10+ years
Building software professionally
About us
A more personal way to build software.
Pineapple Labs was founded by Matija Derk, a senior software engineer from Croatia with more than 10 years of experience building software products and leading technical delivery.
Experience
A practical background across teams and systems
Matija has worked across startups, growing product teams, and multinational enterprises, with more than 10 years of experience in software engineering and 5 years in lead developer roles.
That experience includes building and maintaining production-ready systems across frontend and backend, working closely with stakeholders and clients, and supporting projects over the long term.
5+ years
Leading projects as lead developer
Full stack
React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and AWS
Founder-led model
Founder-led, but not founder-only
Projects are led directly by the founder, Matija. Delivery stays founder-led, and trusted senior collaborators are added when scope requires.
This keeps communication direct and quality high while still making it possible to scale when needed. My collaborator network is primarily based in Croatia and the EU, and clients include companies from the United States as well.
Modern workflow
Using AI tools without lowering the bar
Modern AI-assisted and agent-driven development tools are used where they speed up execution and reduce repetitive work.
At the same time, speed is never treated as a substitute for judgment. All meaningful output is actively reviewed before it becomes part of a delivered product, so maintainability, clarity, and quality remain central to the process.
Let's talk
Pineapple Labs was started from a simple belief: there is a better way to deliver software projects.
Senior execution, direct communication, and a team that stays close to the work.
If that sounds like the kind of partnership you are looking for, get in touch.