Igor Leal AntunesEngineering blog

About me

Senior full-stack engineer, backend focused.

LinkedIn

I’m Igor. I build SaaS products, mostly on the backend: database design, APIs and integrations. I’m happy on the frontend too (CSS and I get along, most days), and I look after the infrastructure and deployments that keep it all running.

10+ years
Building and scaling SaaS
Millions of users
High-traffic, multi-tenant products
Engineer & former CTO
Hands-on delivery and technical leadership

How I work

Most of my work ends up on the backend, but it rarely starts there. On bigger projects I join before anyone writes code. I sit down with project managers and clients, and we work through the design and its tradeoffs.

Those conversations often change the plan. We rethink workflows and adjust the scope as the picture of what users need gets clearer. After release, I keep an eye on how people use the product and bring ideas back to the roadmap.

Some of the bigger changes mean moving production data from an old workflow into a more general model. I plan the migration so it’s safe, check the result, and follow up once people use the new workflow. This blog is where I write about decisions like these.

Technical strengths

Backend & data

  • PHP / Laravel
  • MySQL
  • PostgreSQL
  • Aurora
  • Redis
  • RabbitMQ

Multi-tenant SaaS, query performance, and background jobs on queues.

Cloud & delivery

  • AWS / EKS
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Helm
  • GitLab CI
  • GitHub Actions

Releases, infrastructure, and the automation that keeps software running after it ships.

Integrations & AI

  • OAuth2
  • GraphQL
  • OpenAI
  • Vapi
  • ElevenLabs

Enterprise HR and payroll integrations, plus AI features that solve specific problems in production.

Also frontend

JavaScript · React · Vue / Nuxt · HTML · CSS · Tailwind

The backend is home, but I build interfaces too. AI tools make that much faster now. I still review the result myself for usability, accessibility and how easy it will be to change later.

Professional experience

Netchex · HigherMe

–present · United States · Remote

Senior full-stack developer, backend focused

I work on an applicant tracking system (ATS) used by many companies at once: enterprise integrations, database performance and AI-powered interviews. HigherMe is now part of Netchex.

Germanicos

– · Australia

Senior full-stack developer → CTO

I owned a custom ERP and point-of-sale platform, from architecture to delivery, and led the engineering team.

Open source contributions

Laravel

While working with scheduled commands, I hit a shell-quoting bug when running them as another user. I sent a fix to Laravel’s scheduler, and it was merged into Laravel 13.

Documentation & tools

I’ve also contributed to the Laravel and PhpStorm docs, fixed a few Zed extensions, and made a high-contrast theme for Zed.

Recent writing

Side projects, for fun

  • Estudo Planejado: a study-planning SaaS, live in production. It brings exam schedules, spaced reviews, progress tracking, and AI-generated practice questions into one place.
  • Tibia OT List: a directory where Open Tibia players can find and compare servers by player count, game version, uptime, and experience rates.
  • The Questioner: a study assistant that pairs real public-service exam questions with ChatGPT, so learners can work through them with explanations.
  • Trading analysis: a web app that calculates statistics from trading data and turns them into charts.
  • WhatsApp meal estimates: send a photo of your meal on WhatsApp and get a calorie estimate back. It connects Twilio with OpenAI’s image analysis.

Contact me

Email me at [email protected], or send me a message on LinkedIn.