Illia KalininSenior PHP/Laravel Backend Engineer
ENRU
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Senior PHP/Laravel Backend Engineer

Laravel backends.
AI workflows.

Production systems and governed automation for product teams.

I connect product context, backend systems and AI-assisted work - from problem framing to production delivery. Research and drafting can be autonomous; consequential changes remain reviewed and controlled.

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Available for contract and part-time product work, plus selected senior backend and AI workflow roles.

Selected work

Products and systems I have taken from idea to daily use.

In each case I was responsible for connecting product decisions with architecture and implementation.

01 / ShenQi Space

We turned expert methodology into a product people can use every day.

ShenQi Space is a live platform for educational products and personalized decision support, built with Nadezhda Kalinina, a teacher, consultant and methodologist with more than 15 years of practice. I am responsible for the digital product: product design, UX, frontend, backend, architecture, infrastructure, monetization, analytics and operations.

Co-founder, Product Engineer & Software Architect
View full case Open shenqi.space
Today screen in ShenQi Space
Product platform20+Connected modules in the live ShenQi productAI with approval4 modesFrom research to an action reviewed by the team
02 / AI Operations

Governed AI operations for day-to-day work.

I designed and implemented a governed AI operations layer that connects trusted knowledge, analytics and recurring workflows. Important product changes stay visible and run only after review and approval.

Architecture and end-to-end implementation
01Collects02Analyses03Prepares04Applies after approval
AI with approval4 modesExplore AI Operations
Other systems
03 / Nexora

Nexora

I built a modular commerce core that separates catalog, checkout, payments and inventory without breaking the flow between them. New changes can be made without pulling the whole product apart.

4 domains · modular commerce core
04 / DontWorry

DontWorry

I turned a set of website checks into a managed service for several clients. Schedules, 25 check types, reports, alerts and subscriptions now work together.

25 check types · live service

How the work starts

I start where one change can make a visible difference.

First I learn how the work happens today and where time, data or decisions get lost. Then I propose a focused first step.

01

Discovery

When it fits

When work is manual, fragmented or depends on knowledge held by a few people.

What you getA map of how the work happens today, where it breaks down and what is worth testing first.
02

Controlled pilot

When it fits

When there is one process and a business question worth testing.

What you getA working pilot with review points, monitoring and clear conditions for continuing or stopping.
03

Platform engineering

When it fits

When a product needs a foundation that can be maintained and extended.

What you getA product system covering the interface, backend, integrations, infrastructure and launch.
04

Fractional backend leadership

When it fits

When a team needs senior technical judgment without another full-time hire.

What you getArchitecture decisions, reviews, a practical roadmap and help keeping technical work aligned.

↳ Already have a complex product? We can start with an architecture and backend audit instead.

What I build

I take responsibility across the product, from the problem to launch.

Core stack: Laravel, PHP, PostgreSQL, Redis, queues, webhooks, Docker, CI/CD and production infrastructure. I also build AI integrations, agents and governed MCP/API workflows.

Product platform20+

Connected modules in the live ShenQi product

AI with approval4 modes

From research to an action reviewed by the team

Commerce core4 domains

Catalog, checkout, payments and inventory in one architecture

Monitoring25 types

Scheduled checks with reports and alerts

01AI-assisted workflows with review and approval02Product platforms from interface to operations03SaaS, commerce and subscription systems04APIs, webhooks and business integrations05Internal tools and knowledge systems06Release processes, monitoring and day-to-day operations

For agencies and delivery partners

I can join without making the partnership harder to manage.

Before estimation, we agree my role, responsibilities and whether I communicate with the client directly.

01

Disclosed specialist

I join the client team as an external Product Engineer and Software Architect.

Discovery, presale, workshops, architecture and implementation leadership.
02

White-label subcontracting

I work under the agency’s brand and stay out of the primary client relationship.

Scoped delivery, backend and platform work, automation pilots and technical review.
03

Referral

The partner introduces us, and the client works with me directly from there.

A clean handoff when the opportunity sits outside the partner’s delivery model.

Before we start, we agree my role, responsibilities and how I communicate with the client.

Illia Kalinin, Product Engineer and Software Architect

How I operate

I look at the product as a whole, from the problem to production.

I started with backend-heavy commercial systems and gradually took responsibility for product decisions, architecture, infrastructure and launch. That experience taught me to treat code, product and operations as parts of the same job.

I use AI to explore options, break down work, implement and review faster. It does not replace requirements, architecture, validation or my responsibility for the result.

Bring order to unclear workTurn expert knowledge into repeatable processesBuild the system a product needs, not a pile of featuresAutomate when the benefit is clear