Steinar Karlsson
I am a Full Stack Software Engineer and a technology enthusiast based in New Zealand. My background is in Software, Production Engineering, Embedded Systems and Project Management.
My Stack
Frontend Development • I use React with frameworks like Next.js to build fast, SEO-friendly applications. I choose Next.js because of their focus on top DX while also being able to provide great user experience with tech like SSR. For styling I prefer TailwindCSS for my personal projects, but I also use MUI or similar UI libraries for larger projects with traditional HTML/CSS.
Backend Development & Databases • I rely on Node.js and work with both REST and GraphQL APIs. Depending on the needs, I use relational databases like PostgreSQL or Google Cloud SQL and NoSQL solutions like MongoDB, Firebase, and Supabase. Redis helps with caching and session management.
Architecture & System Design • I design event-driven architectures using tools like Kafka or AWS SNS/SQS, and use microservices when appropriate to ensure scalability and maintainability.
Authentication & Authorization • I prefer to handle authentication with OAuth with a service like Okta. I believe platforms should always offer SSO since it offers the best UX.
Cloud Infrastructure & DevOps • I use Docker for containerization and Terraform for infrastructure-as-code. My cloud stack includes GCP, AWS, and Vercel, with CI/CD pipelines through GitHub Actions to streamline deployment.
Testing & Quality Assurance • I write tests with Jest, Cypress, Playwright, and Cucumber to ensure code reliability and performance. I am a proponent for integration tests in general, while I do think unit tests are applicable for pure functions.
Code Quality & Version Control • I maintain consistent code style using ESLint and Prettier, and manage code versions with Git. As long as the style conventions are consistent within a project, then I am happy.
Personal Projects
MiniCollection.app
When I am not programming, I collect miniatures. This is a complete database of over 2000 miniatures where users can manage their own collection. This app is getting 1000 visitors/week and increasing since soft launching it in July.
Github
Live Site
Askja
A white label employee performance review platform. Create your employees and pre-made KPIs, and the app takes care of the rest. This features a 3 tiered performance review: Self Review -> Manager Review -> HR Review with the ability to request changes any KPI.
Financial Dashboard
A financial dashboard where you can review your latest transactions and learn more about your spending habits. In this app I wanted to explore serving data from Vercel Postgres via SSR.