You Can't Read Code.
That Doesn't Mean You Should Fly Blind.
Maybe you hired a developer and can't tell if the invoices match the work. Maybe you built it yourself with AI and don't know if it'll hold. Either way — no one who actually understands code has looked at it yet.
The pattern every non-technical founder knows
You hired a developer
You hire a developer — Upwork, referral, agency.
They say it’s going well. You can’t tell.
Invoices come. You pay them. What else can you do?
Bugs appear. Timelines slip. You hire someone to fix it.
You built it with AI
You build your app with Cursor, Claude, or Bolt.
It works. You ship it. Users sign up.
Something breaks. The AI fixes it — or says it did.
You patch and prompt. The codebase grows. Your confidence doesn’t.
Either way, the ending is the same: no one who knows code has actually looked at it.
Most founders learn this the expensive way. You don't have to. There's a reason Ruby and Rails are the best foundation for AI-assisted development — but the foundation alone isn't enough.
What you can see vs. what you can't
What you can test yourself
- Buttons and forms work
- Pages load
- Features match the spec
- App runs on your phone
- It looks right
What you need an expert for
- Authentication is actually secure
- Database queries will scale
- No security holes exposing user data
- You’re not paying for 500 lines when 5 would do
- The architecture won’t force a rewrite at 1,000 users
Your app can pass every test you throw at it and still be built on sand.
You don't need to learn to code. You need someone on your side who already knows.
Someone who knows code finally looks at your project
You know the moment. Someone who actually understands code — a friend, a brother, a colleague — finally takes a look at your project. And in five minutes they see what you couldn't see in five months.
That's what I do — professionally, on demand. Not another freelancer from Upwork. Not a €250K/year full-time hire you don't need yet. Not an agency that bills by the hour. And not another AI tool that tells you what you want to hear. One experienced engineer, on your side, who reads your code and tells you the truth.
“What's clearly needed is a technical grown-up in the room to sense-check decisions. It's easy to drift into questionable territory when you rely solely on the robots.”
Four steps to clarity.
Share your codebase
GitHub link, zip file, whatever you have. Everything stays confidential — I can sign an NDA if needed.
I read every line that matters
Architecture, code quality, security, and cost — whether the code was written by a developer, an AI, or both.
You get a plain-English report
What’s solid, what’s wrong, and what you may be overpaying for. No jargon. No judgment. Just clarity.
Optional: ongoing oversight
A monthly retainer where I review every change going forward — so you never have to guess again.
30 minutes. No commitment. We'll scope the work and I'll give you an exact quote.
Answers, not jargon.
Is this well-built or held together with tape?
A clear assessment of your codebase quality — architecture, structure, and whether the foundations will hold as you grow.
Are you paying a fair rate?
I look at what was built vs. what was billed. If 500 lines could be 5, you’ll know.
What breaks first as you grow?
The bottlenecks and weak points that will surface at 1,000 users, 10,000 users, or your first real traffic spike.
What to fix now vs. what can wait?
Every finding is prioritized by severity. You’ll know exactly where to spend your next dollar.
A prioritized action plan in your language
No jargon. A clear, written plan you can hand to any developer — or use to hold your current one accountable.
Less than one month of an overcharging developer.
One-time audit
€3,000–9,000
Based on codebase size and complexity. We scope it together on a free intro call — no surprises.
- Full codebase review
- Prioritized written report in plain English
- 60-minute walkthrough call
- 30 days of follow-up questions
30 minutes. No commitment. You'll get an exact quote.
Ongoing oversight
€5,000/mo
A monthly retainer. I review every code change, guide architecture decisions, and make sure nothing reaches production that shouldn't.
- I review every code change before it goes live
- Architecture guidance on every major decision
- Security & performance oversight
- Direct access — no ticketing, no account managers
Julian Rubisch — fractional CTO
I'm a software engineer with 16+ years of experience in Ruby on Rails, generative AI research, and software architecture. I maintain StimulusReflex, a foundational Rails real-time library, and I've published 24+ technical articles across leading Rails publications.
I work as a fractional CTO for founders who are building fast with AI and need a senior technical partner watching their back. Not a full-time hire. Not a faceless agency. One experienced engineer who knows your codebase.
Why this matters for you
- 16+ years reviewing code — I know what good looks like and what’s held together with tape
- I maintain open-source libraries other developers depend on — I’m not guessing about code quality
- 24+ published technical articles — I can explain what I find in plain English
- Dozens of codebases reviewed — I’ve seen the patterns that cost founders money
- Fixed-price, no hourly billing — unlike your developer, I have no incentive to find more work
“Julian reviews our code the way I’d want a technical co-founder to — he asks the questions I hadn’t thought to ask yet. That’s what gives me confidence to ship fast.”
“I recommend Julian to SaaS founders who’ve moved fast with AI tooling and are starting to wonder what they’ve missed. He’ll review your code and infrastructure to help you and your LLMs ensure it’s ready for business and growth.”
“It’s rare to find someone who can step into a fast-built, AI-assisted codebase and calmly turn it into something robust, secure and ready for real customers.”
Frequently asked
I built my app with AI — is it even worth reviewing?
Especially worth reviewing. AI-generated code can look clean and still have security gaps, scaling problems, or architecture that falls apart under real usage. I’ve reviewed dozens of AI-assisted codebases — the patterns are predictable and fixable.
How do I know YOU’RE not overcharging me?
Fixed-price audit. No hourly billing. You know the exact cost before we start. And unlike your developer, I have no incentive to find more work — my job is to give you clarity, not billable hours.
My developer (or my AI) says everything is fine.
They might be right. The audit will confirm it — or show you what they missed. Either way, you’ll know. And that’s worth more than trusting a single opinion.
Is it too late? We already launched.
Most founders come to me after launch. That’s fine — better to know now than after your first 1,000 users hit the weak points.
Should I just learn to code?
You don’t have to. You don’t learn plumbing to verify your plumber — you get a second opinion from someone who knows. That’s what I am.
What happens after the audit?
You get a written report and a walkthrough call. From there, you can fix things yourself, hand the report to your developer, or move to a monthly retainer where I review every change going forward.
Stop guessing. Get your code reviewed.
A 30-minute call to understand your situation and scope the review. No pitch, no pressure.