Dezső Mező
Founder · Engineer
I've shipped production products from fintech to creator-tooling · for startups and enterprises, from Budapest to San Francisco.
Before founding the studio, I was CTO at a fintech scale-up, built an AI platform for a knowledge-management company, and audited smart contracts alongside a DeFi protocol.
A mentor once told me: 'code running in production is the only code that matters.' Everything else is a demo.
- 01→02 Jun 20268 min
PostgreSQL vs MongoDB 2026: which database to pick
The honest answer in 2026: start with PostgreSQL, reach for MongoDB only when your data and access pattern genuinely demand it. Here's how to tell.
DatabasePostgreSQLMongoDBArchitecture - 02→02 Jun 20268 min
AI in logistics & supply chain: 2026 SME guide
Logistics is one of the few fields where AI pays for itself fast - if you point it at the right problem. Here's where it works for Hungarian operators in 2026.
AILogisticsSupply ChainHungary - 03→02 Jun 20266 min
H1 2026 in review: what changed for EU software teams
Four shifts defined the first half of 2026 for EU software teams. Here's what changed, what it means, and what to do about each one.
NewsEUAICompliance - 04→02 Jun 20269 min
AI agent pricing 2026: what an autonomous agent costs
An AI agent is not a chatbot with extra steps - it takes actions, and that changes the bill. Here are the real 2026 ranges and what drives them.
AIAgentsPricingLLM - 05→02 Jun 20268 min
n8n vs Make vs custom code: 2026 automation stack
No-code automation is brilliant until it isn't. Here's the line where n8n / Make stop saving money and custom code starts - and how to tell which side you're on.
Automationn8nMakeCustom Software - 06→14 May 202612 min
GDPR, NIS2, AI Act, MiCA: which EU rules hit your software?
Four EU regimes can reach a software product, and most teams aren't sure which. This is the plain-English map - a "does this apply to me" test for each, with links to the official texts.
ComplianceGDPRNIS2EU AI ActMiCA - 07→14 May 202610 min
The cost of software after launch: what nobody budgets for
Companies budget the build and treat launch as the finish line. It isn't. Software needs upkeep the way a building does - here's what that costs and how to plan for it.
Buyer guideCustom softwareMaintenanceTotal cost of ownershipEU - 08→14 May 202611 min
Blockchain Without the Hype: Where It Actually Helps
Strip away the speculation and blockchain does one useful thing: it makes a record nobody can quietly change. Here's where that's worth paying for - and where a plain database wins.
BlockchainBuyer guideTokensNFTProduct decisions - 09→14 May 202612 min
Self-hosted AI or the API? When to run your own LLM in 2026
Calling the OpenAI or Anthropic API is the right default for most AI features. But data sensitivity, steady high volume, or strict EU residency can flip the answer. Here's the honest decision.
AILLMSelf-hostingData residencyBuyer guide - 10→14 May 202611 min
Mobile app or PWA? A practical 2026 decision guide
Most companies default to "build an app" before asking whether they need one. A PWA is often the cheaper, faster answer - and sometimes it isn't. Here's how to decide before you spend the budget.
MobilePWABuyer guideWebProduct decisions - 11→14 May 202612 min
AI Search: 2026 Guide to Generative Engine Optimization
Search is shifting from ten blue links to one synthesised answer with citations. Generative engine optimization is how you become one of those citations - and most of it is engineering, not copywriting.
AI searchGEOSEOWebStructured data - 12→14 May 202610 min
Brief a software studio so the quotes come back accurate
Vague briefs get vague quotes - and the gap shows up later as a budget overrun. Here's how to write a one-page brief that gets accurate numbers back and reveals which studio actually fits.
Buyer guideHiringCustom softwareProject scopingEU - 13→14 May 202612 min
The 2026 smart contract security checklist before you ship
A smart-contract bug is permanent and the funds are real. Here's the engineering checklist a contract should clear before it touches mainnet - exploit classes, real testing, the audit, and a careful deploy.
BlockchainSmart contractsSecuritySolidityAudit - 14→14 May 202611 min
What a Real Penetration Test Delivers in 2026
Most teams buy a penetration test without knowing what a good one produces. Here's what should be in scope, what the deliverable looks like, and the red flags that mean you bought an automated scan with a nicer cover page.
CybersecurityPenetration testingSecurity auditBuyer guideEU - 15→14 May 202613 min
The EU AI Act in practice: a 2026 guide for AI teams
The EU AI Act is phasing in, it reaches companies far outside the EU, and most of the work is engineering, not legal. Here's how a build team should actually think about it in 2026.
AIEU AI ActComplianceEUBuyer guide - 16→14 May 202612 min
Hiring a European Engineering Studio · 2026 US & UAE Guide
If you're a US or UAE company weighing a European engineering partner, the decision isn't really about rates · it's time zones, who owns the IP, and whether EU compliance is a tax or a feature. Here's the honest breakdown.
