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Advisory

Your team builds. I make sure they build it right.

Senior architecture advisory for in-house Next.js and Payload CMS teams. You keep implementation ownership. I prevent the expensive mistakes that surface months later — wrong data models, brittle integrations, architecture that doesn't scale.

//When you need this

  • Your team is building — but architecture uncertainty is creating rework risk.
  • You’re new to Next.js or Payload CMS and can’t afford to learn the hard way.
  • Decisions about data modeling, structure, or integrations are stalling delivery.
  • You want the expensive mistakes caught before they become expensive — not after.
  • You want to keep implementation in-house with senior direction on the calls that matter.

//Where I reduce risk

Architecture reviews — before you commit to a direction that’s hard to reverse
Content modeling — so your Payload CMS schema doesn’t paint you into a corner
Next.js structure — routing, rendering, and caching decisions done right the first time
Integration boundaries — where systems should connect, and where they shouldn’t
Critical-path PR review — catching structural problems before they ship
Migration planning — sequencing rollouts so you don’t break what’s already working

//What this is not

  • Extra hands — I’m not filling a seat on your team. I’m reducing the cost of wrong decisions.
  • Implementation ownership — your team builds. I make sure they’re building the right thing.
  • Engineering management — I don’t run standups. I pressure-test the decisions that come out of them.
  • Ad-hoc opinions — this is structured advisory with follow-through, not a Slack channel you ping.

//How it works

01

Kickoff deep-dive

I map your current architecture, constraints, and risk areas. We identify what decisions need to be made correctly now — and which ones can wait.

02

Weekly decision sessions

Focused architecture and sequencing calls. Not status meetings. Every session ends with clear direction your team can act on immediately.

03

Async review lane

Critical PRs, schema changes, and integration decisions reviewed between sessions. Problems caught early, before they compound.

04

Risk log and trade-off record

A living document of decisions made, trade-offs accepted, and red flags flagged. Your team always knows why something was decided — not just what.

//What changes

  • Architecture decisions made once, correctly — no re-architecture three months in
  • Data modeling that scales with your content, not against it
  • Integration boundaries defined clearly — no duplicated systems, no sync nightmares
  • Migration and rollout sequenced to protect what’s already working
  • Your team ships faster because they’re not second-guessing structural decisions

//Scope

This is for you if

  • Your team is actively building — you need direction, not more developers.
  • Getting architecture right matters more to you than shipping fast and fixing later.
  • You want someone who thinks in systems, not someone who writes tickets.
  • You’re ready to commit to the technical direction we agree on together.

Not a fit if

  • You need extra hands to execute — that’s a different engagement.
  • You want someone to run your engineering team day-to-day.
  • You want quick takes without context or follow-through.
  • Your team isn’t ready to act on clear architectural direction.

Let's make sure your team builds it right the first time.

Get in touch
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Build with Matija

Matija Žiberna

I turn scattered business knowledge into one usable system. End-to-end system architecture, AI integration, and development.

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