Lead Full Stack Developer at Cropdesk Technologies LTD

About Cropdesk Technologies LTD

Cropdesk Technologies LTD was a UK-based SaaS startup focused on developing innovative solutions for the agriculture industry. Incorporated in April 2017, the company aimed to provide tools that streamlined agricultural processes and improved efficiency for farmers and agribusinesses. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, the company entered liquidation in May 2023.

Role and Responsibilities

• Team Leadership and Recruitment: As the first employee, I played a pivotal role in building the development team, conducting interviews, and onboarding new hires. I provided mentorship to junior developers, ensuring their professional growth and integration into the team.

• Platform Architecture and Development: Designed and implemented the overall architecture for both mobile and web applications. Initially developed the mobile app using Flutter, later transitioning to Ionic with Angular to better align with project requirements.

• Backend Development: Utilized Strapi as the headless CMS for the backend, ensuring a robust and scalable infrastructure. Implemented RESTful APIs to facilitate seamless communication between the frontend and backend systems.

• DevOps and Deployment: Set up continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using Bitbucket and Docker. Managed AWS services to deploy and maintain the platform, ensuring high availability and scalability.

• Project Management and Collaboration: Collaborated closely with the CEO to align development efforts with business objectives. Employed Jira and Confluence for task management and documentation, promoting transparency and efficient workflow within the team.

Impact and Reflections

Joining Cropdesk Technologies LTD as the lead full stack developer provided a unique opportunity to shape the technological direction of a burgeoning startup in the agritech sector. Leading the development from the ground up, I was instrumental in creating solutions tailored to the needs of the agriculture industry. Despite the company's financial challenges leading to its liquidation in May 2023, the experience honed my skills in team leadership, full stack development, and strategic planning. The collaborative environment and the chance to mentor emerging developers were particularly rewarding aspects of my tenure.