Beyond Coding

Latest Episodes:

The AI Skills Software Engineers Need to Learn Now Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

Software engineers often think adding AI is just a simple API call, but moving from a Proof of Concept to a stable production system requires a completely different mindset.

Maria Vechtomova breaks down the harsh reality of MLOps, why rigorous evaluation is non-negotiable, and why autonomous agents are riskier than you think.

In this episode, we cover:

The essential MLOps principles every software engineer must learn
How to bridge the gap between a demo and a production-grade solution
Strategies for evaluating agents and detecting model drift
The security risks of customer service agents and prompt injection
Practical tips for using AI tools to boost your own productivity

Connect with Maria:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-vechtomova

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:25 - Why the AI Hype Was Actually Good for Monitoring

00:03:07 - Real-World AI Use Cases That Deliver Actual Value

00:05:16 - MLOps Basics Every Software Engineer Needs to Know

00:08:08 - The Hidden Complexity of Deploying Agents to Production

00:12:02 - Minimum Requirements for Moving from PoC to Production

00:15:41 - Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluating AI Features Before Launch

00:18:08 - How to Handle Data Labeling and Drift Detection

00:21:55 - Why You Likely Need Custom Tools for Monitoring

00:24:56 - Why Engineers Build AI Features They Don't Need

00:26:01 - How Software Engineers Can Learn Data Science Principles

00:31:36 - The Dangerous Security Risks of Autonomous Customer Service Agents

00:34:44 - Why Human-in-the-Loop is Essential for Avoiding Reputational Damage

00:36:18 - Boosting Developer Productivity with Opinionated AI Prompts

00:39:20 - Using Voice Notes and AI to Organize Your Life

#MLOps #SoftwareEngineering #ArtificialIntelligence

Why Mediocre Engineers Get Promoted Over Great Ones (CEO Explains) Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

Are your technical skills actually holding your career back? In this conversation with Anand Sahay, Global CEO of Xebia, we explore the controversial reality that "mediocre" engineers often climb the corporate ladder faster than technical wizards. And what you need to do to change that trajectory.

In this episode, we cover:

Why simplicity and business value beat complex code every time
The specific mindset shift required to move from Senior Engineer to Executive
How to maintain technical intuition and manage risk without micromanaging
The hidden arrogance that stops great engineers from becoming great leaders

This discussion is essential for software engineers, architects, and technical managers who want to break through the "tech ceiling" and understand how decisions are really made at the top.

Connect with Anand:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ansahay

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:28 - How to Pitch to Executives (And Not Get Rejected)

00:03:42 - The #1 Trait of Elite Engineering Leaders

00:06:15 - Why AI Answers Destroy Your Credibility

00:10:11 - Why Mediocre Engineers Get Promoted Over Great Ones

00:14:15 - The Truth About the "Individual Contributor" Track

00:16:16 - The Arrogance Trap: Why Devs Fail at Business

00:22:08 - Stop Being a "One Man Army" (Unless You Do This)

00:25:32 - From Developer to CEO: The Uncommon Path

00:29:07 - Why Most Engineering Teams Are Structured Wrong

00:32:17 - How to Spot a Toxic Tech Culture

00:34:44 - Will AI Replace Senior Engineers?

00:38:40 - Maintaining Technical Intuition Without Coding Daily

00:41:53 - When to Approve "Bad" Ideas for Team Morale

00:48:41 - The "Hard Part First" Rule for Innovation

#SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership #CareerGrowth

How to Build Skills That Outlast Any Tool (From Data Analyst to AI Lead) Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

Tools change and frameworks die, but your career doesn't have to. Marijn Markus joins the show to explain why "Don't be a fool with a tool" is the single most important piece of advice for modern software engineers and data professionals.

In this episode, we cover:

The "Meta-Skill" of learning how to learn new technologies
Why real innovation often originates in "dark" industries like crime and warfare
How to future-proof your career against AI agents and automation
Why understanding the business problem is more valuable than writing the code

This conversation is essential for engineers who want to move from memorizing syntax to mastering the skills that actually last.

