I build the systems behind the visible product.
I’m Serdar Doğrubakar, a senior backend engineer and product builder based in İzmir, Türkiye.
20+ years /building systems
that work
From writing code
to owning systems
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01
Curiosity
I started by taking things apart to understand how they worked. That curiosity led me to code, systems, and the joy of solving real problems.
-
02
Engineering
Years of building backends, APIs and data systems taught me that great code is necessary, but not enough. Context and trade-offs shape outcomes.
-
03
System ownership
Today I design and own systems end to end. From architecture to reliability, I care about the whole machine, not just the code.
The work
I can talk about
Discretion is not a limitation of the portfolio. It is part of the work.
- Financial infrastructure
- Payment lifecycles
- Secure APIs
- Event-driven integrations
- Data platforms
- Production reliability
How I approach
complex systems
- 01What must always remain true?
- 02What happens when this fails halfway?
- 03Can the same request arrive twice?
- 04Who is allowed to perform this action?
- 05What evidence proves it works?
AI-native,
not AI-dependent
I use multiple AI systems as thinking partners. Each has a role. I orchestrate them, challenge them, and verify the results. The final word is always mine.
The goal is not to generate more code. The goal is to produce work that is easier to verify.
Beyond
client work
Open-source tools
I build and maintain tools I wish existed. Useful, minimal, and well-documented.
Products from zero
From idea to first user. I enjoy turning problems into products people use.
Stories for young families
Short stories and small lessons for my kids. The best audience I have.
What guides
my work
- First principles over assumptions.
- Clarity over cleverness.
- Evidence over confidence.
- People first, always.
Quiet progress.
Real impact.