New Symfony applications, upgrades to current versions, API Platform and Messenger, continued development and maintenance of existing Symfony projects.
Symfony Freelancer
Symfony has been my framework for years for everything beyond a store plugin – and it is the foundation of Shopware 6. If you want to build a Symfony application, lift it to a current version or keep developing it, you get a developer who knows the framework from daily work and knows which decisions become expensive later.
Typical tasks
New Symfony application
Back office, portal, middleware or API: architecture, data model, implementation, tests, deployment. Clearly structured so a second developer can continue later without weeks of onboarding.
Symfony upgrade
From Symfony 3, 4, 5 or 6 to the current version – including PHP upgrade, Composer dependencies, deprecations, Doctrine migrations and test coverage. In stages, so operations continue.
API Platform
REST or GraphQL APIs with API Platform: resources, security, filters, pagination, OpenAPI documentation. For partner connections, apps or a headless architecture.
Messenger, queues and background jobs
Move imports, exports, emails, calculations and integration runs out of the request – with Symfony Messenger, RabbitMQ, Redis or Doctrine transport, retries on failure and monitoring.
Continue an existing Symfony project
The previous developer is gone or the agency has no capacity. I get into the codebase, do a short assessment and implement the open requirements.
Add tests and quality
PHPUnit, integration tests, PHPStan, coding standards and a CI pipeline – so changes stop being scary.
Connect Shopware 6 and Symfony
Standalone Symfony services that talk to the store via API or Messenger – for everything that does not belong inside the store itself.
How I work
- Current Symfony versions, PHP 8.x, Doctrine, Twig, API Platform, Messenger
- Git, Docker, CI/CD, staging before production
- Code in your repository, documentation in the project, no dependency on me
How I work
Three principles that apply in every project
Understand before building
First the short technical assessment: what is the actual problem, where is the lever, what makes economic sense? Then the implementation.
Build instead of forwarding
You talk to the developer who does the work – no handover chain, no black box, clear status updates and early warning about risks.
Hand over instead of holding on
Code in your repository, tests, documentation and a deployment process your team understands. No vendor lock-in – your system does not depend on me afterwards.
Background
Experience at a glance
- Today
- Senior freelancer in ongoing Shopware projects of several agencies and merchants – at home in foreign repos, processes and deadlines.
- Since 2021
- Self-employed as Stefan Pilz Ltd. – remote for merchants and agencies: Shopware 5 and 6, Symfony, migrations, maintenance.
- 2015 – 2020
- E-commerce backends: inventory, PIM and Amazon/eBay integrations for around 3.5 million products, then the Drillisch mobile-carrier web stores.
- Since 2012
- Full-time web developer – first at an agency: websites and stores with Joomla, xt-Commerce and Shopware.
- 2002
- Completed vocational training as a software developer (C/C++). First own PHP websites from 2004.
See current and completed projects Career and stack in the CV
Good fit
Works well when...
- you have a concrete business requirement that standard software does not cover cleanly.
- you need an experienced PHP/Symfony developer who implements directly instead of forwarding tickets.
- you run existing systems, stores or integrations that have to work together.