Notes from building and running production systems
Mostly the questions founders and engineering teams in Egypt and the wider region ask me before they hire anyone: which payment gateway to use, what a build actually costs, what infrastructure to manage yourself, why the cloud bill keeps climbing, what the regulator will expect, and where AI-built software holds up. Written from production work, with the trade-offs left in.
Vibe coding in MENA: what AI-built software changes, and what it doesn't
AI tools made prototypes nearly free and pushed the region's software market in two directions at once. Here are the real advantages, the risks that surface after launch, and when a consultation or a specialised engineer is the cheaper path.
The hidden engineering costs of launching an e-commerce business in Egypt
The platform build is only one line item. Payments, shipping, catalogue operations, promotions, analytics, admin tooling, support and maintenance are where Egyptian e-commerce launches quietly become expensive.
Managed services vs. running it yourself: what an early-stage Egyptian startup should actually pay for
Taleb as the case study for the infrastructure choice before the bill exists: which pieces deserve managed-service premiums, which are fine for a small team to operate, and where each path fails.
Payment gateways in Egypt: Kashier vs Paymob vs Fawry vs Fawaterak vs Geidea
A practical comparison of the five gateways most Egyptian businesses actually shortlist: pricing, settlement timelines, Apple Pay and wallet coverage, integration effort, and where each one is the wrong choice.
What software development actually costs in Egypt (2026)
Real budget ranges by project type (landing site, e-commerce build, marketplace, mobile app, custom platform), what drives the number up, and what a cheap quote is quietly leaving out.
Choosing a payment gateway for a marketplace with split payments and deposits
Marketplaces break the assumptions most gateways are built on: money belongs to someone else, deposits are held then partly returned, and payouts have to reconcile. Here's how to pick, and what to build yourself.
Working on one of these problems?
I take short, focused engagements: payment integration, cloud cost and reliability reviews, security audits. Email contact@kerolosxgad.com or read more about how I work.