01
Solving a specific task
A bug, a blocker, or a feature no one has time to close. I dig into unfamiliar code, find the real cause, and fix it without breaking production.
Outcome: the task is closed and the system stays stable.
Backend / full-stack engineer · iGaming
You have a task —I deliver aworking solution.
Mikhail Zhuravlev. 10+ years in production development. I take a business problem and drive it to a working result: wallet and payments, integrations, MVPs, automation, and AI. Strongest where money and data correctness matter.
Services
What you can hire me for
You have a problem — I have a solution. Each format ships a clear outcome: from a targeted fix to a product built end to end.
02
MVPs and products end to end
You have an idea but no team or time to build it. I design, write backend and frontend, ship, and take it to release — like my own product on the App Store.
Outcome: a working product, not a throwaway prototype.
03
Wallet, payments & integrations
The core of iGaming: real and bonus balances, idempotent transactions, cancellation and rollback, PSP, payouts, and game provider integrations.
Outcome: money reconciles and integrations live in production.
04
Automation & AI agents
Manual routine, reports, mailings, data processing. Telegram bots, marketing and ops automation, LLM-based AI agents for a specific business process.
Outcome: the routine moves into code and runs without you.
05
Technical analysis & audit
Unclear what's wrong with the system, why it's slow, or what a change will cost. I review architecture, integrations, and bottlenecks — and tell it straight.
Outcome: a clear picture and a prioritized action plan.
06
Consulting & partnership
You need a senior on call — for a review, a second opinion, or the long run. Consulting, technical second opinion, fractional support, and long-term contracts.
Outcome: strong expertise without hiring a full-time CTO.
Selected work
Some projects are under NDA and shown in anonymized form. Details and stack for a specific case on request.
iGaming platform: casino + sportsbook, multi-market
One of the core backend engineers on a platform with dozens of developers: microservices, GraphQL federation, Kafka, ClickHouse. Built a game provider integration from scratch as a separate service, worked on wallet/bonus flows, OTP authentication, and registration restrictions. TypeScript, Fastify, Prisma/PostgreSQL, Redis, Kubernetes.
Decoupling the bonus system from the wallet
Separated bonus logic from the wallet layer to reduce coupling and load on critical balance operations. Safer, simpler money flows.
AI agent: natural-language database queries
A natural-language → SQL service on multi-agent orchestration (LangChain/LangGraph + GPT-4) with schema RAG and a security layer: read-only, injection protection, limits. Fastify, OpenAI, pgvector, React.
FinTech: SMS marketing & lead aggregation
A campaign management and lead aggregation platform for microfinance: white-label storefronts, campaign dashboard, stats, blacklists, flow automation. React, Redux-Saga, Express.
Running Empire — my own App Store product
A mobile game where runners capture territory by GPS. Built and shipped solo: H3 geospatial grid, race-free cell capture via advisory locks, JWT with rotation, Apple/Google sign-in, push. React Native / Expo, Fastify, PostgreSQL.
Marketing analytics integration
Integrated an external analytics platform for segmentation, marketing flows, and product analytics in an iGaming product.
Why teams reach out
The problems people bring me
If you recognize your situation, I can probably help. If it's not listed, reach out anyway.
"The money doesn't reconcile"
Wallet, bonuses, or transactions misbehave: duplicates, balance mismatches, wrong credits. I bring order to the financial logic.
"Payments or payouts are broken"
The PSP fails, payouts hang, retries break. I fix and stabilize the payment and payout flow.
"We need to integrate a provider"
An integration with a game provider, PSP, or external service is stuck. I build it as a separate service, end to end.
"We have an idea, no one to build it"
No team or time to build the product. I take the idea and drive it to a working MVP and release.
"The system can't handle the load"
Slow, crashing, unclear why. I find the bottlenecks, clean up the architecture, add caching and queues.
"Routine eats our time"
Manual processes, reports, mailings, data transfers. I automate them with bots, scripts, and AI agents.
How I work
Short, transparent, outcome-focused
Four steps — no process theater and no surprises along the way.
01
Investigate
I dig into the task and the code to find the real problem, not the symptom.
02
Scope
I lock down what I'll do, by when, and what I won't touch. You know the scope upfront.
03
Build
I write, test, and verify: lint, types, tests, build. I use AI as a controlled accelerator.
04
Deliver
I hand over a working solution and a short change report — what it was, what I did, what to verify.
Why people call me
I take the problem and drive it to a result
Strongest where the problem can't be solved by engineering alone or management alone.
- Real production iGaming experience: wallet, bonuses, payments, providers
- Attention to money: idempotency, rollback, balance reconciliation
- Full stack: backend, integrations, infrastructure, frontend
- I take one-off fixes, MVPs end to end, and long-term contracts
- Direct work: you talk to the engineer, not an account manager
- Transparent: scope, timeline, verification, and a change report
About me
One engineer who does the work hands-on — not an agency with managers between you and the code.
Mikhail Zhuravlev
Backend / full-stack engineer · 10+ years
10+ years building high-load production products. Strongest where money and data correctness matter: wallet, bonuses, payments, integrations, antifraud. I work across the whole stack — from backend and infrastructure (Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD) to frontend and product logic — so recommendations come with code, not just slides. AI-native: I use Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor daily as an accelerator — with tight control over context and verification, not as a replacement for engineering judgment.
- iGaming · wallet · payments
- Node.js · TypeScript
- PostgreSQL · Redis · Kafka
- Docker · Kubernetes
- Integrations · automation
- AI agents · LLM
Contact
Tell me about your task — I reply within 1 business day
Describe the problem in a couple of lines. If I can help, I'll propose a concrete next step and a way to work.
What happens next
- I review your task and context.
- I propose a format: one-off fix, MVP end to end, analysis, or long-term work.
- We align on scope, timeline, and terms.
I usually reply within 1 business day. For urgent — Telegram.
FAQ
A few things before we start
Can we start with one small task?
Yes. Many start with a one-off fix or a short consultation before deciding on a longer format. No mandatory long contract.
Do you only work with iGaming?
iGaming is my strong suit, but I also take other technically complex products: fintech, data-heavy services, MVPs from scratch, and automation. If it's about backend, integrations, and data correctness — it's for me.
One-off work or ongoing collaboration?
Both. From a single task and an MVP end to end to long-term contracts, fractional support, and technical partnership.
What about confidentiality?
Some projects are under NDA and shown in anonymized form. Your data and details stay private. We can sign an NDA before starting on request.