Who Is a Part-Time Software Engineer?
Tom Smykowski is a senior software engineer with nearly two decades of product delivery experience, specializing in flexible, part-time B2B contracts for founders, CTOs, and executives. He combines hands-on engineering with product and UX thinking to take ownership from discovery through production. Based in Poland, he works remotely with international teams across the EU, the UK, and the US, offering a cost-effective way to access staff-level expertise without the commitment of a full-time hire. This model is ideal for scaling engineering capacity, building MVPs, modernizing legacy systems, or providing interim technical leadership.
A part-time software engineer like Tom brings deep, specialized experience to your project for a set number of hours per week or month. This engagement is structured as a business-to-business (B2B) contract, providing flexibility for both the client and the engineer. It allows companies to tap into high-level skills for critical initiatives, mentorship, or architectural reviews without the overhead of a permanent employee. For startups and scale-ups, this can be the most efficient way to accelerate product development with proven, product-minded engineering talent.
The value extends beyond just writing code. A part-time senior engineer acts as a force multiplier, improving team processes, establishing best practices, and mentoring junior developers. Tom's background includes staff engineering roles at growth-stage companies like Croissant and leading frontend initiatives for platforms serving millions of users, such as Printify. This experience in high-stakes environments means he can quickly integrate into your workflow, understand complex business requirements, and deliver maintainable, scalable solutions within a part-time schedule.
Benefits of a Part-Time Engineering Engagement
Hiring a part-time software engineer offers numerous strategic advantages, especially for remote-first companies and teams with fluctuating project demands. The primary benefit is access to elite talent and niche expertise on a flexible, as-needed basis. You gain the problem-solving ability and technical leadership of a staff or principal engineer without the full-time salary, benefits, and long-term commitment. This is particularly valuable for specific projects like launching an MVP, conducting a technical audit, modernizing a frontend framework, or integrating AI capabilities where deep, focused expertise is required for a defined period.
From a financial and operational perspective, a part-time B2B contract simplifies engagement. There are no recruitment fees, payroll taxes, or complex employment laws to navigate across borders. You agree on a scope, hours, and rate, and the engineer delivers as an independent contractor. This model also reduces risk. You can evaluate the working relationship and the engineer's impact on your codebase and team culture before considering a longer-term or full-time arrangement. For many of Tom's clients, this has led to successful, long-term remote collaborations that evolved from an initial part-time contract.
Finally, a part-time engineer brings an external, objective viewpoint. Free from internal politics and daily operational routines, they can focus squarely on technical outcomes and product quality. Tom's approach emphasizes clean architecture, scalable design systems, and developer experience (DevEx) improvements that pay dividends long after his contracted hours are completed. Whether you need to bridge a skills gap, inject fresh momentum into a project, or provide seasoned guidance to a growing engineering team, a part-time engagement delivers focused value where you need it most.
Tom's Part-Time Project Experience
Tom's career is built on delivering significant impact through focused, high-leverage work, making him exceptionally well-suited for part-time engagements. As the Staff Software Engineer at Croissant, a workplace platform, he partnered directly with the CEO and CTO on compliance and collaboration features, demonstrating an ability to own critical paths in a complex product. This role required deep technical and product thinking to navigate stakeholder requirements and deliver robust solutions, a skill set that translates perfectly to a part-time consulting model where clear communication and autonomous ownership are paramount.
Another key example is his work with Printify, a print-on-demand marketplace serving over 10 million merchants. Tom was brought in to lead the design system and rebranding effort ahead of a significant merger. Working within a frontend engineering organization of around 60 engineers, his part-time, expert contribution was instrumental in creating a unified, scalable UI foundation. This project highlights his ability to integrate into large, distributed teams, understand existing systems, and drive architectural change that improves productivity and consistency for dozens of other developers, all within a focused engagement.
