Currently a second-year @ Western University

I build reliable, high-quality software that solves real problems.

Currently a second-year software engineering student at Western University, working across full-stack, machine learning, AI engineering, and data science. I build production-grade systems end to end and care most about getting the details right.

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Mahad Farooq

About

Hey, I'm Mahad

I started programming at 12 and have been building ever since. I’m currently a second-year software engineering student at Western University, working across full-stack, machine learning, AI engineering, and data science.

Most of what I know comes from building real systems end to end, taking something from an empty repository to software people actually enjoy using, and owning every layer in between. I love working on interesting problems and if you’re building something exciting or looking for someone who can learn fast, take ownership, and deliver, let’s connect.

Approach

Engineering that holds up

Here’s what owning a system end to end actually looks like in practice.

Systems people actually rely on.

62,862 users have now used things I’ve built, growing about 50 a day. That only holds up if the system is correct, observable, and resilient under load, so I build, ship, and own software in production, from the data model to deployment, and stand behind how it behaves.

Current users on projects
0~50 / day
All time · across every project
65K
Jun 2024Jun 2026

Skill stacking is the edge

Strong engineering is the foundation of everything I build. What makes my work effective is the context I bring around it, working fluently across four areas that rarely sit with one engineer:

  • Software engineering. Correct, observable systems that stay reliable as they scale.
  • Product and UX. Interfaces that feel effortless, because the hard decisions are made before the user ever sees them.
  • Business judgment. A clear read on what is worth building and the tradeoffs each decision carries.
  • Growth and distribution. A data-driven sense of how products reach the right users and keep them.

Together, that lets me own a problem end to end: deep in the fundamentals, fluent in the context around them, and accountable for how the system behaves in production.

60K+
users on projects
$22K+
revenue, built solo
5+
shipped live projects

Work

Where I've worked

A product I designed, shipped, and still run, and a growth role that taught me how software actually reaches the people who use it.

Cashu Group
Growth · 2022 to 2025

Cashu Group

I ran growth and built personal-brand socials from zero to 50M+ views and 100K+ followers.

Viral hook design · A/B tested thumbnails against live engagement · repeatable retention strategy

50M+
views
100K+
followers
Read the story
CasperCoach
Product · Live

CasperCoach

An AI test-prep platform for the CASPer exam, used by 5,700+ medical school applicants. I built every layer myself, and it makes money.

Next.js · TypeScript · Node.js · PostgreSQL · OpenAI scoring · Stripe subscriptions + webhooks

5,700+
users
$12K+
revenue
15 min
avg session
Read the story

Projects

Things I've built and shipped

Real projects with real users. The summary is up top; the technical detail is right underneath.

Anti-Fraud Engine
Machine Learning

Anti-Fraud Engine

Catches people spinning up duplicate and fake accounts to farm free trials, then pools them together instead of banning real users.

Identity matching · email normalization + fuzzy matching · ML risk scoring · 85% to 100% accuracy

Read the story
VIN Decoder
Project

VIN Decoder

Type a car’s 17-character VIN and get back clean, reliable vehicle details instead of the messy raw data the government API hands you.

Next.js · strict TypeScript · NHTSA vPIC API · normalizes ~150 raw fields into one typed model

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Hospital Asset Tracking
Project

Hospital Asset Tracking

Real-time equipment tracking for Parkwood Institute hospital that helps staff find a device 60% faster, with zero manual logging.

Next.js · TypeScript · Arduino · RFID

Read the story
Inbox Email Script
Project

Inbox Email Script

Gets marketing emails into the actual inbox instead of spam, because the best email in the world does nothing if nobody sees it.

Python · SMTP

Read the story

Built with

Next.jsReactNode.jsTypeScriptJavaScriptPythonJavaHTML/CSSSQLREST APIsStripeOpenAIAnthropicVercelGit/GitHubArduinoBlenderAdobe SuiteJira

Writing

Things I think about

Short essays on the stuff I build and break.

Essay

How to build a good user experience

What good UI and UX really comes down to, and what making social media content taught me about it. It is all just retention.

Coming soon

FAQ

The quick version

Who are you, and what’s next?
I’m Mahad, currently a second-year software engineering student at Western University, working across full-stack, machine learning, AI engineering, and data science. I spend my time building real products people actually use, and if you’re building something exciting, I’d love to connect.
What kind of things do you build?
I build software for problems I run into myself. As a student and a programmer, I notice the annoying parts of my own day and turn them into products. CasperCoach started because I needed to prep for my own CASPer exam and nothing good existed, and it grew to 5,700+ users and $12K+ in revenue. The job tools came out of my own internship hunt. If something bugs me enough, I build the fix and actually ship it.
What’s your stack?
Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, React, and Python day to day. Stripe, the OpenAI API, and Vercel for the rest. Right now I am spending most of my time learning and building projects with AI/ML and agentic systems.
How do you like to work?
Fast, and with a lot of ownership, but I do my best work on a team. I like taking a problem, learning whatever I need to solve it, and shipping something that actually works instead of stopping at the demo. Running projects solo end to end taught me how all the pieces fit, which makes me a stronger teammate. I care about getting the details right, communicating clearly, and standing behind what I build. If you want someone who can learn fast, take ownership, and deliver with a team, we will get along.
How do I reach you?
Email is fastest: Mahadfarooq133@gmail.com. My code lives on GitHub, and I'm on LinkedIn.

Building something exciting? Let’s connect.

I build and ship real products end to end. If you’re working on something interesting, I’d love to hear about it. The fastest way to reach me is email.

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