoing partnership.

01_context

Understand where you are.

I examine the vision, business context, technology, team, constraints and what should not be rushed.

02_diagnosis

Find what needs attention.

Product discovery, technical audits, AI opportunity analysis, security review and risk assessment.

03_direction

Define the right order.

A practical product and technical roadmap, architecture direction, scope and prioritized next steps.

04_execution

Begin the partnership.

Build key areas, guide the team, review decisions, manage priorities and set standards.

05_operating_rhythm

Keep decisions moving.

Planning, architecture reviews, async support, documentation, check-ins and risk reviews.

06_growth

Grow the structure.

Define roles, interview candidates, improve onboarding, principles and delivery processes.

07_transition

Need me less over time.

I transfer knowledge, context and responsibility when your internal team is ready.

choose_the_right_model

Defined delivery or ongoing direction?

Same philosophy. Different relationship.

one_time_project

You need a specific product built, delivered and handed over.

Best when the scope can be defined and ownership of the final product matters.

Start
Your idea, then a Product Study — with no upfront payment
Commercial model
Fixed price, billed by milestones you see and approve
Outcome
An owned product with a clear handoff

cto_as_a_service

You need ongoing technical and product leadership.

Best when the product is evolving, decisions are uncertain or the team needs senior judgment.

Start
An initial paid setup and diagnosis
Commercial model
A recurring monthly fee
Outcome
A stronger product, foundation and internal team

build_the_right_thing

Tell me what you are trying to build.

I will help you understand what you actually need, whether that means a one-time product build or ongoing technical leadership.