Rails API development
Clean, tested REST APIs for web and mobile clients. Authentication, background jobs, integrations, and the reliability work that keeps products running.
Available for select projects
I build web products that hold up in the real world.
Five years of shipping and maintaining Ruby on Rails APIs and React interfaces for product teams. Clear communication, steady delivery, and code your next developer will thank you for.
- 5+
- years shipping
- Rails + React
- core stack
- 16 hrs
- weekly capacity
- Remote
- IST, UTC+5:30
Recent work includes a long-running Rails and React retainer for MoxiWorks. Now taking on focused projects around 16 hours per week.
Teams and products I have worked with
- MoxiWorks
- Josh Software
- Qubited
- Cryptex Technologies
Services
How I can help
From a focused fix to a full product build, I work best with teams that value clear scope and honest communication. I take on a limited number of projects around 16 hours per week.
React frontend development
Interfaces that feel fast and predictable. Component systems, data-heavy screens, and clean handoffs to backend APIs.
MVP and product builds
From idea to a working Rails and React product. Scope, build, launch, then iterate without rewriting everything.
Maintenance and rescue work
Bug fixes, upgrades, performance cleanups, and inherited codebases. I leave things clearer than I found them.
API integrations
Third-party services, webhooks, CSV imports, admin consoles, and the glue work that unblocks your team.
Code review and handover
Practical reviews, documentation, and handover sessions so your team can own the product after I leave.
AI-assisted delivery
Faster builds, human-reviewed
I use AI tools for the repetitive parts of delivery, then review and test every change like production code. Speed is useful only when the result still holds up.
- Scaffolding, tests, and refactors
- Docs and codebase explanations
- Human review before anything ships
- Change notes that explain the why
Selected work
Products, teams, and the work between them
A few projects that show how I work: joining a team, finding the real problem, and shipping without drama.
01
MoxiWorks retainer
A long-running Rails and React engagement for a real estate software client. I joined an established, distributed team and worked across two active workstreams.
- Contributed to RiSE development while supporting the AP workstream.
- Coordinated with US-based engineers and kept progress visible across time zones.
- Handled challenging tasks with clear updates and a calm, collaborative approach.
Prem manages his time exceptionally well, supporting AP work while also contributing to RiSE development. He is proactive, communicates clearly, and is always ready to collaborate with the team.
Ana Marta Povoa, Manager, Engineering, MoxiWorks
02
Multi-platform APIs at Qubited
Product engineering for web and mobile applications. The work ranged from new API endpoints to custom features and supporting the people around me.
- Built backend APIs used by both mobile and web applications.
- Added custom functionality to live products and worked through production issues.
- Guided colleagues and ran a structured knowledge transfer before moving on.
As per my information, Prem Kaithwas is a great developer. He is doing great.
Suyash and Devesh, Qubited
03
Rails APIs for a React frontend
Backend work for a React application. I owned API endpoints and business logic, then learned React so I could close the loop between frontend and backend.
- Created backend APIs for a React frontend.
- Developed application logic and fixed bugs in existing products.
- Learned React on the job to deliver the full feature, not just the API.
Congratulations on completing tasks given to you efficiently. Also, I appreciate your efforts for learning React to complete your task. You are doing a great job at becoming more efficient in your workflow.
Team appreciation, Cryptex Technologies
Testimonials
What people say after working with me
Kind words from managers, clients, and teammates. The common thread is communication, ownership, and follow-through.
Awesome work, Prem. Thanks for handling all these challenging tasks. I mentioned your work and task management to Ben today. We are all really happy with your approach and progress.
It is nice to be treated like a human being. I am sorry I will not be around to watch you finish growing into being an excellent engineer, but I am glad I got to work with you in the meantime.
Pleasure working with you. Your promptness and response to dedicated tasks will lead you ahead in future endeavours as well.
Many thanks. Really appreciated.
Excellent, thank you so much Prem. Let me know how progress is going if no issues. Thanks again and have a good rest of your day.
It has been a pleasure knowing you. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors. Take care.
Collected from client notes, team messages, and company appreciation posts.
