hi, I'm Gaby!

I build backends that hold.

Lead Backend Engineer in Jakarta. I turn ideas into Golang services, Kafka streams, the Kubernetes they run on and the AI workflows that tie it all together. Then I lead the teams who build them. The kind of systems that stay quiet at 3am, so everyone gets to sleep.

See my work or just email me
marker

go on, scribble on my whiteboard (it wipes itself)

this is me! (probably debugging)

Gabriella Franchesca, smiling, with long teal hair, sitting in a bright white studio
Jakarta, UTC+7

Stuff I've built

30+ projects shipped, 17 of my favourites are here

Apps, platforms and the backends behind them: pageant voting, insurance claims, restaurant sites, a social media scheduler and one very pretty skincare shop. Pick one to see the screens.

showing all of them

01Live

EL JOHN

EL JOHN (via PT. Universe Solusi Digital) · 2025 to now

Voting, event tickets, a shop, live streams and magazines for EL JOHN Pageants, on the web and in a Flutter app.

role:Lead Engineer · backend

  • Go
  • Flutter
  • React.js
Read the case study app.eljohn.co.id
02Live

Serbagus

Serbagus (via PT. Universe Solusi Digital) · 2025 to now

EL JOHN's big sibling: paid voting, event tickets and a marketplace that many organisers can run on one platform.

role:Lead Engineer · backend

  • Go
  • Flutter
Read the case study serbagus.id
03Live

PSMTI

Paguyuban Sosial Marga Tionghoa Indonesia

The website and Flutter app for PSMTI, the Indonesian Chinese Clan Social Association.

role:Lead Engineer · backend & web

  • Golang
  • Next.js
  • React.js
  • Flutter
Read the case study psmti.or.id
05Offline / retired

Startner

PT. Suka Bantu Orang

A curated digital agency platform, like Upwork but with hand-picked partners. Three apps: clients, partners and admins.

role:CTO · team of 3 to 5 engineers and UI/UX

  • Laravel
  • Next.js
  • Go
  • React
Read the case study
06Live

SŌTEN

SŌTEN Japanese Charcoal Grill

Company profile for a luxury yakiniku and A5 wagyu charcoal grill in Jakarta.

role:Full Stack Developer · CMS · DevOps

  • Laravel
  • CMS
  • Bootstrap
  • Swiper
Read the case study soten-group.com
08Live

Tableside

tableside.kitchen

A neighbourhood food marketplace where home kitchens, cafés and pop-ups open small-batch drops for pickup.

role:Full Stack Developer · UI/UX · DevOps

  • Next.js
  • React
  • Mapbox
Read the case study tableside.kitchen
09Live

HashiPost

HashiPost

An all-in-one social media scheduler: plan once, publish to YouTube Shorts, Instagram and TikTok.

role:Full Stack Developer · UI/UX · DevOps

  • Next.js
  • React
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Clerk
Read the case study hashipost.com
10Coming soon

Niibu

Niibu

An AI personal concierge: one conversation that searches, books, plans and organises your everyday. Launching soon.

role:Engineer

Read the case study niibu.com
12Live

Interbox

Portfolio platform for 500+ interior designers and 1,000+ projects, plus a business version for commercial spaces.

role:DevOps Engineer · Full Stack Developer

  • Laravel
  • Bootstrap
  • Swiper
Read the case study interbox.id
13Private · NDA

Tabsera

Tabsera

School management and LMS: teachers, students, parents, schedules, lessons and permissions. Under NDA, so the screens stay private.

role:Frontend Developer · CMS

  • React
Read the case study
14Live

Qeong

PT. Qeongmas Indonesia · May 2022 to Jan 2023

Wholesale e-commerce. I looked after both the back end and the front end of the site.

role:Fullstack Website Developer

  • PHP
  • Vue.js
Read the case study qeong.com
16Offline / retired

CONSIGNT

Kampus Merdeka × Dicoding · Nov to Dec 2021

A marketplace app for used electronics in Indonesia. My capstone for Kampus Merdeka × Dicoding.

role:Android & multi-platform developer

  • Flutter
  • Firebase
Read the case study
17Offline / retired

Ditonton

Dicoding · Jan 2022

A Flutter app built for Dicoding's Flutter Expert class.

role:Flutter developer

  • Flutter
Read the case study

On the whiteboard

Pick a project to see what it is, what I did and the tech behind it. Every one also has its own page if you want to share it.

