I am a passionate self-taught software developer (and former restaurateur & chef) looking for a new challenge. I specialize in front-end- and serverless backend- development using Typescript, React.js, and Node.js. As an advocate for web performance, accessibility, and an evangelist for the JAM Stack and the newer T3 stack, I create amazing web applications to make the internet a better place. I love encountering hard-to-solve-problems and approach them with patience, determination, and relentless perseverance.
Founder & Fullstack Developer Tellmann – Web Design Studio- South AfricaApr 2020-Dec 2022
- I founded Tellmann - Web Design Studio in 2020 during the first lockdown as a small scale web agency to provide exclusive web development services surrounding the Shopify ecosystem
- I worked as the company's managing director and lead developer on all projects
- Responsible for finding & on-boarding new clients and handling business growth
- Planned, developed and published 2 web apps on the Shopify App store, built with Next.js, Turborepo, AWS S3 & Dynamo DB
- Developed and maintained client, internal, and open source projects
- Providing of web-, data-, tech- and on-site support to clients
- Comprehensive portfolio of projects available at flext.dev
Co-Founder, Managing Director The Burger Exchange (Pty) Ltd- South AfricaJul 2018-Apr 2020
- Envisioned & opened a 200 seater restaurant with my wife with a unique Grill & Burger theme at a beautiful spot on the Knysna lagoon
- Covered all aspects of the restaurant, from creating the initial business plan, to sourcing funding, to the day-to-day operations
- Project management, shop fitting, operations and establishing a team of 35 employees during peak season with up to 800 guests per day
- Handled all Legal, IT & Financial responsibilities for the company
- Supported the overall marketing strategy with graphic design, food photography and I developed the restaurants website
- Managed the day-to-day operations and filled in any floor position as needed
- De-registered and properly closed the business in March 2018 due to the economic effects of Covid on the Tourism industry
Senior Front-end Developer Liquix (Pty) Ltd. – Web Agency- South AfricaMar 2017-Jun 2018
- Developed custom Shopify themes for clients using Liquid, Javascript, HTML5 & SASS
- Assisted in the hiring of new developers and helped grow the team by mentored junior developers through pair programming, code reviews and 1-on-1s
- Developed the Agency marketing site using React.js and Shopify as a headless cms
- Created documentation & coding standards for internal use across projects
- Handled large scale data migrations, using database SQL queries and developed web-scrapers for legacy systems
- Improved test coverage by writing unit and integration tests with Jest and Enzyme
Co-Founder & Managing Director / Web Developer SmartUp Online (Pty) Ltd. - Restaurant Training & Development- South AfricaJun 2016-Mar 2017
- Co-founded SmartUp Online (Pty) Ltd in 2016 as a SAAS Restaurant training platform with the goal to provide high quality training to restaurant workers in South Africa
- Working as the lead developer and content director for training material, where I developed the online platform using the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, Mysql, Php) with a MVC (model, view, controller) Architecture
- Involved in the UX design process, providing feedback, discussing technical challenges and performing qualitative user testing
General Manager Raya Kitchen by Kitima- South AfricaNov 2015-May 2016
- I partnered with my previous employer to develop and open a new Restaurant in the centre of Cape Town
- I grew the team from 1 to 25 employees and developed training manuals, operational systems and service procedures for all aspects of the day-to-day operation
- Oversaw all aspects of the construction & shop fitting and setup the IT office infrastructure and programmed the POS system
- Created the wine & cocktail list and worked closely with the head chef to establish the food menu
- I developed the launch marketing campaign and the restaurants website using Wordpress
- Handled most financial aspects from budgeting to menu item costing, reporting directly to the owner
Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management & Entrepreneurship University of Cape Town- South Africa2015
Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management,Higher Diploma in Food & Beverage Management, Higher Diploma in Professional Cookery & Kitchen Management International Hotel School- South Africa2013
Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management,
Higher Diploma in Food & Beverage Management,
Higher Diploma in Professional Cookery & Kitchen Management
Languages
German - native, English - bilingual, French - basic
Programming Languages
TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Sass, GraphQL, Markdown, Liquid, SQL, Ruby, PHP
Libraries & Frameworks
React.js, Tailwindcss, Next.js, Trpc, Prisma, React Query, Remix, Jest, Turborepo, Node.js, Express, Webpack, Framer, Redis
Service Providers
Vercel, AWS, Firebase, Netlify, PlanetScale, Github
Content Platforms
Shopify, Vend POS, Erply POS, Dear POS, Micros POS, WordPress
Tools
Intellij Idea, Git, Yarn, NPM, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma, Postman, Ftp, MS Office, Dev Tools
- 2018-Shopify - Business Fundamentals Certification
- 2018-CodeCademy - React.js Certification
- 2017-FreeCodeCamp - Back-end Developer Certification
- 2017-Shopify - Theme Development Certification
- 2017-Shopify - Product Fundamentals Certification
- 2017-Shopify - App Development Certification
- 2016-FreeCodeCamp - Front-end Developer Certification
It is a pleasure to work with Felix as a design and development partner and ecommerce specialist. You can point out a problem to him and know that it will be handled, and he brings a positive vibe to the team at the same time. His approach to web is modern and progressive, and it is very refreshing. Furthermore, he has a real passion for web development, producing excellent results, being up to date with all the latest technology and being reliable and easy to work with. Ask him about anything from performance to accessibility or on-site tech support, he'll go out of his way to find a solution.
Jeroen Hartgers
Managing Director at Kids Living
Felix has a highly technical aptitude, which is further enhanced by his experience and general desire to be the best. My favorite thing about working with Felix is his ability to tell when a problem needs to be fixed right away and when a problem needs to be solved quickly. Whatever he does, he is always dedicated to doing an excellent job, and he makes the right engineering decisions for the project. In addition to learning new technologies at an exceptionally fast rate, he is often the first one to come to when a technical problem arises. In his role as a team player, Felix appears equally comfortable joining a project team and working directly on it, mentoring less experienced developers, or leading a project as a technical lead. Felix has always been a pleasant presence at customer meetings, as he is able to answer questions clearly and accurately, and he is not afraid to express his opinion on technical issues as well. I will miss working with Felix and will be confident in recommending him for any technical position in the future. He is well liked and highly respected by his colleagues from all areas of the business.
Thomas Fuss
Managing Director at Ademas Solutions
I have been fortunate enough to be working both along & with Felix Tellmann for the past 8 months. Felix has been an absolute light and strength in the team he runs. His approach to every challenge with a calm, firm & respectful attitude is something to be admired and to be learned by everyone. In spite of the challenges, this type of leadership makes a happy and productive work environment because it brings everyone together. I wish Felix all the best for his future endeavors. He is sure to make any challenge he takes on an absolute success.
Juan De Bruyn
Restaurant Manager at The Exchange Restaurant
After spending my childhood in Germany and early work career, I moved to Cape Town 14 years ago. Cooking and hosting dinners for family and friends are some of my favorite activities, and I enjoy connecting with people through good food, technology, and intelligent discussion. You will often find me on and around Table Mountain, hiking or running with my dog Alpha. I am very excited about the new age Space Race and the innovation it brings, and I would like to witness a rocket launch in my lifetime. It is also important to me to keep up with web technology and UX design developments by listening to podcasts, attending local events, attending conferences, and using Twitter.