Hi, my name is

Pavel Bychko

Backend Developer

Scaling a global e-commerce platform, leading a distributed team, and diving deep into AI. Building the foundation for my path to CTO.

About me

I've been building backend systems for over 10 years — APIs, integrations, high-load applications. Different industries, different challenges, always learning.

Now I lead an engineering team on a global e-commerce platform. We handle everything from architecture to third-party integrations.

I care about product quality and system reliability. Lately, I spend a lot of time with AI — exploring how it can improve the way we build software.

Open to interesting conversations — feel free to reach out.

My experience

Team Leadership

Leading distributed engineering teams with focus on ownership, mentoring, and removing blockers. Building a culture of trust and high velocity.

distributed teams
mentoring
ownership

System Architecture

Designing scalable systems from monoliths to microservices. Choosing the right architecture for the right stage of product growth.

scalability
system design
performance

E-commerce Systems

Building e-commerce platforms with integrations to marketplaces, payment systems, CRMs, and marketing tools. Making complex systems work together.

crm
erp
oms
b2b / b2c

Go & PHP

Writing clean, pragmatic code in Go and PHP. Choosing the right tool for the job without religious debates. Laravel for rapid development, Go for performance.

clean code
testing
pragmatism

AI & Automation

Exploring AI to automate workflows and improve how we build software. From code generation to intelligent tooling and productivity hacks.

productivity
tooling
innovation

Quality & Reliability

Building systems that work reliably under load. Testing, monitoring, and observability as first-class citizens. No deploys without confidence.

reliability
observability
testing

Continuous Learning

Technology evolves fast. Staying relevant means constant learning — through courses, reading, and now AI-assisted exploration.

Courses

From free FreeCodeCamp certifications to intensive 6-month programs like Go Advanced. Structured learning keeps me sharp.

Reading

Technical blogs, documentation, RFCs. I dive deep into new tools and frameworks before adopting them.

AI-Assisted

AI became my learning companion. It explains concepts, reviews code, and helps me explore unfamiliar domains faster than before.

Certifications

Go Advanced · FreeCodeCamp Backend · FreeCodeCamp JS

What's next

Right now I'm focused on going deeper into AI — not just using it, but understanding how RAG systems and autonomous agents work under the hood. I also want to finally learn Rust properly. On the side, I'm curious about robotics — it's a mix of hardware and software that I find exciting. And I keep working on my leadership skills — good engineering is only half the job.

Open source

Open source made me a better developer. Reading other people's code, submitting fixes, debating in issues — it's the best way to grow.
I try to give back: bug fixes, documentation, or just a well-written issue report.

My Setup

Main Machine

Mac Mini M4 Pro

The M chip is incredible: fast and efficient. Perfect for Docker, builds, and running multiple IDEs simultaneously. Plus the Mac is whisper-quiet and compact.

2024

Display

Dell U3023E (30")

16:10, ideal for coding

Keyboard

MX Keys Mini

Compact, quiet, responsive

Mouse

MX Master 3S

Ergonomic, silent clicks

Precise gestures

Excellent image quality

Dev Tools

My main IDEs are from JetBrains: GoLand for Go, PHPStorm for PHP and Laravel, and DataGrip for databases. Cursor for everything AI-powered. For quick edits and notes, I use Zed — fast, minimal, and great for syntax highlighting.

iTerm2 is my terminal of choice. Araxis Merge for file comparison and complex merges. And of course, JetBrains Mono as the font everywhere.