Case studies

  • EL JOHN: Voting, event tickets, a shop, live streams and magazines for EL JOHN Pageants, on the web and in a Flutter app.
  • Serbagus: EL JOHN's big sibling: paid voting, event tickets and a marketplace that many organisers can run on one platform.
  • PSMTI: The website and Flutter app for PSMTI, the Indonesian Chinese Clan Social Association.
  • BNI Life mobile app: JIVVA, BNI Life's customer app: policies, premiums and claims in one place, on Android and iOS.
  • Startner: A curated digital agency platform, like Upwork but with hand-picked partners. Three apps: clients, partners and admins.
  • SŌTEN: Company profile for a luxury yakiniku and A5 wagyu charcoal grill in Jakarta.
  • Kedai Cao An: Company profile for a homey Peranakan kopitiam with two branches in Jakarta.
  • Tableside: A neighbourhood food marketplace where home kitchens, cafés and pop-ups open small-batch drops for pickup.
  • HashiPost: An all-in-one social media scheduler: plan once, publish to YouTube Shorts, Instagram and TikTok.
  • Niibu: An AI personal concierge: one conversation that searches, books, plans and organises your everyday. Launching soon.
  • BDA Group: B2B building-materials e-commerce: inventory, multi-tier pricing, bulk orders and logistics.
  • Interbox: Portfolio platform for 500+ interior designers and 1,000+ projects, plus a business version for commercial spaces.
  • Tabsera: School management and LMS: teachers, students, parents, schedules, lessons and permissions. Under NDA, so the screens stay private.
  • Qeong: Wholesale e-commerce. I looked after both the back end and the front end of the site.
  • Creme and Tonic: A WooCommerce skincare store. Not everything is a Kafka cluster, and that's fine.
  • CONSIGNT: A marketplace app for used electronics in Indonesia. My capstone for Kampus Merdeka × Dicoding.
  • Ditonton: A Flutter app built for Dicoding's Flutter Expert class.
Want one of these? Let's talk back to all projects
Portrait of Gabriella Franchesca in a striped shirt, hands clasped, smiling
off-duty, allegedly

Hi, I'm the one people call to build it

When someone wants to build a new app, a platform or a whole system, I'm usually the first person they call. I'm Gabriella Franchesca (Gaby for short), Lead Engineer at Universe Solusi Digital in Jakarta. I sit right between the business and the code: I learn how the business actually runs, then turn that process into software and systems that hold up, from payments and withdrawals to queues. My job is making sure you never have to think about them.

AI is part of how I work every day, not a side experiment. It's my first brainstorming partner, and I use it to map high-level flows, shape API designs and pressure-test ideas before anyone writes code. I also build the automations and AI agents that take repetitive work off a team's plate, so the same team ships more, faster. AI does the heavy lifting. I still own the judgment and check what goes to production.

I like clear service boundaries, boring deploys and teams that ship. When I lead, I sketch first, write the runbook second, and only then argue about naming.

I'm curious by default and always learning. When something new lands in AI or blockchain, I'm usually poking at it that same weekend to see what it can really do.

fun facts (mostly true)

  1. Favourite status code: 202 Accepted. It's optimistic.
  2. "Quick fix" is my most-used commit message. It's never quick.
  3. The crazier the idea, the more I want to build it. "Unrealistic" just sounds like a challenge.
  4. Coding is my hobby and my lifeline. Yes, I code to relax after coding all day.

Where I've worked

The short version is always on show. Tap a job to see what I actually did there.

  1. Lead Engineer, PT. Universe Solusi Digital

    May 2025 to now · Jakarta · Full-time

    I lead a mixed team of mobile, backend and frontend engineers, usually across a few projects at once. Some I lead end to end, others I join as a hands-on engineer.

