My Story
Hi, I'm Julian Engel.
I've always been a tinkerer at heart — the kind of person who'd take something apart just to understand how it works - not always being able to put it back together again. Over time, that curiosity evolved into building things of my own: websites, brands, tools, and eventually companies.
I grew up between countries and cultures, which gave me both a restless curiosity and a love for storytelling. In my late teenage years, I built and scaled a creative agency, which taught me how to move fast, wear too many hats, and make things happen even when the odds were stacked against me. But after nearly a decade, I realized that I was burned out, pushing red tape and it was time for a change. It was time to finally have a real impact.
That led me to where I am today: working full-time on Nutrified, our pet health startup, while also building small digital tools under my side label, Simple Bytes.
It's a mix of strategy, creativity, and experimentation that keeps me on my toes — and I wouldn't have it any other way.
What I Do
At Nutrified – I lead growth and marketing strategy, which means I get to shape how we tell our story, connect with pet owners, and bring new ideas to market. (And yes — I really do get to hang out with pets as part of the job.)
Through Simple Bytes – I create small SaaS projects that scratch a personal itch or explore an idea I can't shake. Some of my favorites so far:
Domain Details – a WHOIS/RDAP lookup tool for everyone.
And when I'm not building or writing, you'll probably find me running (I've completed the NYC and London marathons), traveling with my partner, or tinkering with Raspberry Pi projects in my garage maker space.
The Journey
Born in Vienna, Austria.
Typed my very first words on a computer, sitting on my aunt Renata's lap — unknowingly setting the stage for a lifelong love of tech.
At the peak of my magic career, performing as "Magic Julian". From birthdays, to schools to ORF 1.
Discovered scuba diving — a passion that's stayed with me ever since.
Learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through W3Schools. Released my first iOS app and felt the magic of development for the first time.
Registered Julo's Development to start freelancing officially.
Awarded an Apple WWDC Scholarship and traveled to San Francisco — the trip funded entirely by my dev work for my mom and me.
Attended my first hackathon at DC Hacks (August).
Launched Limassol Local Hack Day, building a small but High School Hackathon community.
Organized the first edition of Ninja Hacks, which became a recurring event.
Expanded The Codeero Group into Development, Events, and a Foundation (formerly Guardian Angel Foundation and Limassol Local Hack Day).
Ran my first marathon — NYC Marathon with Team For Kids.
Met my future wife, Natalia ❤️
Natalia founded Nutrified, a natural pet health brand.
Transitioned The Codeero Group to fully remote and stepped back from day-to-day operations.
Left TCG completely to focus on Nutrified full-time.
Connect
I'm always interested in connecting with fellow builders, thinkers, and dreamers. Whether you want to discuss a project, share an idea, or just say hello, I'd love to hear from you.