Skip to the work
The FormaTeX editor with a LaTeX source beside its PDF preview

Taking on select projects

I build whole products.From database to deploy.

Walid Zakan, full-stack engineer in Rabat. Co-founder and CTO of FormaTeX.

See the workGet in touch →

I take products from an empty repository to real users. The database, the API, the interface and the pipeline that ships them. I work best in small teams, close to the people who use what we build.

Selected work.

Products I designed and built, end to end. Keep scrolling and each one walks you through itself.

012026Live

FormaTeX

LaTeX to PDF in the browser or through an API, with an AI assistant and an MCP server so AI tools can compile documents.

Over 1,200 users. Co-founded, and I own the engineering.

Visit formatex.ioCase study →
FormaTeX: A browser editor with a live PDF preview. Nothing to install.
FormaTeX: An assistant that fixes and explains compile errors.
FormaTeX: The dashboard behind the API.
FormaTeX: Multi-file projects, with Overleaf and GitHub import.

022026Live

Lopper

A Mac app that finds the merged branches and forgotten agent worktrees that git can prove are safe to delete.

Scans 200 repositories in about 15 seconds. Every removal can be undone for 30 days.

Visit lopper.zawalid.comCase study →

032024–2025Live

Watchfolio

A movie and TV tracker that works offline, with AI mood picks, on the web and as a desktop app.

Local-first, 45+ pages and 10+ charts of your viewing habits.

Visit watchfolio.zawalid.comCase study →
Watchfolio: A library that opens instantly and works offline.
Watchfolio: Bulk actions across the whole library.
Watchfolio: Collections you can keep private or share.
Watchfolio: Ten-plus charts of what you watch and when.

And more.

How I can help.

Four ways to work together. Most start with the first one.

  1. 01

    Full-stack product development

    From idea to live product, solo. Architecture, API, frontend and deployment, with me accountable until it ships and after.

    Best for: Startups, solo founders, early teams

  2. 02

    AI integration and LLM products

    Add intelligent features to an existing product or build AI-native: document analysis, generation pipelines, RAG, agent workflows and private model hosting.

    Best for: SaaS teams, automation, AI-first products

  3. 03

    Mobile apps

    iOS and Android from one React Native codebase: auth, push notifications, offline sync and store release. It pairs with a backend I have built for you.

    Best for: Web products that need mobile, new mobile apps

  4. 04

    Technical leadership

    Short-term technical leadership for early teams: architecture decisions, code review, engineering standards and team setup, without the full-time hire.

    Best for: Non-technical founders, pre-seed teams

About.

I'm Walid, a full-stack engineer in Rabat, Morocco. I take products from a blank page to production, and stay with them after launch.

I like starting from a gap that is obvious once you look, like a missing API or a process still run on paper, and owning everything it takes to close it: the data model, the API, the interface and the deployment.

I care about code another engineer can open years later and understand, and interfaces that need no manual. If a brief does not make sense for the user, I will say so.

Right now I build my own products, take on client work, and study for a Master’s in Digital Governance & AI.

Based in
Rabat, Morocco, working remotely
Languages
English, French, Arabic
Shipping since
2023, 3+ years
Shipped
8 products, 4 live with a public link
Platforms
Web, Mobile, Desktop, Api, Ai agents
Studying
Master's in Digital Governance & AI
Availability
Taking on select projects

What I reach for.

INTERFACE
Next.js, TypeScript, React 19, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, Vite, Astro
BACKEND
Go, Java, Node.js, Python, Fastify, Express, Hono
MOBILE
React Native, Expo, Expo Router, NativeWind, EAS Build
DATA
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Drizzle ORM, Redis, MySQL, SQLite, Prisma
SHIPPING
Docker, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, Tauri, Electron, Turborepo, Nx
AI
OpenAI, Claude Code, n8n, MCP, Ollama, Cursor, Copilot

The path.

  1. 2026 to Present

    Co-founder & CTO at FormaTeX

    Co-founded it and own the engineering: the editor, the compile API, the AI assistant and the MCP server. Over 1,200 users.

    Next.js, PostgreSQL, Redis, WebSocket, MCP, Go

    Remote

  2. Jul 2025 to Present

    Full Stack Developer at TekCircle

    Core developer of a B2B IT talent marketplace for MENA, plus an insurance marketplace and an AI audit platform, and the infrastructure behind them.

    React Router v7, Express, TypeScript, MySQL, Socket.io, Python

    Remote, France

  3. 2023 to Present

    Freelance Full Stack Developer

    Design and ship complete products alone, including Hodour and Watchfolio, from database schema to production.

    Next.js, TypeScript, React, Docker, PostgreSQL, Go

  4. Apr 2024 to Jul 2024

    Frontend Developer Intern at Ministry of Education · IT Dept

    Built the interface of GestHub, an internship platform deployed in the Ministry's IT department.

    React, TypeScript, REST API, Agile

    Rabat

EDUCATION

  • 2025 to Present

    Master's, Digital Governance & AI

    Faculty of Sciences · Rabat

  • Sept 2024 to Jun 2025

    Prof. Bachelor's, Software Engineering

    Higher School of Technology · Fes

  • Sept 2022 to Jun 2024

    Specialized Technician Diploma, Digital Development

    SIATP, Hay Salam · Salé

  • Jun 2022

    Baccalaureate, Physical Sciences

Writing.

Have something to build?

Tell me what you are building, and what is in the way.

walid.zakan@gmail.com

Taking on select projects

ELSEWHERE

CV