Answers, from the person who does the work.
One operator, end to end — from diagnosing where your operations lose time to a running system I keep supported. AI goes in only where it genuinely speeds things up, never for its own sake. Here's what people ask before we start.
How much does it cost to hire a solo engineer to build custom software?
It depends on scope, but honestly: a landing site runs €450–3,000, a calculator or Telegram bot €500–7,500, and a full custom system like a booking platform starts around €4,000. Price is driven by how many flows, integrations and languages you need and how complex the logic is. I quote ranges up front and narrow them after a short discovery call — no surprise invoices.
How long does it take to build a website or custom app?
A landing or business-card site takes 1–2 weeks. A calculator or Telegram bot with payments, 1–3 weeks. A full custom system — catalogue, bookings, roles, admin — starts at about a month and grows with scope. I work in visible increments, so you see something clickable early rather than waiting weeks for a big reveal at the end.
What does the process look like when I hire you to build something?
It starts with a short discovery call to understand the process you want fixed, not just the feature you asked for. Then I map scope, give you a range and timeline, and start building in visible increments you can click and test. You get regular check-ins, a staging link, and a production deploy at the end. No black box.
Who owns the code and intellectual property when a freelancer builds my software?
You do. When the project is paid for, you own the code, the design and the data outright — full source, repository access, and everything needed to run it or hand it to another developer. I don't lock you into my hosting or keep the keys. It's your system to own, not rent.
What technology stack do you use to build custom systems?
Modern, proven web tech, nothing exotic: TypeScript, React and Next.js on the front, Node with a SQL database (Postgres) behind it, deployed on standard cloud infrastructure with Docker. Telegram bots, Stripe payments and live-data APIs where the task needs them. I pick tools your next developer can read, so you're never locked to me.
What happens after launch — do you offer ongoing support or just disappear?
Both options are yours. Support plans run €50–750 a month: fixes, dependency and security updates, uptime monitoring, and hours for small features, with a clear monthly report of what got done. Or take a clean handover — full code, docs and access — and run it yourself or with another team. You're never trapped either way.
Isn't it risky to hire one person instead of an agency — what if they disappear?
It's a fair concern, so I answer it honestly. The upside of solo: you talk to the person who builds it, decisions are fast, and there's no agency margin. The bus-factor risk is real, which is why everything ships as clean, documented code in a repository you own — any competent developer can pick it up. No lock-in, no lost keys.
Which languages and time zones do you work in?
I build and communicate in Russian, English and Hungarian, and every site ships natively trilingual — not machine-translated. I'm based near Budapest (Central European Time) and work with clients worldwide, remote. CET overlaps a full workday with Europe and the mornings of the Americas, so scheduling calls across time zones is rarely a problem.
Should I buy off-the-shelf software or have something custom built?
If a ready SaaS fits your process, buy it — it's cheaper and faster, and I'll tell you so honestly. Custom is worth it when your process doesn't fit the box: you're paying monthly for features you don't use, stitching tools together by hand, or hitting a wall the SaaS won't move. Then you own a tool built exactly around how you work.
What guarantees do I get, and what happens if the project goes wrong?
I work in small paid milestones, so you're never far from something working and can stop with a usable result if priorities change. Scope, range and timeline are agreed in writing before I start. Bugs found after launch get fixed — that's on me, not billed as extra. And because you own the code from day one, you're never held hostage.
Can you add a feature or AI to a product I already have, without breaking it?
Yes. I read your existing code and data first, then build the new feature in isolation so it can't break what already works, with tests and a careful rollout to your production. AI goes in only where it earns its place — smart search, draft generation, parsing a link into structured data — like the AI features running in eRENTAL, not AI for show.
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I answer myself — no account managers, no scripts.