Available for contracts · Remote, EU timezone
I join your team when you need senior hands faster than you can hire them: Laravel backends, Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure, and migrations that can't afford to break production.
Peter Knaus (KnausDev) is a senior backend and platform engineer available for contract work: 8+ years in production, 30,000+ daily active users across 7+ live platforms. Laravel backends, Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure and migrations for companies across Europe.
Where I help
Companies bring me in for a specific problem, not a vague "we need a developer". These are the four I'm best at.
Off old servers, to a new provider, or onto Kubernetes, without taking production down on the way. I plan the migration in stages, with a way back at every step.
Exlink: Windows/IIS → Linux → Hetzner → a Kubernetes cluster I built, with GitOps through ArgoCD. Case study →An extra senior pair of hands for the cluster: deploying and configuring services, GitOps pipelines, Terraform and monitoring, working inside your existing setup and conventions.
Luigi's Box: operated production Kubernetes on AWS with GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Terraform and Grafana. Case study →Laravel codebases that got hard to change: I untangle them into clear domains, fix the data model and multi-tenancy, and keep shipping features while doing it.
Exlink: 130+ models, schema-based multi-tenancy, legacy PHP and a DDD layer serving the platform side by side. Case study →Someone to own architecture decisions, unblock developers, help hire and onboard, and leave things documented when they go.
Exlink: grew from one of two developers to team lead of a distributed team, involved in hiring and onboarding. Case study →Also: AI integrations, APIs and architecture reviews. All services →
Recent work
Platforms I built or helped run, still serving real users today.
My own carpentry business in Bratislava. I built our website: a 3D kitchen configurator with 90 Egger decors, 26 local SEO pages and consent-first analytics, all static on Cloudflare.
Built a complete ISP administration platform: customer onboarding, connection management, billing workflows, and a public-facing Astro marketing site.
Enterprise-scale expert network with AI-powered matching, multi-tenant schema isolation, video conferencing integrations, and full GDPR compliance.
+ 4 additional projects under NDA
How a contract works
Pick the one that fits now and change it later. The rate depends on scope and length; you get a clear number after the first call.
I work as part of your team: your tools, your repos, your standups. Full-time or part-time, for as long as you need the extra capacity.
Best for: a stretched team, a hiring gap, a busy quarter.
A clear goal with an end: a migration, a new cluster, a rescue of a slow or fragile system. We agree on what "done" means before I start.
Best for: migrations, Kubernetes setup, performance and stability work.
A few days a month after the big work is done: upgrades, reviews, help when something breaks, a second opinion on decisions.
Best for: teams without a dedicated platform engineer.
How we start
No long sales process and no recruiters in between. You talk to the engineer who will do the work.
30 minutes. You describe the team, the problem and the timeline. No preparation needed.
How I would approach it, which way of working fits, my availability and rate. In writing.
A simple B2B contract with my company, plus your NDA if you need one.
Access, a walkthrough of your systems with your team, and a first small, low-risk change.
30 minutes. You describe the team, the problem and the timeline. No preparation needed.
How I would approach it, which way of working fits, my availability and rate. In writing.
A simple B2B contract with my company, plus your NDA if you need one.
Access, a walkthrough of your systems with your team, and a first small, low-risk change.
Tell me about the role or the problem. I reply within 24 hours, with an honest answer on whether I'm the right fit.
FAQ
It depends on the scope, the length and how many days a week you need. A two-week migration and a six-month embedded role are priced differently, so I don't publish one number. You get a clear rate in writing after the first call.
It depends on my current contracts. Ask, and I will give you a concrete start date in my first reply.
Both. I can join your team full-time for a period, or for a fixed number of days per week alongside your developers.
Yes, remote by default, in the CET timezone and in English. On-site work in Bratislava is possible.
You sign a B2B contract with my company, Knaus - Development s. r. o., a Slovak company with an EU VAT ID, and I invoice the company. No employment contract and no payroll on your side.
That is the default. I work in your repositories, follow your conventions, go through your code review and use your tickets and chat. Everything I build stays in your accounts.
Yes. Send yours before we discuss anything sensitive.
Get in touch
Message me on WhatsApp, call, or send an email. Describe the role or the problem and I'll get back to you within a day with an honest answer, not a pitch deck.
Response within 24 hours, usually the same day.
