Independent Shopify engineer for ambitious DTC brands

Hi, I'm Nikola - a senior software engineer with 10 years of hands-on Shopify experience, including 7 years at Huel, where I helped build and scale the engineering behind 7 Shopify Plus storefronts.

I work with growing DTC brands on the kind of Shopify work that goes beyond off-the-shelf apps and themes: custom storefronts, bespoke product experiences, complex integrations, and the architectural decisions that don't come back to bite you in 18 months. Learn more about me.

What I do

Custom Shopify development

Bespoke product forms, bundle builders, and multi-step customer journeys - built to handle real volume and real edge cases, not just demo well.

Theme development and storefront work

Liquid, headless (Next.js / Hydrogen), or hybrid. Performance, UX, and maintainability built in from the start. Backed by 50+ stores shipped at a Shopify-focused agency.

Integrations and backend

Custom apps, Laravel/Node services, CRM and ESP integrations, internal admin systems. The work that connects Shopify to the rest of your business.

Selected work

Ground-up theme rebuildLaura Vann

Built a brand new Shopify Online Store 2.0 theme from scratch for a demi-fine jewellery brand - replacing a slow, heavily-modified off-the-shelf theme that had grown unmaintainable.

Shopify OS 2.0LiquidAlpine.jsTailwindCSSSentry

Bespoke customer portalHuel

Led the frontend of a fully bespoke subscription management portal serving Huel's entire customer base - subscriptions, payment methods, deliveries, and upsells in one place.

Vue.jsVuex/PiniaTypeScriptStripeGitHub ActionsSentry

Centralised CMS for 7 Shopify Plus storefrontsHuel

Bootstrapped and led the frontend of a custom micro-service CMS managing stores, products, orders, discounts and content across all 7 of Huel's Plus stores. Cut product launches from hours to minutes.

ReactshadcnTypeScriptTurborepoAWS CognitoGitHub ActionsSentry
View all work →

How I work with clients

I take on a small number of clients at a time, in four formats:

  • →
    Project-based work: defined scopes, fixed timelines. Custom apps, theme builds, integrations.
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    Monthly retainers: priority access and a set number of days per month for ongoing development.
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    Theme development: new builds, improvements, performance optimisation.
  • →
    Fractional senior engineer: tech advisory for founders without an in-house team.

I work exclusively on Shopify. I don't take on WordPress, WooCommerce, or Magento work - but I'm happy to help migrate to Shopify from any of them.

Working on something that fits?

Send me a short email about what you're building and what you need help with. I'll get back to you within a couple of days.

koko@nikoladonchev.com →