Gordon Leigh: Principal Full-Stack Product Engineer
Full-Stack product engineer with founding experience and 15 years building and shipping scalable products in regulated markets. Worked autonomously, led teams of 2-8, owned architecture end-to-end, and launched 7 products to paying customers. Looking for long-term IC role, previously managed up to 6 engineers.
TypeScript • React • Node.js • AWS • GCP • DynamoDB • Postgres • SQL • GitHub Actions • CloudFormation • Terraform
Speaks: English (native), German (B1)
📋 Experience
Freelance Product Engineer (August 2024–current)
TypeScript, React, Node.js, node:test, Jest, DynamoDB, PostgreSQL, AWS, ECS, Lambda, CloudFormation, Terraform, GitHub Actions
- Cut processing time from hours to minutes in re-implementation of legacy ETL system
- Enabled €300k ARR contract by shipping ERP data ingestion service in 2 days
Senior Engineer/Engineering Manager (hybrid IC), Gigs (YC 2021) (September 2022–June 2024)
TypeScript, React, Tailwind, Node.js, REST API, Next.js, Jest, Cypress, GCP, Terraform, GitHub Actions
- Promoted to hybrid IC/EM within 3 months due to high-impact improvements to collaboration and definition
- Accelerated releases from 1/month to more than 1/week through continuous improvement strategy
- Saved $50k in annual vendor costs by building tool to generate TypeScript SDK from our OpenAPI Spec
- Enabled browser-side visualization and search of 250 GB of cellular coverage data with design of geospatial index
- Contributed to customer-facing platform API design; participated in internal RFC process
- Proactively reduced customer domain setup time from days to minutes by building an internal tool for CS team
- Improved team motivation and satisfaction through effective 1:1s with engineers
- Managed customer expectations to meet sales team needs without overloading engineers
Senior Product Engineer, Squareball Digital GmbH (June 2021–August 2022)
TypeScript, React, Node.js, DynamoDB, PostgreSQL, AWS, CloudFormation, Jest, GitHub Actions
- Delivered 15 week MVP for a new residential tenant management system built as React/TypeScript SPA with TypeScript/Node.js/Lambda/DynamoDB REST API backend, leading product design and development
- Contributed to agency positioning strategy and engineering processes
Founder / Principal Product Engineer, Futurematik Ltd (March 2018–June 2021)
TypeScript, React, Node.js, Jest, node:test, DynamoDB, PostgreSQL, AWS, CloudFormation, GCP, Go, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions
- Founded product studio specializing in cross-functional impact: development, product definition, launch strategy, market positioning, and team scaling
- Built 10 cloud-native TypeScript/React web applications with TypeScript/Node.js REST APIs
- Built 20 Node.js packages in TypeScript, and an embedded Raspberry Pi firmware in Go
- Grew client revenues by positioning products as platforms, leveraging third party value-add over internal engineering spend
- Built integrations with 14 third party services (REST, GraphQL and SOAP) including payments, auth, delivery
- Designed and built 2 hardware integrations, including a secure prescription medicine collection system
- Designed an integrated ordering and automated manufacturing system for a compounding pharmacy business
- Managed teams of up to 10; mentored engineers, product managers, and designers
- Implemented continuous improvement strategies to build high-performing teams
Senior Developer, Coats Group plc (July 2017–February 2018)
C#, .NET, MS SQL Server, WPF, Windows Forms
- Reduced SQL execution times from tens of minutes to a few seconds
- Managed a contractor and contributed to debugging, architecture decisions and development for a factory automation project
Co-Founder / Principal Product Engineer, Stugo Ltd (July 2008–July 2017)
C#, .NET, WPF, WCF, XAML, WIX/Windows Installer, SQL Server, JavaScript, Docker
- Reduced customer support requirements by 90% by innovating on UX to boost user efficiency for common tasks
- Integrated external software/hardware systems: motor controllers, biometrics, and pharmacy prescribing systems
- Unlocked client expansion to national and international corporate customers by efficiently delivering on customer requirements
🎓 Education
- telc German B1
- MSc (with Merit) Medical Devices, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
- MEng (with Distinction) Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow