About
Marcel Lefter
I build products. I've spent 12 years in software: first shipping features as a front-end engineer, then making architecture calls, and for the last 4 years running cross-functional teams that own products end to end.
I'm most useful when I own the front-end of a product from architecture to production. I'm deeply technical there, and I think like a product person: I want to understand why we're building something before deciding how.
Today I'm Technical Product Lead at SkalX, an early-stage startup. Next, I'd like to join a small remote team building an AI-native product as a founding or product engineer. I write about what I learn along the way in the Engineering Log.
- Based
- Chișinău, Moldova
- Timezone
- GMT+2, overlaps EU and US East
- Experience
- 12 years in software
- Leading teams
- 4+ years, up to 15 people
- Now
- Technical Product Lead, SkalX
- Stack
- React, TypeScript, Node.js
- Education
- BSc IT, Technical University of Moldova
- Languages
- Romanian, English, [others]
What I'm looking for
Founding or product engineer
A remote, small, ambitious team building an AI-native product. I take the product from discovery to production, front-end first and full-stack where needed.
Full-time, remoteTechnical product leadership
I turn client needs into requirements, architecture and a delivery plan, and keep business, product and engineering talking to each other.
Roadmaps, specs, deliveryFront-end architecture
Monorepos, feature-sliced design, design systems and token pipelines for teams that need to ship faster without a rewrite.
Consulting, [format]Selected work
Full write-ups live in the log- CS/01A front-end platform teams can move fast inFront End Lead, EBS Integrator, 2021-20235x lower infra cost90% fewer API integration bugs
- CS/02Scaling the front-end org from 1 to 10Front End Lead, then Engineering Manager, EBS IntegratorRetention up 50%Onboarding time down 50%
- CS/03Owning the front-end of a flagship productEngineering Manager, fintech SaaS, under NDAWrite-up coming soon
In their words
“[A sentence from an engineer you mentored from intern to mid-level about what changed for them.]”
“[A sentence from the CTO, CEO or a client about the outcome you delivered.]”
Experience
- 2026-nowTechnical Product LeadSkalX
Owns products at an early-stage startup from client need and discovery to requirements, architecture, roadmap and delivery.
- 2023-2026Software Engineering ManagerEBS Integrator
Led a 15-person org across front-end, mobile and design, and owned the front-end of the flagship product. Wrote the career framework now used by 50+ engineers.
- 2021-2023Front End LeadEBS Integrator
Built and led a 10-person front-end team. Architecture work cut infra costs 5x, and a TypeScript API generator cut integration bugs by 90%.
- 2019-2021Senior Frontend DeveloperEBS Integrator
Large fintech and SaaS applications with strict performance and UX requirements.
- 2018-2019Front-end EngineerForcive
A data-heavy product dashboard in React, Redux and D3.js.
- 2015-2018Front-end DeveloperBrizy
A visual website builder used by thousands of people around the world.
- 2013-2015Front-end DeveloperSelf-employed
Websites and front-ends for clients in Moldova while I was studying.
How I work
Why before how
I want to know why we're building something before we decide how.
Boring architecture wins
Well-understood, battle-tested patterns beat novel infrastructure.
People over process
Good engineers and mentoring matter more than methodology. Process should help, not get in the way.
Delivery is the strategy
The best technical decision is the one that ships, with a way to refactor later.
Skills
Product
- Technical product management
- Discovery and requirements
- Roadmaps and delivery
- Solution architecture
- Client relationships
Engineering
- React and TypeScript
- React Query, Ant Design
- Monorepos and feature-sliced design
- Design systems and tokens
- Node.js and Python
Leadership
- Hiring and internships
- Mentoring and 1:1s
- Career frameworks
- Engineering process
- Cross-functional teams
Contact
Building an AI-native product? Let's talk.
A founding team, a product engineering role or an architecture problem. I reply within 48 hours.
- 01What you're building, and for whom
- 02The role or the problem
- 03Team size and timeline