AI agents, in practice.
I’m exploring how AI agents can plan, write software, and check their work — and where a human needs to stay involved. Projectinator is where I’m putting those ideas into code.
A little about me
Hi, I’m Stepan.
I’m based in Dubai, where I work across AI engineering, software development, and technical leadership. I like being close to the code — and helping people move a project forward.
My career started in hardware and software engineering in Germany. It took me into automotive software, then project leadership, and now into building with AI. Across 12+ years, hands-on engineering and working with teams have stayed closely connected.
These days
What has my attention.
A public notebook.
I build apps, write about what I’m learning, and share videos through Stevinator. It’s the place to follow my projects and the thinking behind them.
On my desk
Things I’m working on.
Independent projects, experiments, and software I’m building.
AI agents / Open source
Projectinator
I’m building an open-source AI development team that runs in the terminal. It brings planning, implementation, and browser verification into a workflow you can inspect.
Meet Projectinator
AI experiments / Evaluation
LLM Arena
I compare models using the same prompts and preserve their first responses. You can look at the output side by side before revealing which model wrote it.
Desktop software / macOS
TopDeck
I’m building a command deck for the Mac’s notch and menu bar, bringing widgets, notes, and an AI cockpit into a desktop app.
How I got here
An engineering thread.
From making hardware work to writing software and leading the teams behind it.
- 01/22 — present
IT management, consulting & full-stack development
Manookian LLC, Dubai, UAE
I bring project delivery and hands-on development together, including the architecture and full-stack development of a specialist job portal.
- 12/2020 — 01/2022
Senior project manager
Freelancer, Germany
I helped cross-functional teams adopt Scrum, improve their processes, and develop their project management skills through mentoring.
- 02/2016 — 02/2020
Project manager & software engineer
Harman International, Garching, Germany
I built Windows software for automotive calibration and diagnostics, worked with acoustic engineers, and led an international engineering team.
- 11/2013 — 12/2015
Hardware & software development
Ferchau Engineering, Schrobenhausen, Germany
I started with circuit boards, hardware prototypes, embedded interfaces, and desktop tools for engineering test environments.
Along the way
Master of Science in Acoustical EngineeringUniversity of Applied Sciences, Munich, Germany
Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Information TechnologyUniversity of Applied Sciences, Ingolstadt, Germany
Sharing what I know
I also mentor developers through Exercism, helping with coding skills and code reviews.
Certified Scrum MasterSSGI · 11.08.2023
Keep in touch
Say hello.
If something here caught your interest, I’d be glad to hear from you. Email me or connect on LinkedIn.
stepan@manookian.deConnect on LinkedIn Dubai, UAE