Prem Kaithwas
Software engineer
- Based in Nagpur, India
- Working Remote, IST
- Focus Rails, React, APIs
- Availability ~16 hrs/week
About
A steady hand for products that need to keep moving.
I am Prem, a software engineer based in India. For the last five years I have worked across product companies and client projects, mostly in Ruby on Rails and React.
I care about the unglamorous parts: clear APIs, readable code, honest estimates, and handovers that do not leave teams stranded. I have joined inherited codebases, worked alongside product and QA, and handed work back with documentation and a walkthrough.
I use AI tools where they genuinely help, but the judgment, review, and communication stay human. Faster is only useful when the result is still reliable.
Clarity over clevernessReadable code and plain updates beat clever shortcuts.
Ship, then improveWorking software is a better teacher than a perfect plan.
Leave it betterCleaner code, useful docs, and a team that can own it.
Say the hard thing earlyRisks and delays surface before they become surprises.
Experience
- 2025 to present Software Engineer, Josh Software Client delivery on a long-running Rails and React retainer for MoxiWorks. Worked across AP and RiSE workstreams and coordinated with US-based engineers.
- 2022 to 2024 Software Engineer, Qubited Built backend APIs for web and mobile products, added custom features, supported teammates, and ran a structured knowledge transfer before moving on.
- 2021 to 2022 Ruby on Rails Developer, Cryptex Technologies Built Rails APIs for a React frontend, fixed bugs in live applications, and learned React to close the loop between frontend and backend.
- 2018 to 2021 BCA, St. Francis De Sales College, Nagpur Bachelor of Computer Applications, first division.
Writing
I write about software, AI, and the human side of work
Primebase is where I think in public. The tech blog covers AI tools, cloud, and practical fixes. Both are part of how I learn and explain things clearly.
To embrace the AI shift, first shift your identity
Read on Primebase →How Google is winning the AI race with Flash
Read on the tech blog →How one purchase leads to a chain of purchases
Read on Primebase →Kick out chaos from your head
Read on Primebase →The real reason you are an introvert
Read on Primebase →Essential tools for AI, cloud, and publishing
Read on the tech blog →Process
Simple, visible, no surprises
You should always know what is happening, what comes next, and what it costs.
- 01
A short intro call
We talk about the product, the problem, and the timeline. No pitch deck, no pressure.
- 02
A written plan
Scope, milestones, and a clear estimate. You know what is happening before work starts.
- 03
Build in small loops
Working software every week, a staging link, and updates you do not have to chase.
- 04
Handover that sticks
Docs, a walkthrough, and a support window so your team is not stranded.
FAQ
Questions before we talk
What kind of projects do you take?
Rails and React products, API work, maintenance and rescue projects, and focused MVP builds. I am most useful when there is a real product, a clear problem, and room to improve the code over time.
Can you join an existing codebase?
Yes. I have worked in inherited codebases, joined distributed teams, and handled knowledge transfer in both directions. I start by reading, asking questions, and making the smallest safe change.
Do you use AI to build software?
Yes, as a force multiplier. I use AI for scaffolding, tests, refactors, and documentation, then review and test everything before it ships. I also document the reasoning and trade-offs, so you see the judgment, not just the output.
How do you price work?
Fixed scope for defined projects and a weekly rate for ongoing work. You get a written estimate before we start, and I flag scope changes before they become invoices.
How many hours can you commit?
Around 16 hours per week alongside my full-time role. That fits a focused scope, ongoing maintenance, or a defined workstream. It is not a full-time embedded role.
What time zone do you work in?
IST, UTC+5:30. I overlap with European mornings and US mornings or evenings with a little planning. I have worked with teams across India and the United States.
Do you work with agencies and product teams?
Yes. I have delivered through an agency retainer and directly with product teams. I am comfortable being the extra pair of hands or the person who owns a workstream.
Are you open to full-time roles?
I already have a full-time role, so my focus here is part-time freelance and contract work around 16 hours per week. If you have a scoped project that fits that capacity, I would be glad to talk.
Let us build
Have a project in mind?
I take on select projects around 16 hours per week. Tell me what you are building, what is stuck, and your timeline. I reply within one business day.
Prefer LinkedIn? Connect with me.