# Axl Oliver Cuyugan

> Senior software engineer from Zamboanga City, Philippines, with 7+ years designing, building, and operating production backend and cloud systems: distributed systems, AWS, event-driven architecture, and the testing, delivery, and cost work that keeps them running. Open to work.

Key facts:

- Role: Senior Software Engineer, backend and cloud systems.
- Location: Zamboanga City, Philippines. Remote and async for 5+ years.
- Experience: 7+ years across 7 roles, most of them small teams where he owned architecture, delivery, and what happened after launch.
- Main stack: TypeScript, Node.js, Go, AWS (Lambda, SQS, DynamoDB, API Gateway), PostgreSQL, Terraform, Docker, React. Also ships Flutter, Rust, and Swift on his own projects.
- Track record: 99.9% availability on trials.gg, ~40% off an AWS bill, a deploy pipeline cut from 20 minutes to 6.
- Status: open to work, for senior backend, platform, and cloud engineering roles.
- CV (PDF): https://axlc.dev/documents/axl-cuyugan-SWE-CV.pdf
- GitHub: https://github.com/techuila
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axlcuyugan/
- Email: axlcuyugan05@gmail.com

## Pages

- [Home](https://axlc.dev/): who he is, the work carousel, and the latest writing.
- [Work](https://axlc.dev/work/): every role and side project, plus why to hire him.
- [Writing](https://axlc.dev/writing/): articles and case studies on production systems.
- [About](https://axlc.dev/about/): background, how he works, changelog of roles, certifications.
- [RSS feed](https://axlc.dev/rss.xml): new writing.

## Work experience

- [Viyahe / Monark](https://axlc.dev/work/viyahe-monark/): Platform Software Engineer, 2022 – 2026, Remote · PH. Owned the backend and cloud side of trials.gg end to end, from architecture to launch.
- [PH Live Music LTD](https://axlc.dev/work/ph-live-music/): DevOps Consultant, 2025, Remote · PH. DevOps consulting focused on cloud cost and delivery reliability.
- [MDI Novare](https://axlc.dev/work/mdi-novare/): Senior Software Engineer Consultant, 2021 – 2023, Remote · PH. Led the BFA module team on Meralco's Bayad Center project.
- [Bunbuy Marketplace](https://axlc.dev/work/bunbuy-marketplace/): Full Stack Engineer (Part-Time), 2023, Remote · PH. Part-time full stack work on an online marketplace, shipped in a scrum team.
- [exact construct GmbH](https://axlc.dev/work/exact-construct/): Deputy Head Software Developer, 2019 – 2022, Zamboanga · PH. Deputy head of development across multiple Swiss client projects.
- [RightJob Solutions](https://axlc.dev/work/rightjob-solutions/): Web Developer, 2018 - 2019, Zamboanga · PH. Built client web applications and WordPress sites for a local digital agency.
- [Zamboanga Amusement & Recreational Inc.](https://axlc.dev/work/zamboanga-amusement/): Android Developer / System Administrator, 2018, Zamboanga · PH. Built an Android data-collection app and the reporting platform behind it across ~10 branches.

## Side projects

- [Conose PH](https://axlc.dev/work/conose-ph/) (2026 - present): A hyperlocal discovery app that helps people find verified businesses, new places, deals, reviews, and nearby experiences in Zamboanga, all in one place. Live at https://conose.ph.
- [Guhit Studio](https://axlc.dev/work/guhit-studio/) (2026 - present): A PH-first architectural design desktop app. Draw a real floor plan in minutes, see it in 3D as you draw, ask AI for revisions you approve, and hand off to AutoCAD, SketchUp, or a BIM tool. Live at https://techuila.github.io/guhit-studio/. Source: https://github.com/techuila/guhit-studio.
- [Hoardless](https://axlc.dev/work/hoardless/) (2026 - present): A native macOS disk cleaner that accounts for every byte. It shows exactly where the space went, answers questions about it on device, and previews the paths and sizes of a cleanup before anything moves. Out now, one-time purchase. Live at https://hoardless.app.
- [Salo](https://axlc.dev/work/salo/) (2026 - present): An offline-first restaurant operating system for independent Philippine restaurants, cafes and food halls. Floor, kitchen, stock, cashier and owner share one live picture, and every device keeps taking orders when the internet drops. Live at https://salohq.com.
- [Top.Notch](https://axlc.dev/work/top-notch/) (2026 - present): Free, open-source notch app for macOS. A Dynamic Island style alternative to NotchNook, built with SwiftUI. Live at https://techuila.github.io/top-notch. Source: https://github.com/techuila/top-notch.
- [Finova](https://axlc.dev/work/finova/) (2026): A privacy-forward, low-friction budgeting app with a personalized AI coach. Live at https://finovaai.app.

## Writing

- [Diagnosing race conditions in event-driven applications](https://axlc.dev/writing/diagnosing-race-conditions-in-event-driven-applications/): Jun 12, 2026. How to turn an unreproducible "lost data" bug into a failing test, and which concurrency fixes actually hold in production.
- [Case study: Race condition & architecture refactor](https://axlc.dev/writing/race-condition-and-architecture-refactor/): Nov 1, 2024. How I diagnosed silently lost player progress on trials.gg and led a staged refactor to per-player ordering — no downtime, reversible at every step.

## Full text

- [Axl Oliver Cuyugan, full text](https://axlc.dev/llms-full.txt): every work page and published article as plain markdown, in one file.

## Contact

- Email: axlcuyugan05@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axlcuyugan/