Who is Tom Smykowski?
Tom Smykowski is a remote product engineer based in Poland with nearly two decades of experience in product delivery, combining deep engineering skills with UX and product thinking. Hiring Tom is ideal for founders, CTOs, and executives seeking a senior or staff-level engineer who takes ownership from the initial discovery phase through to production deployment. He is best suited for teams in the EU, UK, and US looking for a remote product engineer who bridges the gap between technical execution and product strategy.
His career is defined by a focus on building products from scratch, modernizing legacy systems, and solving complex business problems through technology. As a product-minded engineer, he thrives in environments where he can influence both the technical architecture and the product roadmap. This makes him a valuable asset for startups scaling their MVP, mid-sized companies modernizing their tech stack, or larger organizations needing a seasoned technical leader to drive product initiatives.
Tom's remote work setup from Poland allows for effective collaboration with international teams. He is adept at async communication and cross-time-zone collaboration, with availability for overlap with US East Coast, UK, and EU working hours. He is also available for occasional on-site workshops, client visits, and team offsites, providing flexibility for hybrid collaboration models.
Defining the Remote Product Engineer Role
A remote product engineer is more than just a developer working from home. It is a role that merges software engineering expertise with a deep understanding of product management, user experience, and business goals. This professional is responsible for translating product vision into technical reality, making architectural decisions that support scalability, and ensuring the end result delivers genuine user value. They operate at the intersection of code, design, and strategy.
For remote teams, this role requires exceptional communication skills, self-motivation, and the ability to work autonomously while staying aligned with team objectives. A successful remote product engineer proactively identifies risks, suggests improvements, and champions best practices without needing constant oversight. They are a force multiplier for product teams, enabling faster iteration and higher-quality outcomes through technical leadership and hands-on coding.
Tom embodies this definition perfectly. His work history demonstrates a consistent pattern of taking on projects that require this blend of skills. Whether leading frontend development for industrial SaaS at Fream, where he built design systems and map-based interfaces, or founding Websoul, a marketing automation platform serving over 32,000 businesses, he has always operated with a product-first mindset. His ability to work remotely with global teams at companies like Printify and Croissant further validates his suitability for this critical role.
Key Projects and Technical Expertise
Tom's portfolio showcases a wide range of successful product engineering engagements. As a Staff Software Engineer at Croissant, a workplace platform, he partnered directly with the CEO and CTO on compliance and collaboration features, demonstrating his capacity for high-level technical leadership. At Printify, he contributed to a major design system and rebrand initiative ahead of a significant merger, working within a frontend engineering team of around 60 engineers to support a platform used by over 10 million merchants.
His entrepreneurial venture, Websoul, stands as a testament to his full-stack product engineering capabilities. He built a fintech SaaS from the ground up using Vue.js, TypeScript, Supabase, and AG Grid, scaling it to serve tens of thousands of businesses. This project required end-to-end ownership, from architecture and development to UX and business logic, exactly the kind of comprehensive skill set sought in a product engineer.
His technical stack is robust and modern, centered around Vue.js and TypeScript for frontend development, with extensive experience in Supabase for backend services and AG Grid for complex data presentation. He is also proficient in building accessible, scalable design systems and has deep experience with APIs and full-stack development. More recently, he has integrated AI-assisted workflows into his development process, positioning him at the forefront of modern engineering practices.
Why Hire a Remote Product Engineer from Poland?
Hiring a remote product engineer from Poland offers distinct advantages for EU, UK, and US-based companies. Poland is in the Central European Time Zone (CET), which allows for substantial daily overlap with both Western European and UK business hours. For US East Coast teams, there is a viable window for synchronous collaboration in the late afternoon European time. This geographical positioning facilitates real-time communication when needed while also supporting focused async work.
Polish engineers are renowned for their strong technical education, problem-solving skills, and high level of English proficiency. Tom exemplifies these traits, bringing nearly two decades of practical experience to the table. His remote work model eliminates local overhead costs and provides access to top-tier talent without geographical constraints. Companies benefit from his senior-level expertise in a flexible engagement model, whether for full-time employment, part-time B2B contracts, or project-based consulting.
Furthermore, Tom's extensive experience working with international clients such as DeLaval, Ordnance Survey, GE Healthcare, Unilever, and various academic and governmental institutions in Poland has honed his ability to navigate diverse corporate cultures and communication styles. He understands the nuances of collaborating with distributed teams and can seamlessly integrate into your existing workflows.
Industries and Client Experience
Tom's product engineering experience spans a diverse array of industries, giving him a broad perspective and adaptable skill set. In the agri-tech and industrial sectors, he has worked with global leaders like DeLaval and Bunge. In healthcare technology, his contributions to GE Healthcare projects involved complex, regulated product environments. His work with consumer goods giant Unilever required scaling solutions for massive user bases.
The SaaS and platform space is a core area of expertise. His roles at Croissant (workplace collaboration) and Printify (e-commerce print-on-demand) involved building and scaling platforms used by millions. His own venture, Websoul, was a marketing automation SaaS, giving him firsthand founder experience. This is particularly valuable for startups seeking a product engineer who understands the pressures of building and growing a business.
He also has a strong background in the public and academic sectors, having completed projects for the Polish Tourism Organisation, the Institute of National Remembrance, the University of Silesia, and the Marshal Office of the Silesian Voivodeship. These projects often involved legacy system modernization, accessibility compliance, and delivering public-facing digital services, showcasing his ability to handle projects with strict regulatory and usability requirements.
Beyond Coding: Product Thinking and Leadership
A key differentiator for Tom is his product thinking, which goes far beyond writing code. He engages deeply with the 'why' behind a product, questioning assumptions and advocating for user-centric solutions. This mindset was crucial in his earlier work on industrial ERP systems at Insoft Serwis and in his technical writing role at Webhosting.pl, where communicating complex ideas clearly was paramount. He views engineering as a means to achieve business outcomes, not an end in itself.
His leadership style is collaborative and empowering. As a tech lead or staff engineer, he focuses on elevating the entire team through mentoring, establishing best practices, and improving developer experience (DevEx). He is skilled in areas that amplify team output, such as setting up efficient CI/CD pipelines, implementing test automation, and guiding the adoption of AI coding tools to boost productivity. He is as much an enabler of others as he is an individual contributor.
Tom is also an accomplished communicator and knowledge sharer. He has authored technical books, spoken at conferences, and conducted webinars and workshops. This ability to articulate complex technical concepts to mixed audiences, from engineers to executives, makes him an invaluable bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders. He can lead AI training sessions for engineering teams or provide strategic AI briefings for CEOs and CTOs.
When This is a Good Fit
Hiring Tom as your remote product engineer is an excellent fit if you are a founder, CTO, or engineering leader needing a senior-level professional who can own a product area from conception to launch. It is ideal for teams building or modernizing web applications, SaaS platforms, or complex business tools, especially those using Vue.js, TypeScript, or similar modern stacks. If you value a blend of hands-on coding, architectural oversight, and strategic product input, and you operate with a remote or hybrid model across the EU, UK, or US, then engaging Tom will significantly accelerate your product development goals.