Software engineering for digital products

Paul Titov & Co designs, builds, and modernises production software for product companies and internal corporate teams. We can own architecture, back-end systems, APIs, integrations, web interfaces, infrastructure, and handover without operating as a high-volume outsourcing factory.

Software has to do more than pass a demo. It has to remain understandable as the product changes, integrate with the systems around it, and behave predictably under real use.

We design and build the systems behind digital products: application architecture, APIs, integrations, payments, authentication, background processing, internal tools, and the interfaces customers and teams depend on. Technical decisions are made against the product roadmap, operating constraints, and the cost of maintaining the system after launch.

We can start from a discovery brief and a blank repository, take ownership of a defined subsystem, or enter an existing codebase that needs to ship more reliably. The engagement can include front-end engineering, infrastructure, analytics, and QA when those are part of the same product problem.

Backend architecture, APIs, and integrations

Backend development can include domain modelling, REST and GraphQL APIs, WebSockets, webhooks, authentication, role-based access, payments, queues, scheduled work, caching, search, file processing, notifications, and third-party integrations. We work primarily with PHP, Laravel, Symfony, Node.js, NestJS, and TypeScript, supported by PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, and cloud services where appropriate.

Architecture is chosen for the actual product and team. A well-structured modular application is often a better starting point than premature microservices; event-driven components and separate services are introduced when scale, ownership, reliability, or integration boundaries justify them.

Existing codebases, performance, and delivery

For existing products, we begin with the behaviour and constraints already in production. The work may cover dependency and framework upgrades, legacy modernisation, performance profiling, database queries, caching, background workers, test coverage, deployment, observability, or a high-priority feature that has been difficult to ship safely.

Related work includes SaaS and product platform development, marketplace engineering, fintech software, and the DevOps infrastructure needed to operate the application.

What working with us looks like

We begin by understanding the environment around the code: who uses the product, which processes cannot stop, where data lives, which external services the business depends on, and who will operate the system after release. From that we define module boundaries, data models, API contracts, security requirements, and an implementation sequence. Decisions are documented so the architecture does not exist only in developers’ heads.

Delivery is broken into small, complete flows that can be tested against real behaviour. Instead of reporting an abstract percentage complete, we demonstrate working journeys: a user moving through registration and permissions, a payment surviving a retry, a large catalog import, or an operator resolving a failed job from an audit trail. Before handover we test critical paths, automate deployment, configure monitoring, document the system, and transfer knowledge to the client’s team.

Questions teams ask before we enter a codebase

Can you take over an existing product without rewriting it?

Yes. Most existing systems contain valuable domain knowledge and working behaviour that should be preserved. We map critical flows, dependencies, tests, deployment, incidents, and data first, then stabilise and change the system in controlled increments; a rewrite needs a technical and commercial case, not aesthetic preference.

Can you work alongside our internal engineers?

Yes. We can own a subsystem or a defined outcome while using the client’s repositories, reviews, security controls, and release process. Responsibilities, decision rights, interfaces, and handover are made explicit so the embedded team adds capacity without creating a second engineering organisation inside the company.

What do you need before starting?

An initial conversation can begin with a business problem and the context that is safe to share. Before implementation we normally need access to the relevant code, environments, documentation, issue history, and people who understand the product and its operations. Where confidentiality is required, detailed access follows an NDA and service agreement.

How do you make production changes safely?

The exact controls depend on risk, but usually include a reproducible environment, review, automated tests around critical behaviour, staged deployment, database migration planning, monitoring, and rollback. For sensitive systems we also define access boundaries, change windows, recovery steps, and who decides whether a release proceeds.

What remains with the client after delivery?

The client retains the source code, infrastructure configuration, accounts, documentation, and decision history created for the engagement. We provide operating notes and knowledge transfer appropriate to the system, because software that only our team can understand is an unfinished delivery.

Software Engineering