# 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, and previews the paths and sizes of a cleanup before anything moves. Live at https://hoardless.app.
- [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/