Meet Kirill Ianchuk, Technical Lead at Deel

Deel, established in 2019, quickly became the fastest-growing B2B software company in the world. As an all-in-one payroll and HR platform for global teams, Deel simplifies managing a workforce, covering everything from onboarding and compliance to global payroll, HRIS, and immigration support. Today, Deel boasts 4,000 team members across over 100 countries and serves more than 35,000 clients in 120 countries.

Kirill began his career at Deel as a Backend Engineer, advanced to Senior Software Engineer, and in August 2024, he became the Technical Lead.

In this episode, we delve into what typically slows down software development projects and how to address these challenges. Kirill shares his insights through engaging storytelling. We discuss the importance of finding meaning in work and maintaining motivation. We also explore several key strategies: incremental and iterative development for building software in manageable stages, techniques for limiting work in process to enhance productivity, and applying the theory of constraints to focus on the balance between efficiency and effectiveness.

Additionally, we examine what skills are crucial for software engineers in the era of AI. According to Kirill, mastering prompt engineering is key.

Below are links to resources that Kirill mentioned during the show:

Pomodoro technique for time management
Wardley mapping (related to efficiency vs effectiveness)

Meet David Tippett, Search Engineer at GitHub

David is building the future of search at GitHub. Before joining GitHub, he worked at AWS as the Senior Developer Advocate for OpenSearch, where he taught developers how to build search experiences on the open-source datastore. With a background spanning network automation, software engineering, DevOps, and data engineering, he loves helping new engineers find their passion.

In this episode, we discussed three very interesting topics! First, the Open Source Hackathon Program that David helped put together with other enthusiasts at AWS. Second, the "Ship to Learn" principle—a philosophy and a system that increases development velocity at GitHub. And finally, how to write better code faster with AI, where David recommends everyone check out Open Web UI.

Meet Daniel Ung, Full-Stack Intern at SAP

Daniel is a full-stack intern at SAP and a member of the Hackathon Team at SJSU Computer Science Club.

In this episode, we explore how a hackathon profoundly impacted Daniel's life. The energy and camaraderie at these events inspired him to attend countless hackathons. We discuss the vibrant hackathon culture in the Bay Area, focusing on Berkeley's annual large-scale event, which draws over 1,000 participants. Daniel also shares insights from organizing his first hackathon. If you're looking to do the same at your university, we cover some major challenges and strategies to overcome them.

Lastly, we dive into how to accelerate coding with AI. Daniel highlights common pitfalls, emphasizing the importance of knowing when AI tools can be helpful. While AI can expedite writing boilerplate code, it requires caution for more complex issues. Blindly copying and pasting code may seem fast but can lead to later complications. Understanding the core problem is crucial to maintaining productivity.