Anastasiia Solodkaia
Independent technical advisor for startups and scale-ups.
I help leadership get critical software initiatives on solid ground - whether that means recovering an off-track project, turning an ambitious idea into an executable technical plan, or independently assessing architecture and delivery risk.
Taking on up to three new startup engagements in Q3 2026.
Career / Employers
Oracle · Devexperts · UAE digital-first bank · Synechron · Tinext · Arloid Automation
Selected delivery experience
KIB · NBK · KFH · ADNIC · Tawuniya · Dubai Free Zones Council · Zain
UBS · HSBC · FAB
When to bring me in
A high-stakes project is slipping, and it is no longer clear whether the problem is scope, architecture, the team setup, or all three.
You are about to start building a product, but nobody has turned the business goal into a technical plan the team can actually build.
Different people are giving you different answers about what is wrong, and you need an experienced outside view before committing more time or money.
The team is working hard, but progress does not match the effort, and you need someone who can work across product and engineering to get things moving again.
You work with me directly. I stay involved in the key technical decisions and can work hands-on with the team when the situation calls for it.
Who I work with
I work with people who need someone to get into the technical detail, understand the business constraints, and come back with a clear view of what needs to happen next.
Usually that means an important project is off track, something new needs a technical direction, or there is enough uncertainty that an independent view is useful before the next decision.
Focus areas
Close enough to the system to know if the answer is right - senior enough that it's my call to make.
Crisis & delivery recovery →
I come in when a project is already in trouble. I look at what is happening across the code, architecture, team, and product decisions, figure out what needs to change, and help lead the project out of it.
Zero-to-one systems →
I take a new product or platform from an idea to a working production system. I shape the architecture, make the key technical decisions, and stay with the team through delivery. That can also include hiring the team and deciding what is worth building now, later, or not at all.
Technical assessment →
I look at your business goals, known problems, architecture, engineering setup, and delivery plan, then give you a clear view of what is working, where the risks are, and what I would change.
Not sure which service you need? You don't need to decide before we talk. Get in touch →
You already know the proposal is only part of the story.
I've worked on every side of it.
Talent side
I worked inside outsourced and staff-augmented delivery teams.
Vendor side
I built vendor engineering pools and sold consulting capability.
Client side
I hired, screened, and governed vendors on the client's behalf.
Track record
Took a UAE bank's Open Finance implementation from zero to production on a timeline the team called unrealistic. Engineers I hired and trained went on to lead the new squads formed for its expansion.
One of only two banks in the UAE to meet the central bank's Open Finance requirements that year - the compliance bar a bank has to clear before it can build new revenue on top of Open Finance, from Banking-as-a-Service to potentially becoming a licensed Third-Party Provider itself.
A UAE bank launched its expansion into Pakistan with money transfers as its lead product. Six sprints behind and off the security standard when I stepped in. Back on track in two months, then four more spent developing the engineers before handing the team back. They later led the channel's expansion into a business-banking product for SME customers.
Deposits across the channel - anchored by that flagship transfers product - reached PKR 4.32 billion the following quarter. The SME product those engineers built has already onboarded 200+ customers, per the bank's own public filings.
Performed a technical assessment on an HVAC automation startup's proposed production-grade data platform, designed to hold complete multidimensional building models and time-series telemetry. Assessed the architecture, MVP readiness, delivery timeline, team capacity across engineering, DevOps, data, and QA, and the startup's remaining financial runway. Challenged the technical leadership team to define the underlying problem before committing to the proposed solution.
The solution reset around the actual MVP need - a simplified architecture the team could deliver within its remaining financial runway.
Led technical pre-sales and solution architecture for a Saudi insurer's digital platform. Ran technical stakeholder discovery, set the architecture and engineering standards, and led a senior architecture and security team. Directed multiple vendor teams within a 45-person technical delivery programme spanning client and internal teams. Owned technical delivery readiness across environments, CI/CD, secure vendor connectivity, and client infrastructure.
The engagement hit a critical sequencing conflict across multiple concurrent transformation programmes, including the replacement of the core platform on which the digital channels depended. The client paused the channel build and reset the programme sequence before committing further investment to a delivery plan that could not succeed.
What it's like to work together
…she is truly one of those rare technology leaders who brings together deep technical expertise, strong leadership, and sharp business understanding. […] She has a natural way of turning chaos into clarity, establishing ownership, and enabling teams to deliver reliably even under tight constraints.
She is one of the most competent technical leads I have ever worked with. […] She possesses strong technical solution design skills and can act as a technical consultant with a rich and varied background in various technologies and architectures.
Stays calm in cases of emergency, and works hard throughout to avoid emergencies happening at all. […] She is a very reliable colleague who can work both as a team member and lead individual tasks.
Engagement models
Technical Advisory
FromAED 18,000/month2-4 hours / week · ongoingOngoing technical advice for founders and leadership teams - architecture decisions, vendor evaluation, technical hiring, and an independent second opinion when you need one.
Embedded Leadership
FromAED 45,000/month1-1.5 days / week · typically 8-12+ weeksI work directly with your team on difficult technical initiatives - from zero-to-one delivery to projects that need to be brought back on track. This can include architecture, delivery, hiring, and working with product on what to build first.
Project-Based
FromAED 42,000/engagementTypically 2-8 weeks · defined delivery windowA focused piece of work with a clear outcome - for example, a technical assessment, an architecture review, or figuring out what needs to change on a project that is in trouble.
Fees exclude VAT where applicable. Scope and price are agreed before the work starts.
Practical resources
Not ready to bring someone in yet?
Keep a practical framework for the next high-stakes technology decision.
The Questions Behind a Good Architecture Review
A practical framework for the business and technical questions that should be explored during an architecture review — to clarify constraints, expose gaps and support a defensible decision.
Ready to talk?
Based in Dubai, UAE - working across the GCC and remotely, in any timezone the engagement needs.
Taking on up to three new startup engagements in Q3 2026.