Your product's next round starts here.
I go the full twelve rounds — from research and architecture to implementation and delivery.
10
Wins
7 KOs
0
Losses
0
Draws
10
Wins
7 KOs
0
Losses
0
Draws
I go the full twelve rounds — from research and architecture to implementation and delivery.
Professional Record
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
4+
Years as Independent Contractor
2+
Years Contributing to Apache Superset
100%
Upwork Job Success Score
$100k+
Earned through Upwork
Top Rated Plus
Upwork Status
6+
Industries Served
The Work
WHAT I BRING
My strongest contribution is not limited to writing code. It is helping teams understand what matters, reduce unnecessary complexity and move important initiatives forward.
CLARITY
I ask the questions that uncover the real problem.
I tend to notice when a discussion is circling around symptoms instead of addressing the underlying issue. By asking the right questions early, I help teams align on what needs to be built, why it matters and what can be removed.
SIMPLICITY
I look for the simplest solution that still serves the product.
I prefer solutions that are easy to explain, maintain and extend. Complexity should solve a real problem. If it does not, it should be removed.
OWNERSHIP
Give me an important feature and I will help move it from idea to delivery.
I am comfortable taking ownership of large product initiatives — research, requirement clarification, architecture, technical planning, task breakdown, implementation, coordination, delegation and delivery. Ownership does not mean doing everything alone. It means making sure the initiative keeps moving.
EXECUTION
I can bring an idea to life quickly.
I am strongest in the phase where an idea needs to become something tangible. I can cut through clutter, identify what is essential and bring the first meaningful version of a feature to life without getting lost in details too early.
RELIABILITY
When I commit to something, people know it will move forward.
I value long-term collaborations, clear communication and predictable delivery. I prefer becoming part of the team over operating like a temporary outsider.
Selected Rounds
SELECTED WORK
Rather than listing every engagement, I selected the projects that best represent how I work, how I have grown and the kind of problems I enjoy solving.
PRESET
Helping a mature product evolve
Preset is the project that matured me both as a Software Engineer and as an independent contractor. It gave me the opportunity to work inside a large product organization, contribute to Apache Superset and take ownership of complex initiatives across frontend, backend and product architecture. It is also the closest example of the kind of collaboration I want more of: long-term, product-focused and built around meaningful ownership.
ASO AIRSPACE INTELLIGENCE
Fractional CTO for a real-time surveillance platform
A real-time airspace surveillance and drone detection platform serving enterprise and governmental environments. As Fractional CTO, I designed and built the platform from the ground up and own the ongoing technical direction, while also contributing to product strategy, hiring and business development.
BLACK PEPPER CAPITAL
An automated trading platform from the ground up
An automated trading platform with portfolio management and backtesting functionality. Over roughly seven months, I worked across every layer of the system — from architecture and API design to real-time data processing and trade execution. This is where I became proficient in Python and gained my first hands-on experience with AWS.
Beyond the selected work above, I have contributed to additional products and engagements across fintech, business intelligence, security, surveillance, e-commerce, trading and cloud applications.
Open Source
APACHE SUPERSET
Open source has played an important role in my professional development. Through my work with Preset, I have contributed extensively to Apache Superset, a large open-source business intelligence platform used by organizations around the world.
Contribution Areas
- Major product features
- Frontend architecture
- Backend APIs
- Performance improvements
- Legacy modernization
- Component rewrites
- Permissions & role management
- Database-backed features
- UI/UX improvements
- Testing & maintainability
- Public code review
What It Strengthened
- Understanding large systems
- Working with existing architectural constraints
- Writing software for diverse users
- Thinking about backwards compatibility
- Communicating technical decisions clearly
- Collaborating through code review
- Balancing product goals with community impact
Process
HOW I WORK
I work best when I can take ownership of an initiative, understand the product context and help shape the path from ambiguity to delivery.
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT
Before proposing a solution, I want to understand the product, the users, the business goal, the existing system, the constraints and what has already been tried.
ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
I challenge assumptions and try to separate the real problem from the initial solution. The goal is not to complicate the discussion. The goal is to make the decision clearer.
REDUCE THE PROBLEM
I identify what is essential, what can wait, what creates the most value, what belongs in the first meaningful version and what complexity can be removed.
DEFINE THE TECHNICAL DIRECTION
Depending on the initiative, this may include research, architecture, API design, data modeling, frontend structure, migration planning, task breakdown and delivery sequencing.
BUILD AND COORDINATE
I remain hands-on. I can implement critical parts, unblock others, delegate where appropriate and keep the initiative moving.
DELIVER, LEARN AND ITERATE
The first version should create real value. After delivery, the product can evolve based on evidence instead of assumptions.
I am strongest when a product team has an important feature that needs ownership, technical direction and momentum.
In My Corner
ABOUT
I am Alexandru Soare, a Software Engineer and independent contractor based in Bucharest, Romania.
Over the past several years, I have worked with international teams across business intelligence, fintech, security, surveillance, e-commerce and trading.
The title is simple, but the work rarely is.
I am most valuable when I can take ownership of a meaningful initiative, ask the questions that bring clarity, simplify what does not need to be complicated and help turn an idea into working software.
I care about long-term collaborations, mature products and teams where engineers are trusted to think beyond assigned tasks.
The Nickname
El Cuervo is more than a visual nickname. It reflects the competitive, resilient and slightly unconventional side of my personality.
Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
Beyond Software
Outside software, music has always played an important role in my life. I am drawn to rhythm, percussion, film, storytelling and the details behind how things are made. I tend to look beyond the surface — whether I am analyzing a system, a product, a film or an argument.
Contact
LET'S BUILD WHAT COMES NEXT
I am interested in long-term contractor collaborations with European product teams building software that needs to evolve.
If you have an important feature, product initiative or technical challenge that needs ownership, clarity and execution, I would be happy to hear about it.
alexandrusoare@elcuervo.co
LinkedIn Profile
GitHub
github.com/alexandrusoare
Upwork
upwork.com/freelancers/alexandrusoare