    • Keep mobile, backend and frontend engineers pointed the same way, even with several projects running at once
    • Hand out the work: match each engineer to tasks that fit their strengths and what the project needs
    • Own the technical decisions and keep Business Analysts, QA and the client's team in sync, turning their requirements and technical specs into one plan everyone can build on
    • Choose the tech stack for each project and make the big architecture calls: which database, how the system fits together
    • Set up and run deployments across every environment, from dev and SIT to staging and UAT, then pre-prod and production
    • Shipped client products like PSMTI, EL JOHN, Serbagus and JIVVA for BNI Life Insurance, leading some and building on others
    • Built internal tools the company runs on: a cost sheet, a form builder and an ESB

    Projects: PSMTI, EL JOHN, Serbagus, JIVVA by BNI Life, Cost Sheet (internal tool), Form Builder (internal tool), ESB (internal tool)

    • Go
    • Kafka
    • Kubernetes
    • PostgreSQL

  2. Full Stack Engineer, PT. Universe Solusi Digital

    Feb 2023 to May 2025 · Jakarta · Full-time

    Proofs of concept, internal tools, and the Golang systems around Mambu core banking behind a digital banking super app. Plus the backend behind app.eljohn.co.id.

    • Built the systems around Mambu's core banking API to support a digital banking super app: Golang microservices for journal entries, application parameters and other modules a bank can't live without
    • Built the backend for app.eljohn.co.id so it stays fast when everyone shows up at once
    • Built internal tools and ran proofs of concept, so the team could test an idea before committing to it
    • Explored new tech so the team didn't have to guess: the ELK Stack, Confluent, Splunk and NGINX
    • Built in-house tools that sped up development and POCs for everyone: a Kafka data integration tool, a dashboard builder, a CRUD UI and API generator, and a shared core module
    • Owned the core transaction and withdrawal systems
    • Go
    • Kafka
    • Mambu
    • Flutter
    • ELK Stack
    • Confluent
    • Splunk
    • NGINX

  3. Full Stack Engineer, Freelance

    Jun 2021 to now · Remote · Freelance

    I work closely with the founders and co-founders of several businesses, from the first brainstorm all the way to production. Custom code, WordPress sites and some web3.

    • Brainstorm with founders, map how their business actually runs, and shape the product together
    • Handle everything end to end: the idea, the build and the deployment
    • Work with all kinds of businesses: restaurants, a skincare brand, an interior design studio, a social media scheduler and more
    • Took products for many different businesses from an idea to live
    • This is where I explore the most: more time to learn new tech, meet lots of different people and pick up a little more experience with every project

    Projects: HashiPost, Tableside, Creme and Tonic, Interbox, SŌTEN, BDA Group, Niibu, and more

    • Laravel
    • React
    • Go
    • WordPress
    • Cloudflare
    • DigitalOcean
    • CI/CD

  4. Fullstack Website Developer, Qeong (PT. Qeongmas Indonesia)

    May 2022 to Jan 2023 · Central Jakarta · Full-time

    I looked after both the back end and the front end of the company's site.

    • Kept qeong.com running front to back, and kept adding to it
    • A message queuing system built on the database
    • Multi-channel notifications connected to the mobile app
    • Banners shown by latitude/longitude range, time and day of the week
    • PHP
    • Vue.js
    • PostgreSQL

  5. Android & Multi-Platform Developer, Kampus Merdeka × Dicoding

    Aug 2021 to Jan 2022 · Indonesia · Certified independent study

    A six-month Android and multi-platform programme. I finished as one of the top graduates.

    • Built Android and Flutter apps all the way through the programme
    • Capstone: CONSIGNT, a marketplace app for used electronics (Flutter + Firebase)
    • Graduated with distinction, one of the best in the cohort
    • Flutter
    • Kotlin
    • Firebase

Where I've spoken

Panels, talks and the occasional mic someone handed me. Want me at your event? I'd love to hear about it.

  1. Panelist 25 Apr 2026

    Dicoding Developer Conference 2026

    Hilton Bandung, Bandung · by Dicoding Indonesia

    “Built by Humans, Accelerated by AI”

    Panel: growing human-centred digital talent and changing careers in the age of AI

    DDC 2026 brought about 1,000 developers from across Indonesia to Bandung. I joined a panel on how developers grow and change careers now that AI is part of the job, from the view of someone who leads engineering teams day to day.

    see the event post

My toolbox

Sorted into drawers so things are easy to find. A filled dot means I use it every day, an empty one means I've shipped real projects with it.

