Cosmin Rusu

Duty Ventures - Software Design and Engineering Company

I'm leading a software development agency focused on fast iterations. Most of our clients are shipping more features, responding faster to support tickets, and have accelerated growth because of us.

We focused on HealthCare a lot lately due to the accelerated digitalization in this industry. I am a strong believer that we can make healthcare more technically advanced via pure software. 

In terms of technologies, our previous projects involved Ruby on Rails, React, React Native, Scala, Java, Kubernetes, GCP, AWS (ECS, RDS, AKS), Stripe Connect, HIPAA compliance.

Some of our previous clients: 
- Spotify
- Colgate
- Go4Ellis (incl. HIPAA compliance)
- KindBody (+1 HIPAA)
- NXT Sports
- Noom (Healthcare)
- Mochila Fulfillment
- 3Step
- Mylk Guys (YCombinator)
- NLV Productions
- SH Technologies
- One Step Software (Techstars)
- Ergodic Labs
- Med Prep
- Testing Psych
- Abundance Digital
- Tookitaki

Founder & Lead software engineer

Apple

Web Answers on the Siri Experience team, working on open-ended question answering. BERT, SBERT, TensorFlow

Machine Learning Engineer

Google

Intern in Google Ads team. Developed a daily training and prediction pipeline for a machine learning model. Worked closely with the data science and development team to integrate the R model in C++.

Intern in the Google Photos team. The project involved extending the selection framework for auto-created movies based on user content and implementing three new concept movies. Exposed to: Java 8, Protocol Buffers

Software Engineering Intern

Amazon

Amazon Development Center Iasi - Robot Detection Research team
The project involved creating a linkage and score system for robotic attributes. The main challenge was the huge amount of nodes and data that had to be processed every day.
Exposed to: Hadoop, MapReduce, Machine Learning, JavaScript, NodeJs

Software Engineer Internship

Transforming Visions into AI MVPs & Products | Founder @Duty Ventures | Ex {Google, Apple and Amazon}

Hi, I’m Cosmin, the Founder and Lead Engineer of Duty Ventures. 

After some experience as a software developer in companies such as Google, Apple, and Amazon, I decided to launch my project.

With several former colleagues and college friends, we launched our own startup specializing in software development for entrepreneurs and customers needing software development services. 

Duty Ventures is all about developing software products from start to finish, thanks to the experiences we have all acquired in the past years.

One of our most successful services is aimed at entrepreneurs and early-stage founders, for whom we provide an MVP-builder service getting their product from 0 to 1 within weeks!

However, our services are not limited to that. The teams we create do much more than just create MVPs and are able to adapt to the different technologies requested, all of this in an agile way.

Our most recurrent services are the following:
- MVP creation
- Custom Software Development
- Blockchain Development
- Mobile Development
- Checkout pages
- E-Commerce

And our most used technologies are:
- Ruby on Rails
- React
- React Native
- Java
- NodeJS


If you want to learn more about how we can help you, head over to: https://dutyventures.com


Phone: (+1) 669 200 9568 / (+40) 754 973 314
Email: cosmin@dutyventures.com

Engineering Teams for Ambitious Founders | Founder @Duty Ventures | Ex {Google, Apple and Amazon}

Perhaps my biggest lesson from working more than 5 years providing Software Development Services is: don’t burn bridges. It’s hard to do it. At some point, you might not deliver as well as you used to. There are peaks, and they are valleys. We need to be able to cross both, since we only have a North Star. What’s important is the process, not the outcome. If you focus on the process, the right outcomes will naturally come.

Now back to my idea: no matter what happens with a relationship, it’s best to end it on good terms. Make sure both sides are happy after moving in completely different directions. Why? Because really, that leaves the door open for future opportunities. This happened to me! Not once, not twice, but many times. Your current project might end, but the founder will have another side project they want to pursue, or they will move to a high-growth startup that could use your expertise.

It’s easier and better to invest in current and previous relationships than to build new ones. But one needs to do both for the best outcomes.

Remote work sounds simple. Hire from anywhere. Get talent everywhere.

But here’s what nobody tells you - compliance is a minefield.

Every country has its own labor laws, tax codes, regulations. What’s fine in the US might get you flagged in Germany or India.

I’ve worked with startups scaling global teams and seen founders blindsided by fines, audits, or even payroll freezes. Usually because they tried to copy-paste a US process onto the world.

