Syed Zeeshan Akhtar Project Manager
/ Tech Lead

Hands-on technical lead delivering web, mobile and cloud platforms for remote teams and clients.

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01

About

I'm a project manager and tech lead with 10+ years in software, from hands-on engineering to running delivery. I founded Horizech, a software company in Pakistan and the UK, and have worked with remote clients in Italy since 2020. I plan the work, keep scope and communication clear, and stay technical enough to review architecture, code and estimates myself.

I started in 2014 as an Android developer at Apponative, moved into Unity, and progressed to running projects independently: milestones, storyboarding and client requirements. After an MSc at Politecnico di Milano, with a thesis stage at STMicroelectronics, I led development of a cross-platform mobile app and two archive systems in Lahore, then moved to remote work with enterprise clients in Italy in 2020.

10+
years in software, from engineering to delivery
Founder
of Horizech (2022), a software company in Pakistan and the UK
Since 2020
working remotely with enterprise clients in Italy
4 products
delivered on our own platform, Horizech Workspace
THE JOURNEY UP THE STACK
DELIVERYScope · planning · teams · client communication
CLOUDAzure · AWS · managed SaaS
PLATFORMHorizech Workspace · plugin architecture
BACKENDC# · .NET · SQL Server · APIs
FRONTENDReact · TypeScript · Angular · Flutter
FIRMWAREC/C++ · ARM mbed · sensors
SILICONElectrical engineering · embedded
02

How I run projects

  1. Scope first

    Define scope and priorities with stakeholders before building.

  2. Plan in the right shape

    Milestones for fixed-scope work, sprints for evolving products.

  3. Clear communication

    One point of contact, weekly timesheet and progress summary.

  4. Quality early

    Testing, code review and CI/CD from the start, not at the end.

  5. Change control

    Changes estimated and approved before work starts.

  6. Technical oversight

    Architecture, code and estimate review stay hands-on.

03

Where I’ve worked

Sep 2022 – Present · Pakistan & UK

Founder & Lead Engineer

Horizech
  • ·Founded and run a registered software company in Pakistan and the UK. Lead a cross-functional team of developers, QA and a designer, and own planning, delivery and client communication.
  • ·Architected Horizech Workspace, a modular, self-hostable SaaS platform (.NET Core, React/TypeScript, PostgreSQL) with 19 provider interfaces, 23+ plugins, 9 apps, a component registry and JWT-based licensing.
  • ·Delivered products on the platform: Wiscademy (online exam-prep courses; Next.js, Stripe web payments, RevenueCat in-app purchases), ProjSafe (mining safety platform), Moon Kids (educational games for Android and iOS) and Captain Password (password manager with web, desktop and Android builds).
  • ·Published Flutter Up, an open-source Flutter UI kit (30 themed components) on pub.dev.
Jun 2020 – Present · Italy · Remote

Senior Software Developer

Quantyx Advisors
  • ·Work within Azure DevOps sprints: planning, work items, pull requests, code review and CI/CD.
  • ·Core developer on QuantyxRM, an enterprise risk-management platform for real estate, private equity, venture capital, private debt, infrastructure, credit and fund-of-funds (C#/ASP.NET Core, React/TypeScript, SQL Server).
  • ·Implemented database CI/CD with RedGate and dacpac pipelines; built Azure Functions for PDF generation, Blob Storage and email workflows; introduced NUnit, Playwright and containerised integration tests.
Mar 2020 – Present · Italy · Remote

Part-time Consultant

Audit Financial Team
  • ·Develop OneCompliance, a configurable corporate-controls and audit platform covering line controls through third-level internal audit (Angular front end; AWS backend: Lambda, CloudWatch, S3, EC2).
Apr 2019 – mid 2020 · Lahore, Pakistan

Senior Software Developer

TowerTech
  • ·Led development of two document and media archive systems with automated text extraction and keyword indexing (Angular, .NET Core, PostgreSQL), including a system delivered to a private national news channel.
Apr 2018 – Apr 2019 · Lahore, Pakistan

Software Engineer Lead

Indigost
  • ·Lead developer and designer of Drizlet, a cross-platform mobile app (Node.js server, Ionic/Angular); built mobile titles in Unity and Godot.
May 2014 – Sep 2015 · Lahore, Pakistan

Software Engineer

Apponative
  • ·Started in Android development, moved into Unity, and progressed to running projects independently: milestones, storyboarding and client requirements.
  • ·Projects included HubbleGo (taxi app), TimeBOM (media app) and HepC (hospital ERP).

Education

2016 – 2018
MSc Computer Science and Engineering
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Thesis stage at STMicroelectronics (Sep 2017 – Apr 2018), embedded/IoT.
2009 – 2013
BSc Electrical Engineering
University of Lahore, Pakistan
04

Selected projects

Short case studies: context, my role, approach and outcome.