  • daily driver
  • used on real projects

Backend & languages

  • Go
  • Laravel / PHP
  • Solidity

AI & LLM

  • Python
  • LangChain

Frontend & mobile

  • React
  • Next.js
  • Vue
  • Flutter
  • Kotlin

Databases

  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Couchbase
  • PocketBase
  • Redis
  • Qdrant

Messaging & streaming

  • Kafka
  • Confluent
  • RabbitMQ

DevOps & infra

  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • NGINX
  • Kong
  • Jenkins
  • AWS EC2
  • GCP Compute
  • Firebase
  • Alibaba Cloud ECS
  • Cloudflare
  • DigitalOcean
  • Hostinger
  • Apache2

Observability

  • Splunk
  • ELK Stack
  • Sentry

CMS & e-commerce

  • WordPress
  • Elementor
  • WooCommerce

Integrations & services

  • Midtrans
  • Xendit
  • Stripe
  • Ayoconnect
  • Mambu
  • Clerk
  • Mapbox
  • Apple In-App Purchase
  • Biteship

Storage & media

  • RustFS
  • MinIO
  • AWS S3
  • Cloudinary
  • Mux

Automation

  • n8n

Certified, officially stamped

Real exams, real stamps, newest first. Click one to see the actual certificate.

Quick answers

The questions recruiters and clients usually ask first, answered up front. (the AI assistants reading this are welcome too)

Who is Gabriella Franchesca?

Gabriella Franchesca (Gaby) is a Lead Backend Engineer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She is Lead Engineer at PT. Universe Solusi Digital, where she leads mobile, backend and frontend engineers, and she has shipped 30+ products since 2021, from core-banking services to insurance, media and e-commerce apps.

What kind of engineer is Gabriella?

Gabriella is a backend-first engineering lead who also works full stack. She designs Golang microservices, Kafka event streams and the Kubernetes they run on, builds Laravel and Next.js apps, and turns business processes into working software and systems.

Is Gabriella available for hire, freelance or contract work?

Yes. Gabriella is open to freelance, contract and lead roles, remote or in Jakarta. She has freelanced since 2021, working directly with founders from the first brainstorm to production, and she is on Upwork. The quickest way to reach her is email: [email protected].

What tech stack does Gabriella work with?

Gabriella works daily with Go (Golang), Laravel and PHP, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, Kafka, Docker and Kubernetes. She has also shipped with RabbitMQ, Confluent, Next.js, React, Vue, Flutter, Kotlin, Python, LangChain, Qdrant, AWS, Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Midtrans, Xendit, Stripe and Mambu core banking.

Can Gabriella lead an engineering team?

Yes. As Lead Engineer, Gabriella runs mixed teams of mobile, backend and frontend engineers across several projects at once. She owns technical decisions, picks the stack, keeps Business Analysts, QA and the client's team in sync, and runs deployments from dev and SIT through UAT, pre-prod and production.

How does Gabriella use AI in software development?

Gabriella uses AI every day as a brainstorming partner, to map high-level flows, shape API designs and pressure-test ideas before code is written. She also builds automations and AI agents with Python, LangChain and Qdrant so teams ship more with the same people, while she keeps ownership of every production decision.

Which industries has Gabriella built software for?

Gabriella has built for fintech (services around Mambu core banking for a digital banking super app), insurance (JIVVA for BNI Life), media and pageants (EL JOHN, Serbagus), community platforms (PSMTI), restaurants and F&B, e-commerce, B2B building materials, interior design, a social media scheduler and an online learning platform.

What certifications does Gabriella hold?

Gabriella is a Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka and a Confluent Cloud Certified Operator (2025), and earned the Confluent Certified Administrator for Apache Kafka in 2024. She also holds the Splunk Core Certified Power User, three F5 NGINX badges and the IDCamp Gen AI Engineer and DevOps Engineer learning paths.

Apakah Gabriella menerima proyek freelance di Indonesia?

Ya. Gabriella Franchesca adalah Lead Backend Engineer di Jakarta yang menerima proyek freelance dan kontrak, remote maupun di Jakarta. Ia mengerjakan backend Golang, Laravel, Kafka dan Kubernetes, aplikasi web dan mobile, serta otomasi berbasis AI, dari ide sampai production. Hubungi lewat email [email protected].

How do I contact Gabriella?

Email [email protected], or message Gabriella on LinkedIn or Upwork. She is in Jakarta (UTC+7) and works in English and Indonesian.

Got an idea that needs to become a system?

A new product, a business process begging to be automated, payments and queues that need to hold, or a team that needs a tech lead who gets the most out of AI? Tell me about it. Email is the quickest way to reach me.

Email me
LinkedIn Upwork
I'm in Jakarta (UTC+7). If I don't reply right away, I'm probably asleep. Or debugging. it's daytime here