Hey, I'm Faris
Staff Software Engineer based in Geneva, Switzerland. I specialize in frontend development, with deep expertise in React, Next.js, and payment systems.
What I Do
Building software, sharing knowledge, growing communities
Engineering
Building scalable frontend architectures, payment integrations, and developer tools at fintech companies.
Speaking
Conferences and meetups worldwide about React, performance, and payments.
Community
Founded ZurichJS to bring together JavaScript enthusiasts in Switzerland.
Mentorship
Helping developers grow through 1:1 mentorship on MentorCruise.
Workshops
Helping developers grow through 1:1 mentorship on MentorCruise.
My Journey
From CrossFit instructor to Staff Engineer
The Beginning
My path to software engineering wasn't traditional. I started as a CrossFit instructor before discovering my passion for coding through a bootcamp.
Career Growth
I've worked at companies across Connected TV, fitness tech, SaaS, and fintech, eventually rising to Staff Engineer and Engineering Manager roles.
Today
I focus on helping developers build better software through speaking, teaching, and open source contributions. I'm particularly passionate about making complex topics like payment systems and performance optimization accessible to everyone.
Work Experience
Companies I've worked with
Smallpdf
Staff Frontend Engineer · 2024 - Present
Developed key features and optimized frontend performance for a platform with millions of daily users.
Navro
Frontend Tech Lead & Engineering Manager · 2022-2024
Developed and established the career progression framework for engineers. Led the architecture, design and development of the API docs platform.
Fiit
Software Engineer II · 2021-2022
Independently led investigations into website infrastructure to devise upgrade strategies, migrating monolithic codebase from legacy (2018) NextJs to the latest release.
MentorCruise
Software Engineering Mentor · 2022-Present
Helping the next generation of frontend developers grow through personalized mentorship and guidance.
Discovery+
Junior Front-End Developer · 2020-2021
Contributed to accessibility features and in-app purchasing integrations for the streaming platform.
Eurosport
Junior Front-End Developer · 2020-2021
Helped develop the text-to-speech accessibility integration for set-top boxes and led the integration of In-App-Purchasing for Comcast devices.
GCN
Junior Front-End Developer · 2020-2021
Implemented text-to-speech accessibility integration for devices such as Amazon Fire TV and Samsung. Worked directly with Figma designs for UI component implementations.
FX Digital
Junior Front-End Developer - Connected TV · Jul 2020 - Aug 2021
Helped develop the text-to-speech accessibility integration for set-top boxes (e.g. Comcast), Lead the integration of In-App-Purchasing for Comcast devices, EPG Schedule, Hero Component implementation, Text-to-speech accessibility integration for devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Samsung, etc.
Technical Skills
Technologies and tools I work with daily
Frontend
Backend
Payments
Tools
Design
Let's Connect
Whether you want to collaborate on a project, have me speak at your event, or just chat about tech — I'd love to hear from you.