His foundational experience as the founder of Websoul further demonstrates his capacity for impactful part-time work. He built a marketing automation and fintech SaaS platform from the ground up, scaling it to serve over 32,000 businesses. This involved full-stack development with Vue.js, TypeScript, Supabase, and AG Grid, and encompassed everything from product strategy and UX to infrastructure and compliance. For a client seeking a part-time founding engineer or someone to build an MVP, this hands-on, zero-to-one experience is invaluable. It proves he can operate independently, make strategic technical decisions, and build products that users love and businesses rely on.
Ideal Projects for Part-Time Collaboration
Certain projects and business needs are perfectly aligned with the strengths of a part-time senior engineer. Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a classic use case. Founders and early-stage startups need to validate ideas quickly with a solid technical foundation but may not have the resources or need for a full engineering team. Tom's product engineering mindset ensures the MVP is not just a prototype but a scalable starting point for future growth. He focuses on core user journeys, sensible architecture, and clean code, allowing the business to iterate based on real feedback without accruing technical debt.
Modernization and refactoring of existing applications is another area where part-time expertise shines. Many companies have legacy Angular or React applications that are difficult to maintain, lack performance, or have poor developer experience. A part-time engineer can conduct an audit, create a modernization roadmap, and then execute the highest-priority upgrades in phases. Tom has deep experience with both Angular and React ecosystems, design systems, and performance optimization. This phased approach allows teams to modernize their stack continuously without halting feature development, often with the part-time engineer mentoring in-house developers on the new patterns.
Technical leadership and AI integration are increasingly common part-time engagements. Companies may need a fractional tech lead to guide a team through a complex project, establish engineering best practices, or oversee the integration of AI and LLM capabilities into their product. Tom's work in AI-assisted workflows and AI software factory setup allows him to help teams adopt AI-native development practices, from coding agents like Cursor and Copilot to building agentic workflows and quality gates. A part-time schedule is ideal for these strategic initiatives, which require deep focus and expert guidance but not necessarily a permanent, full-time headcount from day one.
How Remote Part-Time Collaboration Works
Effective remote part-time collaboration is built on clear communication, structured processes, and reliable overlap in working hours. Based in Poland, Tom is strategically positioned to collaborate seamlessly with teams in EU and UK time zones, and provides significant overlap with US East Coast hours. This flexibility is crucial for stand-ups, planning sessions, and real-time problem-solving. The engagement typically begins with a kickoff call to align on goals, communication channels (Slack, Teams, email), project management tools (Jira, Linear, Asana), and a regular sync rhythm, such as a weekly check-in call.
The workflow for a part-time B2B contract is highly adaptable. For some clients, Tom integrates directly into their sprint cycles, picking up specific stories or epics. For others, he works on a standalone project or a continuous stream of architectural improvements. The key is defining clear deliverables and success metrics upfront. Whether it's "deliver the redesigned user onboarding flow," "reduce the core web vitals score for the homepage," or "implement and document the new GraphQL API layer," having tangible outcomes ensures the part-time hours are invested for maximum impact. Tom emphasizes asynchronous communication and thorough documentation to keep everyone informed and to preserve context, which is especially important when working less than full-time.
Trust and transparency are the bedrock of these engagements. Clients receive regular updates on progress and time allocation. Many opt for a monthly retainer covering a set number of hours, which provides predictability for budgeting and planning. This model fosters a true partnership where the part-time engineer acts as an extension of the internal team, invested in the project's success. Tom's long list of successful remote collaborations with organizations like GE Healthcare, Unilever, Ordnance Survey, and various European universities and government offices is a testament to his ability to build effective, trusting remote working relationships across cultures and industries.
When a Part-Time Software Engineer Is a Good Fit
A part-time software engineer like Tom is an excellent fit when you need senior-level expertise and output but have budget, headcount, or project scope constraints that make a full-time hire impractical. It's ideal for startups looking to build an MVP with technical co-founder-level quality, scale-ups needing to modernize a legacy codebase without stopping feature development, or established companies seeking an external expert for a specific initiative like AI integration or a performance audit. If you value flexibility, focused expertise, and a results-oriented partnership, a part-time B2B engagement is a powerful solution.