0150 → 1instances consolidated
Social listening pipeline
One multithreaded Node.js service ingesting thousands of Facebook posts daily — modeled in DBT + PostgreSQL, surfaced as reports clients actually read.
- Node.js
- DBT
- PostgreSQL
- Data viz
Shaalan Marwan · Istanbul, Turkey
I build systems thatmove real data —and ship.
Lead Software Engineer at QAF Lab. Five years of production SaaS and large-scale pipelines — now studying AI & Data Science, moving toward machine learning engineering.
Photo
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I grew up in Mosul, where I learned that good software isn't about clever code — it's about people trusting the thing you built. That belief turned into five shipped SaaS products, a developer community of 200+, and a habit of teaching everything I learn.
Today I lead engineering at QAF Lab, building data-intensive systems for clients across Canada and the UK — and I'm an MSc candidate in Artificial Intelligence & Data Science in Istanbul. Same engineer, bigger questions.
The journey
Mosul → Istanbul
2016 – 2020
BSc Software Engineering, Mosul University
Started engineering in a city rebuilding itself. Wrote my first production code part-time at QAF Lab while still studying.
2019 – 2022
First systems in production
Built social media analysis tooling at QAF Lab and a pharmacy platform at Falaq serving 100+ pharmacies — learning that software only counts when it survives real users.
2021
Teaching what I know
Trained two full-stack bootcamp cohorts at FikraSpace. 65% of graduates placed into jobs through mentorship and employer outreach.
2023
Leading & founding
Became Lead Software Engineer at QAF Lab — scaled the team from 2 to 6. Founded Tech Hub Community, Mosul's first developer community, now 200+ members strong.
Feb 2026 — Now
MSc Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Istanbul Aydin University
Studying machine learning, deep learning, and big data alongside full-time engineering. The next chapter: machine learning engineering.
- 0
- Production SaaS products shipped
- 2 → 6
- Engineers on the team I lead
- 0%
- Interns converted to full-time roles
- 0+
- Members in the community I founded
Selected work
Systems, not screenshots
Client products stay behind the curtain — the engineering is what I can show.
025platforms in production
Five SaaS platforms
Event management, social listening, radio management with geo-analytics — shipped end-to-end for enterprise clients across Canada and the UK.
- NestJS
- Python
- React
- SaaS
03100+pharmacies onboard
Pharma marketplace
A B2B marketplace connecting drugstores and pharmacies — data-entry time cut by 80% — paired with an Electron POS replacing paper.
- React
- TypeScript
- Electron
- Material UI
Experience
Where I've been
May 2023 — Present
Lead Software Engineer
QAF Lab
- 2 → 6 engineers
- 5 platforms shipped
- 10+ interns mentored
Jan 2021 — Jun 2022
Software Engineer
Falaq
- 100+ pharmacies
- 80% faster data entry
Mar 2021 — Dec 2021
Full Stack Trainer
FikraSpace
- 2 cohorts
- 65% job placement
Nov 2019 — Dec 2022
Software Engineer · Part-time
QAF Lab
- 2,000+ posts / 2h
- PDF & Excel reporting
- AWS Cloud Practitioner
- Google Analytics
- Google Project Management
- Manara Tech — top 120 of 2,500 MENA applicants
Moments
Beyond the screen
Sessions, cohorts, and the people I build with.
Writing
Thinking out loud
Get in touch