Here’s what I tell anyone building a remote team:
- Never assume the rules are the same. Research each country before you hire.
- Don’t rely on guesswork. Use proper global payroll and compliance platforms.
- If you’re unsure, talk to a local expert. A quick check can save you months of trouble.
- Pay attention to IP and confidentiality laws. These differences can bite you later.

Bottom line: remote work makes geography irrelevant for talent, but not for compliance.

Get this wrong, and small mistakes become big distractions. Get it right, and your team can focus on what matters.

Ran into compliance surprises building your team? I’d love to hear what happened and what you learned.

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Pavle Lucic

Senior UI/UX Designer @ Toptal | Prototyping, Branding, UI Development

I am a Senior UI/UX Designer at Toptal, a network of the world's top 3% of software engineering, design, and finance talent. With over 10 years of experience in the design industry, I have a proven track record of creating visually engaging and user-friendly interfaces for in-car navigation systems, SaaS apps, and marketing websites.

My background in business and economics gives me a unique perspective on how to design UX and UI that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, efficient, and user-friendly. I am passionate about solving complex problems, collaborating with diverse teams, and learning new skills. I am also Adwords Search Certified, which demonstrates my ability to optimize the online presence and performance of my clients. My goal is to help tech companies increase their revenue by improving the user experience of their products.

Senior UI/UX Desiger

I once told a junior designer:

“You are better than me.”

She froze.
Then shook her head.

But I meant it.

Her instincts fast.
Her ideas were fresh.
Her courage fearless.

We spend so much time chasing recognition that we forget how powerful respect can be.

Better designers don’t diminish you.
They define what’s next for you.

When you respect greatness without envy, you create room for your own.

Respect over recognition. Always.

P.S. Who’s one designer you quietly respect more than anyone else? Tag them.

Senior UI/UX Product Designer | UX Strategy | Figma

A lead designer once told me, “We don’t have time for UX research.”

I said, “Then you’ll make time for rework.”

Because that’s the tradeoff.

If you skip qualitative research, your next sprint will be filled with fixes.
If you skip quantitative research, your next decision will be based on vibes.

I’ve seen this mistakes with every single design team I’ve worked with. 

Zero exceptions. 
Myself included.

Here’s the cycle that works:

Qualitative → Design → Quantitative → Refine.
Talk → Build → Measure → Repeat.

Let me explain:

Qualitative research makes people care.
Quantitative research makes people act.

Together? They make decisions make sense

Through numbers, you measure behavior.
Through stories, you understand it.

My process allows me to:

1. Design with confidence, not assumptions
2. Balance empathy with research evidence
3. Build products users actually want

Every great product you admire was built this way.

Skip a step and you’ll build twice.

(Repost ♻️ if this hits home.)

P.S. Which step do you usually skip first talking or testing?

If I could go back 10 years…

I wouldn’t change the tools I used.
I wouldn’t change my niche.
I wouldn’t change my style.

Instead?

I’d only change one thing.
I’d start designing badly… sooner.

Because every “ugly” design, every failed concept, every 3-hour layout that still looked wrong…all of it built the instinct I have now.

That instinct?
It’s why I can deliver a clean result in 20 minutes today.

The minutes are visible.
The decade is invisible.

And that’s the part that matters most.

Stop trying to be perfect.
Start trying to build your years.

Because once your decade is strong…
your 20-minute magic becomes inevitable.

(Repost if you wish you started earlier ♻️)

P.S. What’s the earliest design software you ever used?

Every designer eventually realizes this:

You don’t need more tools.
You don’t need more plugins.
You don’t need more fancy software.

You need a better eye.

And your eye is shaped by principles of design.
Not by features.

Once I understood that, everything changed:

• My work finally had rhythm
• Spacing started to make sense
• Visual decisions became intentional
• Layouts stopped feeling “accidental”

And suddenly… my work looked cleaner without adding anything new

The day I stopped chasing trends and started studying why designs work…
Was the day my growth finally clicked.

Your career changes the moment you stop decorating
and start designing with principles.

P.S. Did you have a moment when design suddenly started making sense?

My son’s first steps → felt like seconds.
His first day at kindergarten → felt like minutes.
His first “I love you dad” → felt like forever.

Time plays favorites like that.

The first years of parenthood?
They vanish fast.

I used to spend 10 hours a day chasing goals.

Now, I spend one hour chasing giggles and somehow, it feels more productive.

Career milestones come and go.
Childhood doesn’t.

And the truth is…

We’re not losing time.
We’re living it in small, beautiful doses ❤️.

P.S. What’s one small moment you’d relive if you could?

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