# Dan Podina (GQLTeam) > Software architect for GraphQL and Go backends, AI-built codebases, agentic systems and regulated platforms. Dan Podina, GQLTeam SRL, Cluj-Napoca. Dan Podina is an independent software architect (GQLTeam SRL, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) working in production systems since 2005. Current roles: Independent software architect, GQLTeam SRL; Founder, SystemTrails; Creator and lead architect, LabraGo. He designs GraphQL and Go backends, validates AI-built systems (starting with a free SystemTrails teardown), designs agentic systems and MCP servers, engineers compliance controls (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, EU AI Act), plans zero-downtime migrations and trains teams for AI-assisted development. Contact: info@gqlteam.com, +40 742 223 433. Book a free 30-minute review: https://cal.com/dan-podina-snqasy/30min. ## Services - [GraphQL Architecture and Federation](https://gqlteam.com/services/graphql-architecture/index.md): GraphQL architecture consulting: schema-first design, Apollo Federation, N+1 elimination and compliance-ready request tracing for teams that need one API over many systems. - [Go Backend Systems](https://gqlteam.com/services/go-development/index.md): Go backend architecture consulting: service boundaries, event-driven design, resilience patterns and operability for high-throughput systems in regulated industries. - [Agentic Systems and MCP Server Architecture](https://gqlteam.com/services/agentic-systems/index.md): Architecture for agentic systems: tool boundaries, MCP server design, RAG and knowledge bases, evaluation suites, guardrails, and cost and latency budgets. For teams putting LLM agents into production. - [Architecture Validation for AI-Built Systems](https://gqlteam.com/services/architecture-validation/index.md): Architecture review for AI-built systems: start with a free 72-hour SystemTrails teardown, then a one to two week deep review of boundaries, data shape, coupling, failure modes and deployability. - [Compliance Architecture: HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR and the EU AI Act](https://gqlteam.com/services/compliance/index.md): Compliance engineering for regulated systems: HIPAA technical safeguards, PCI-DSS Level 1, SOC 2 controls, GDPR and EU AI Act obligations designed into the architecture, with auditor-ready documentation. - [Legacy Modernization and Zero-Downtime Migrations](https://gqlteam.com/services/migrations/index.md): Zero-downtime migration planning: strangler pattern, GraphQL wrappers over legacy systems, parallel runs with automated comparison, gradual traffic shifting and a rollback at every step. - [Team Enablement for AI-Assisted Development](https://gqlteam.com/services/mentoring/index.md): Mentoring and workshops for engineering teams adopting AI-assisted development: context engineering, review discipline, architecture literacy, and GraphQL and Go fundamentals. Sessions, team workshops or a retainer. ## Case studies - [LabraGo: Enterprise-Grade Headless CMS](https://gqlteam.com/showcase/labrago/index.md): LabraGo is an open-source enterprise headless CMS built with Go and GraphQL. Designed for extensibility, multi-tenancy, and developer productivity. - [bass.labrago.eu](https://gqlteam.com/showcase/bass-labrago/index.md): Private Backend-as-a-Service platform built with Go and GraphQL, exploring modern API patterns for self-hosted cloud infrastructure. The project is currently paused. - [Sabra - Fencing Club Management System](https://gqlteam.com/showcase/sabra/index.md): Fencing club management system built on the LabraGo platform. Handles member registration, tournament scheduling, and competition tracking. - [Clinical Trial Management System](https://gqlteam.com/showcase/prisma/index.md): Clinical trial management system for U.S. laboratories built on Go and GraphQL. 21 CFR Part 11 compliant with full audit trail support. ## Writing - [Your AI Context Is Locked to One Tool. Here's How to Fix It.](https://gqlteam.com/blog/tool-agnostic-ai-context/index.md): Cursor rules, Claude instructions, Codex agents: every AI tool wants its own config. A practical guide to writing project context once and generating it for every platform. - [Which OWASP ASVS Level Does Your App Actually Need?](https://gqlteam.com/blog/owasp-asvs-levels/index.md): OWASP ASVS has 3 security levels. Most teams pick wrong: either too little or way too much. A practical guide to choosing the right level. - [Why Cursor Keeps Doing Something Else (And How to Fix It)](https://gqlteam.com/blog/make-cursor-work/index.md): After months of fighting Cursor's 'creative interpretations,' I figured out what actually works. Here's the Cursor 2.4 workflow that stopped the madness. ## About and contact - [About Dan Podina](https://gqlteam.com/about/index.md): Dan Podina is a software architect in Cluj-Napoca, Romania: twenty years in backend systems, GraphQL and Go specialist, founder of SystemTrails, creator of LabraGo and lead architect of Sabra. - [Contact](https://gqlteam.com/contact/index.md): Get in touch with Dan Podina for software architecture consulting. Schedule a free 30-minute architecture review to discuss your project. - Email: info@gqlteam.com - Phone: +40 742 223 433 - Book a free 30-minute review: https://cal.com/dan-podina-snqasy/30min ## Ventures (also built and run by Dan Podina) - [SystemTrails](https://systemtrails.com): Productized architecture reviews for AI-built products. Free 72-hour teardown, then hardening sprints and ongoing oversight. Start here if you built fast with AI. - [Labra](https://github.com/GoLabra/labra): Open-source Go and GraphQL backend platform and headless CMS. MIT licensed. The platform under Sabra and the reference for how I structure Go services. - [Sabra](https://sabra.club): Club management SaaS built on Labra. Multi-tenant fencing and club management, one tenant per club at .sabra.club. - [danpodina.com](https://danpodina.com): Personal site and log. Design notes, the log, and the longer biography. ## Machine-readable - Full text of every page: https://gqlteam.com/llms-full.txt - Site index (JSON): https://gqlteam.com/index.json - Services (JSON): https://gqlteam.com/services/index.json - Case studies (JSON): https://gqlteam.com/showcase/index.json - Articles (JSON): https://gqlteam.com/blog/index.json - Agent discovery: https://gqlteam.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json - MCP server (Streamable HTTP, read-only): https://mcp.gqlteam.com/mcp - RSS: https://gqlteam.com/blog/index.xml ## Optional - [Privacy policy](https://gqlteam.com/privacy-policy/index.md) - [Terms of service](https://gqlteam.com/terms-of-service/index.md)