Author

João Santos

Founder and engineer at Impact Origin

Works side by side with founders and technical teams designing, building and scaling custom software. Writes here about what production teaches: architecture, stack choices, costs, and the decisions that only show up once a project is live.

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Articles

When to migrate from Postgres to a distributed database

Technical signs for moving away from PostgreSQL, real alternatives, hidden costs and production pitfalls before choosing a distributed database.

Microservices with 10 users: almost always not worth it

Migrating to microservices with 10 users rarely pays off. See when it makes sense, hidden costs, alternatives and real technical signals.

Integrating Primavera with a modern web application

A practical guide to connecting Cegid Primavera to a modern web application, choosing API, SDK or SQL without exposing the ERP or creating technical debt.

Stripe, Paddle or Mollie for SaaS in Portugal

A practical comparison between Stripe, Paddle and Mollie for SaaS in Portugal, focusing on VAT, payment methods, subscriptions, costs and integration.

Secure customer portal on SAP data

How to design a customer portal on SAP with APIs, authorisation, auditing, caching and integration without exposing the ERP or duplicating critical rules.

Integrating Salesforce with an internal application without creating debt

Practical guide to integrating Salesforce with an internal application: APIs, OAuth, events, limits, data models and common production errors.

Synchronise stock between Shopify and ERP in real time

How to synchronise stock between Shopify and ERP with webhooks, queues, idempotency, reconciliation and clear rules about the source of truth.

Background Jobs in Node.js: BullMQ vs pgmq vs Building Your Own

Technical comparison between BullMQ, pgmq and proprietary solutions for asynchronous jobs in Node.js. Real trade-offs in latency, scale and operational complexity.

Convex vs Supabase vs Firebase: Which One to Choose for Your SaaS

Real technical comparison between Convex, Supabase and Firebase. Costs, architecture, scalability and trade-offs for founders to decide in production.

Reducing Churn in B2B SaaS: Diagnosis, Intervention and Productive Retention

Churn is not destiny. A practical framework for identifying why customers leave, intervening before the point of no return, and building retention with real data, not hope.

Fractional CTO: When to Hire and When It's Wasteful

Practical guide on when it really makes sense to hire a fractional CTO common pitfalls and how to structure the relationship to deliver ROI.

Weekly Metrics Founders Should Track in a B2B SaaS

Which product metrics actually matter? Practical guide with a concrete framework for founders to monitor results without getting lost in vanity metrics.

Observability in SaaS: When to Start and How to Avoid Wasted Investment

Observability is not monitoring. Learn when you actually need it, what the real cost is, and how to avoid being locked into expensive tools while your SaaS is small.

Estimating Bespoke Software Projects: A Practical Framework Based on Production Experience

Proven techniques for estimating custom projects with 20-30% accuracy. Discover the pitfalls we've seen in dozens of deals and how to avoid them.

Migrating from PostgreSQL to Distributed Database: When and How to Decide

Is Postgres enough? Discover when to migrate to distributed systems, real-world pitfalls, and the criteria that decide between Postgres, CockroachDB, Cassandra, or YugaByte.

Hiring Senior Developers in Portugal: Criteria, Pitfalls and What Actually Works

How to identify and hire senior developers in Portugal without wasting time or money. Technical criteria, red flags and processes that work.

Multi-Tenant Architecture in SaaS: Isolation, Scale and Real Trade-offs

Practical guide to multi-tenant database organisation. Isolation strategies, comparison of patterns (database-per-tenant vs shared schema), production implementation and common pitfalls.

Billing for B2B SaaS with Custom Plans: Patterns That Work in Production

Explore the most effective billing patterns for B2B SaaS with personalised plans. Real code, common pitfalls and architectural decisions that have scaled in production.

Code Reviews in Small Teams: A Process That Scales from 3 to 5 Developers

A practical framework for code reviews in lean teams. Heavy automation, clear criteria, and a Git workflow that doesn't choke productivity or compromise quality.

Rewriting a Legacy SaaS: When It's Worth It and How to Decide

Rewriting a legacy SaaS product is expensive and risky. Discover the real technical and commercial criteria for making the right decision, with concrete examples and pitfalls to avoid.

Technology Stack for B2B SaaS in 2026: Criteria and Decisions

A practical guide to choosing backend, frontend, infrastructure and B2B SaaS tools. Avoid common pitfalls and align technology with growth.