HiringEUBuyer guideUSAUAE - 17→09 May 20269 min
Hiring an AI Development Team in Budapest · 2026 Guide
What does an AI engagement actually cost in Budapest right now, and how do you tell a serious studio from a prompt-pretender?
AIBudapestHungaryHiring - 18→09 May 20268 min
Web development rates in Budapest 2026: €2k-€20k
What you actually get for €2k vs €8k vs €20k in Budapest in 2026 - published rates, no salesman talk.
Web developmentBudapestHungaryPricing - 19→09 May 20269 min
Cybersecurity audit cost in Hungary · 2026 benchmarks
Itemised audit budgets for a Hungarian SME going through NIS2, ISO 27001, or SOC 2 in 2026 - including what's usually missed in the quote.
CybersecurityNIS2HungaryAuditCompliance - 20→09 May 202610 min
EU AI Act for Hungarian startups: 2026 founder's guide
Realistic EU AI Act compliance for a Hungarian startup in 2026 · without the regulatory-theatre overspend.
AI ActHungaryStartupComplianceRegulation - 21→09 May 20269 min
Building a SaaS in Hungary · 2026 regulatory + tax checklist
The 12-item Hungarian SaaS launch checklist for 2026 - company form, NAV registration, GDPR, payment processors, NIS2 readiness.
SaaSHungaryStartupTaxGDPR - 22→06 May 20268 min
Manufacturing AI in 2026 · what works on the floor
Most manufacturing AI fails at the demo-to-production gap. Here's the short list of what actually pays back · and what to skip.
AIManufacturingOTIndustry 4.0 - 23→06 May 20269 min
LegalTech Due Diligence 2026: What to Check
Legal-tech vendors all say 'privilege-aware'. Here's the 12-point due-diligence checklist we run before our law-firm clients sign.
LegalTechDue diligenceAICompliance - 24→06 May 20268 min
Proptech stack for EU builders in 2026: choices that scale
Building a property platform in the EU? Here's the stack we'd actually ship today · MLS, AVM, broker CRM, energy certificates, all locale-aware.
ProptechReal estateEUArchitecture - 25→06 May 20269 min
EdTech and GDPR 2026: handling student data the right way
GDPR for student data isn't optional and isn't impossible. The patterns that work for K-12 + higher-ed in EU markets, in 2026.
EdTechGDPRPrivacySchools - 26→06 May 20268 min
Direct Booking vs OTAs in 2026 · the Math and the Tech
Direct-booking percentage is the only metric that compounds. Here's the tech and the conversion playbook that actually moves it.
HospitalityDirect bookingConversionHotels - 27→30 Apr 202611 min
Smart contract audit pricing in 2026: €4k vs €15k vs €60k
Most "audit" quotes range from €1k to €120k for the same 600-line Solidity file. Here's what actually justifies each tier - and which numbers are theatre.
BlockchainSecuritySmart contractAuditPricing - 28→30 Apr 202612 min
Cybersecurity audit cost in 2026: €5k, €18k or €60k?
Most security audit quotes are unread cookie-cutter PDFs. Here's the pricing reality, what each tier ships, and the four things separating engineering from theatre.
CybersecurityAuditPricingNIS2SOC2 - 29→29 Apr 202612 min
How Much Does AI Development Cost in 2026? EU Rates
European AI engineering rates in 2026 don't fit on one page · here's the real breakdown by tier, with what's included, what's a red flag, and where the EU compliance overhead actually shows up.
AIPricingHiringEUAI development cost - 30→29 Apr 202611 min
How to Hire an AI Development Team · 9 Questions for 2026
Most AI agency pitches sound the same. Nine questions surface the difference between a production engineering team and a deck-driven sales motion · ask all nine before signing.
AIHiringBuyer guideAI developmentProcurement - 31→29 Apr 202613 min
NIS2 readiness for EU SaaS · the 90-day playbook
NIS2 is in force. EU SaaS teams that wait for the first incident to do the paperwork have already lost the audit. Here's the 90-day plan we run on every cybersecurity engagement.
NIS2ComplianceSecurityEUSaaS - 32→22 Apr 202612 min
Foundry invariant testing · patterns we use on every audit
Eight invariant patterns worth stealing · we run these on every audit and they keep finding real bugs.
BlockchainSolidityFoundryAuditTesting - 33→22 Apr 202611 min
Hungarian Payment Gateway Comparison 2026
Four payment gateways, Hungarian-market reality check. Which we pick for which job, with fee math and integration pain points.
FintechPaymentsSimplePayStripeBarion - 34→22 Apr 202613 min
React Native offline-first: SQLite + sync that works
Offline-first is a 4-layer problem, not a feature flag. Here's the architecture we ship across Expo + React Native projects.
MobileReact NativeOffline-firstSQLiteSync - 35→22 Apr 202610 min
Checkout conversion: 12 experiments that moved numbers
Twelve real checkout experiments from the last 18 months · uplift numbers, segment effects, and which we now ship by default.
