User Manual
A transparent guide to working with me. Read this before we start.
Working Style
Async-first. I prefer written communication over calls. A well-written message beats a meeting. I'm in different time zones constantly, so async keeps things moving without scheduling gymnastics.
Direct. I'll tell you what I think, not what you want to hear. If something won't work, I'll say so early. Sugar-coating wastes everyone's time.
Fast iterations. I'd rather ship something imperfect and improve it than spend weeks planning the perfect solution. Real feedback beats hypothetical optimization.
Documentation over memory. I write things down obsessively. Decisions, context, rationale—all of it. This means I can pick up projects after gaps and you get a clear audit trail.
Communication
Best ways to reach me: Email for new inquiries. Telegram or Slack for active projects. I check messages in batches, not continuously.
Response time: Usually within 24 hours on weekdays. Faster for urgent project issues. Slower if I'm traveling with family.
Meetings: I keep them short and rare. If we need a call, I'll come with an agenda and leave with action items. Most things can be resolved in writing.
Updates: I proactively share progress. You shouldn't have to ask "what's the status?" If you're asking, I've already failed.
Values
Own your platform, your data, your decisions. Don't build on rented land.
Remove until it breaks. The best solution is usually the one with fewer parts.
Proven beats cutting-edge. I'll choose PostgreSQL over the new database every time.
The point of work is to buy back your time. Every system should serve this goal.
What Clients Can Expect
Fixed scope, clear deliverables. I don't do open-ended retainers or hourly billing. We agree on what success looks like upfront, and I deliver that.
Honest assessment. If I'm not the right fit for your project, I'll tell you and point you to someone who is. I'd rather lose a deal than take on work I can't nail.
Transfer of knowledge. I build things you can maintain without me. No lock-in, no mysterious black boxes, no "you need me forever" dynamics.
Opinionated recommendations. You're not paying for someone to nod along. I'll push back when I disagree and explain why.
Personal Context
I'm originally from Kazakhstan—a place most people can't find on a map. I've been building on the web since I was a kid—sold my first website at 13, taught myself to code, and by 19 was leading front-end development for a national e-government service.
I've been location-independent since 2014. In 2024, my wife and I started traveling full-time with our three kids—10+ countries and counting. This isn't a flex—it's context. It means I understand constraints, adaptation, and building systems that work anywhere.
Sovereignty matters to me because I've experienced what it's like to not have it. Visa rejections, banking discrimination, housing denial in Japan because of my passport. These experiences shaped how I think about control, ownership, and independence.
How I Make Decisions
First principles. I start from "what are we actually trying to achieve?" not "what does everyone else do?" Sometimes the conventional approach is right. Often it isn't.
Reversibility. For reversible decisions, I move fast and adjust. For irreversible ones, I slow down and think hard. Most decisions are more reversible than they feel.
Asymmetric bets. I look for high upside, low downside situations and repeat them. Small experiments that could pay off big, even if most fail.
What I Bring
Design to full-stack. I started as a designer, moved to front-end, then full-stack. Building UIs, typography scales, and visual systems is where I began—it's still a strength. I think in design systems, not just code.
Known Limitations
I won't babysit process. If you need someone to attend daily standups and manage a team's tickets, that's not me. I work best with autonomy and accountability.
I have a family. Three kids and a wife who matter more than any project. I protect my time with them fiercely. This makes me better at work, not worse—but it means I'm not available 24/7.
I'm blunt. Some people find this refreshing. Others find it abrasive. If you need someone diplomatic and careful with words, we might clash.
Still interested?
See the different ways we can work together.