PLATFORM

Horizech Workspace

.NET Core · React/TypeScript · PostgreSQL
Context
Every new product needed the same groundwork: authentication, data, file storage, email, encryption and payments, rebuilt slightly differently each time.
My role
Founder and architect. I designed the platform and lead the team that builds products on it.
Approach
A Provider/Plugin/App architecture. Providers define capabilities as interfaces, plugins implement them (PostgreSQL, Stripe, S3 and more), and apps hold only business logic. A component registry and JWT-based licensing cover managed and self-hosted installs.
Outcome
19 provider interfaces, 23+ plugins and 9 apps. Wiscademy, ProjSafe, Moon Kids and Captain Password were all delivered on it.
FLAGSHIP PRODUCT

Wiscademy

EdTech · Next.js · Stripe · RevenueCat
Context
Online courses for Canadian engineering licensing: NPPE and FE exam prep plus CPD courses, started with a co-founder who is a licensed Canadian engineer.
My role
Co-founder and technical lead: mapped the product's needs onto Workspace and planned the build.
Approach
Courses, accounts and payments reused existing Workspace providers, so only new features such as certificates needed building. A Next.js front end calls Workspace API actions.
Outcome
From idea to a working product with Stripe payments and a certification system in weeks. Now live on the web and Google Play, with in-app purchases through RevenueCat.
CLIENT PROJECT

ProjSafe

Mining safety · Built on Workspace
Context
A mining safety management platform: real-time job monitoring, hazard incident tracking, QR-based equipment management, compliance workflows and supervisor dashboards.
My role
Led delivery through Horizech: planning, client communication and the build on Workspace.
Approach
Built on Horizech Workspace rather than from scratch: a completely different industry on the same engine.
Outcome
Delivered to the client.
PRODUCT

Moon Kids

Educational games · Android & iOS
Context
Educational games for Android and iOS.
My role
Managed the whole project.
Approach
Delivered on Horizech Workspace.
Outcome
Published on Google Play.
SECURITY

Captain Password

Password manager · Web, desktop & Android
Context
A self-hostable password manager.
My role
Led the team through to completion and created the plans they followed.
Approach
Built on Workspace, reusing the platform's existing encryption and authentication providers.
Outcome
Built in days; available as web, desktop and Android builds.
OPEN SOURCE

Flutter Up

Flutter UI kit · pub.dev
Context
A kit of ready-to-use UI components for Flutter apps.
My role
Published it as an open-source package.
Outcome
30 themed components, available on pub.dev.
CLIENT DELIVERY

Document & media archives

TowerTech · Angular · .NET Core · PostgreSQL
Context
Two document and media archive systems at TowerTech, Lahore.
My role
Led development of both systems.
Approach
Automated text extraction and keyword indexing, built with Angular, .NET Core and PostgreSQL.
Outcome
One of the systems was delivered to a private national news channel.
ENTERPRISE

QuantyxRM

Risk management · C#/ASP.NET Core · React · SQL Server
Context
Quantyx Advisors' enterprise risk-management platform for real estate, private equity, venture capital, private debt, infrastructure, credit and fund-of-funds.
My role
Core developer since 2020, working in Azure DevOps sprints: planning, work items, pull requests and code review.
Approach
Database CI/CD with RedGate and dacpac pipelines, and Azure Functions for PDF generation, Blob Storage and email workflows.
Outcome
Introduced automated testing with NUnit, Playwright and containerised integration tests.

More engineering work

OneCompliance

Audit · Angular + AWS

Configurable corporate-controls and audit platform, from line controls to third-level internal audit. Part-time consultant since 2020.

JerryScript on ARM mbed

Embedded · C/C++ · MSc thesis at STMicroelectronics

Ran a JavaScript engine on microcontrollers, with a layered sensor-driver stack and MQTT for remote program deployment. Open-sourced as npm packages.

Rahnumai.pk

Community platform · Pakistan

Community-driven review platform helping Pakistani families find schools, hospitals and housing societies.

05

The toolkit

Delivery

Agile deliverySprint planningScope definitionTechnical documentationCode review

Architecture

MicroservicesREST APIsSaaS & plugin architecturesDatabase design

Languages & frameworks

C#ASP.NET Core / MVC (.NET 6–8)TypeScriptReactAngularNode.jsNext.js

Mobile

FlutterIonicUnityGodotAndroid & iOS

Data

SQL ServerT-SQLPostgreSQLEntity FrameworkLINQ

Cloud & DevOps

Azure DevOpsAzure FunctionsAWS (Lambda, EC2, S3, CloudWatch)DockerKubernetesCI/CD

Testing

NUnitPlaywrightContainerised integration tests

AI-assisted development

Claude CodeGitHub Copilot
06

Away from the keyboard

CREATIVE

Tunes on the Moon

I create children's educational content and games — a creative outlet that grew into a brand spanning videos, 3D worlds, and learning games for kids.

TINKERING

Building for builders

I'm fascinated by developer tools and platforms. Horizech Workspace started as the thing I wished existed when building products quickly.

REMOTE LIFE

From Lahore, for the world

Based in Pakistan, working with teams across Italy, the UK and beyond — proof that great engineering has no borders.

07

Writing

July 20265 min read

How I Built a Learning Platform in Weeks — by Building the Platform First

Most founders face a choice: build fast on someone else's platform, or build slow on your own. I found a third option.

Let’s work together.

Open to project management and tech lead engagements. Based in Lahore, Pakistan, working across time zones with clients in Europe.

[email protected]LinkedInGitHub