WebshopE-commerceConversionA/B TestingShopify - 36→22 Apr 202610 min
EIP-712 meta-transactions: secure gasless UX, explained
Gasless UX is a product win. Meta-tx relayers are a security surface. Here's how to ship both safely.
BlockchainEIP-712Meta-transactionUXSecurity - 37→22 Apr 202611 min
Hungarian Fintech Regulatory Calendar 2026 · MNB, NAV, NAIH
MNB, NAV, and NAIH all have 2026 obligations that hit Hungarian fintechs · this is the compact calendar of what's due and when.
FintechMNBNAVNAIHCompliance - 38→22 Apr 202611 min
LLM evals-as-code · the CI gate we run on every RAG deploy
An eval that's not in CI is not an eval. Here's the evals-as-code workflow we run on every RAG project.
AILLMRAGEvalCI - 39→22 Apr 20269 min
Postgres migration · 5 mistakes that cost us weeks
Five Postgres migration mistakes that burned weeks of our time. Here's the fix for each, and what we now do unconditionally.
PostgresMigrationDevOpsSaaSProduction - 40→22 Apr 202612 min
Multi-tenant SaaS on Postgres · the RLS-first playbook
Building multi-tenant SaaS on Postgres? RLS is non-negotiable. Here's the playbook we ship.
SaaSPostgresMulti-tenantRLSSecurity - 41→22 Apr 20269 min
Shopify Hydrogen · when the setup cost actually pays back
Hydrogen is a big lift vs liquid themes. Here's the revenue tier where it starts paying back, and the migration plan.
ShopifyHydrogenHeadlessE-commerceWebshop - 42→22 Apr 202610 min
Solana smart contract gotchas every Anchor dev hits in 2026
Solana is not Ethereum-with-better-TPS. Seven differences that bite every team coming from EVM.
BlockchainSolanaAnchorRustSecurity - 43→22 Apr 20268 min
App Store Optimization for Hungarian Apps · 2026 Playbook
ASO for HU-first apps is different from the US playbook. Here's what actually moves HU organic installs.
MobileASOApp StorePlay StoreHungary - 44→22 Apr 202610 min
Agentic AI · the safe tool-use pattern we ship by default
Agentic AI that can send email and move money is not just a chatbot. Here's the safe tool-use pattern we ship.
AIAgentSecurityLLMTool-use - 45→22 Apr 20268 min
Mobile analytics without cross-app tracking · 2026 reality
~65% of iOS users decline tracking. Here's how we run product analytics for mobile apps anyway.
MobilePrivacyAnalyticsiOSATT - 46→20 Apr 202610 min
NIS2 for SaaS: minimum checklist for 2026
What NIS2 actually demands from a mid-size SaaS: incident reporting, supply-chain, access control, and 3 basic rules we run ourselves.
NIS2ComplianceSecurityEU - 47→20 Apr 20269 min
React Native vs Expo · 2026 decision framework
Expo is the default for most new apps in 2026. But not all. Here's the frame we use when clients ask.
MobileReact NativeExpoiOSAndroid - 48→20 Apr 202612 min
KYC Integration for Hungarian Fintech 2026
Practical KYC integration for EU + Hungarian fintech · provider comparison, MNB requirements, and the integration mistakes we won't repeat.
FintechKYCMNBCompliancePayment - 49→19 Apr 202613 min
Solidity gas optimization: 16 patterns we use on audits
Sixteen gas patterns, ranked by real-world impact on the contracts we audited in 2025.
BlockchainSolidityGasOptimizationAudit - 50→18 Apr 202611 min
LLM prompt injection playbook · the 2026 attack surface
The prompt injection surface is not a single bug · it's five categories, each with a distinct defence. Here's our playbook.
AISecurityLLMPrompt Injectionai-security - 51→08 Apr 20269 min
Shipping AI agents that actually work in production
From demo to live system: the retrieval, eval, guardrails and cost control we run on every AI project we ship.
AILLMRAGProduction - 52→02 Apr 20268 min
React Native vs native iOS: a 2026 decision framework
There isn't one correct answer. Just six hard questions that resolve it: RN or native. Here's how we decide on projects.
MobileReact NativeiOSAndroid - 53→22 Mar 202612 min
Smart contract audit checklist · the one we actually use
A checklist for the last days before mainnet: threat model, tests, fuzz, deploy, monitor · 30+ items we never skip.
BlockchainSecuritySolidityAudit - 54→10 Mar 202611 min
Multi-tenant SaaS with Next.js: from template to production
A multi-tenant Next.js SaaS reference from 2026: custom domains, RLS, per-tenant feature flags, and billing. No hand-waving.
WebSaaSNext.jsMulti-tenant - 55→14 Feb 20268 min
Core Web Vitals on Next.js: from 4.5s LCP to 0.9s in 3 weeks
A real case: image priority, RSC boundaries, edge caching, font loading · 4 seconds of LCP saved in three weeks.
WebPerformanceNext.jsSEO