From Idea to MVP
Fast, professional app development for startups ready to move beyond MVP limits.
I'm Dario Mercado, a full-stack product engineer who helps you launch fast and scale confidently.
Why Work With Me
Limits with Low-Code
If you've validated your idea with Lovable, Bolt.new, or other low-code platforms, I'll help you take the next step — with clean, scalable code you own.
Product Engineer, Not Just a Coder
I don't just ship features — I think about UX, growth, and scalability so your app doesn't break when your user base doubles.
Proven Speed
50+ apps launched. MVPs in 1 week. Production-ready apps in 4 weeks.
Native or cross-platform (React Native). Launch on iOS & Android with confidence.
Modern, elegant, and performant. Optimized for growth.
Bring me in to plan scalable systems and accelerate your engineering roadmap.
About Me
I ask "what does this move for the business?" before I write a line of code.
I'm a senior full-stack engineer with six years of Rails and React experience — and an unusual background: five years as a VP at Silicon Valley Bank, where I watched hundreds of startups scale (and stumble). That taught me to think in product outcomes, not just tickets.
At Kantata, I led a multi-month redesign that drove a 50% adoption increase. At Ario, I architected an async data pipeline across 15 sources with zero production incidents. I bring that same business-first instinct to every engagement.
Technical Arsenal
Languages & Core
Ruby, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, SQL
Backend & APIs
Ruby on Rails, Node.js, FastAPI/Flask, GraphQL, REST, Prisma
Frontend & UI
React, Next.js, React Native, Tailwind CSS
Infra & Architecture
AWS, GCP, Docker, Vercel, PostgreSQL, CI/CD
AI & LLMs
OpenAI API, Claude API, Gemini, Prompt Engineering, RAG, Vector Databases
What I Can Build
Based on my experience across different industries, here's what's possible for your project.
The Problem
Legacy navigation and complex data displays were driving down user engagement and increasing support tickets in a massive professional services platform.
What I Built
Led the migration to a modern stack utilizing Ruby on Rails, React, and GraphQL. Implemented highly reusable component architecture and optimized bulk API endpoints.
The Result
50% increase in feature adoption post-launch and a significant reduction in page load payload.
The Problem
The platform required real-time analysis of user data spanning multiple decoupled external APIs without compromising the core app performance.
What I Built
Engineered an asynchronous architecture to query 15 unique data sources concurrently, with robust failure retry mechanisms and automated background processing.
The Result
Zero production incidents handling millions of data points alongside vastly improved API aggregate response times.
Ready to Scale Beyond Low-Code?
Don't let your app stay stuck in prototype mode. Let's build something real, fast, elegant, and scalable.
Let's Start Your Project
Ready to bring your idea to life? Send me a message and let's discuss your project.