Connect with Marijn Markus:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marijnmarkus

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:01 - Realizing That Data Science Can Actually Save Lives
00:04:36 - Predicting Refugee Movements With Hamburger Prices
00:07:05 - Why You Should Try Different Roles Early in Your Career
00:12:37 - Learning in Banking to Eventually Help Non-Profits
00:15:38 - Why Certifications Are Compensation for Lack of Experience
00:18:36 - The Single Most Important Skill in the Tech Field
00:21:39 - "If They Understood the Problem, They Wouldn't Hire You"
00:25:48 - Why Innovation Comes From War, Crime, and Adult Industries
00:31:16 - The Danger of AI Agents and Automated Social Engineering
00:35:03 - Focus on Skills That Do Not Have Expiration Dates
00:39:47 - How to Navigate Truth in the Era of Deepfakes
00:41:30 - Don't Be a Fool With a Tool (The Selenium Trap)
00:45:25 - Rising Above the Tools to Become an Expert

#SoftwareEngineering #CareerAdvice #Technology

Why Coding Skills Won’t Get You To Staff Engineer Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Are you just executing tickets, or are you driving business impact?

In this episode, Praveen Murugesan (VP of Engineering at Samsara) breaks down why the best engineers don't just write code and why "coding skills" alone won't get you there.

He explains the critical shift from "software engineer" to "product engineer," why you shouldn't wait for permission to solve problems, and how to de-risk high-stakes projects like a true owner.

In this episode, we cover:

The difference between a "Ticket Taker" and a Product Engineer

Why Product Managers should NOT be doing project management

How to grow to Staff Engineer without managing a large team

The exact interview questions to ask to test a company’s culture

A real story of an engineer telling a VP: "That's not an important problem"

Connect with Praveen Murugesan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveenmurugesan

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:55 - Product Engineer vs. Software Engineer: What’s the Difference?

00:06:20 - Why Product Managers Should Not Do Project Management

00:11:06 - The Danger of "Flying Blind" Without Business Context

00:15:24 - Why Curiosity Is the Ultimate Leverage in the AI Era

00:25:06 - Why the Best Ideas Must Win Regardless of Hierarchy

00:27:43 - The #1 Interview Question to Test for Engineering Ownership

00:32:12 - How to Test a Company’s Culture Before You Join

00:36:04 - Why You Don't Need to Be Senior to Be a Product Engineer

00:40:46 - Managing High-Stakes Projects and De-risking Failure

00:43:56 - What I Learned From Breaking Production at Salesforce

00:48:29 - The Myth About Staff Engineering and Managing Teams

00:51:59 - The Engineer Who Told the VP: "That's Not an Important Problem"

#SoftwareEngineering #StaffEngineer #CareerGrowth

Forward Deployed Engineer: The Role Up 800% (And How to Get It) Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

Traditional software engineering job listings have dropped by 70%, yet Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) roles have exploded by over 800% this year. We sit down with Mo Fagir, Principal Technical Consultant at ServiceNow, to break down exactly why this shift is happening and how you can pivot your career to ride this AI adoption wave.

In this episode, we cover:

The massive market shift: Why "pure coding" jobs are declining while FDEs are booming.
The exact technical stack and soft skills required to land these high-paying roles.
How to overcome imposter syndrome and build a portfolio that gets you hired, even as a junior.
Why this isn't just a trend, but the future of how engineering delivers value.

Connect with Mo Fagir:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-nour-tarig

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:14 - Why software jobs dropped 70% while FDEs grew over 800%
00:02:55 - Why companies can't implement AI without Forward Deployed Engineers
00:05:36 - Is this career path safe for traditional software engineers?
00:07:54 - The exact technical stack you need to master today
00:10:48 - Moving from engineering scope to product centric thinking
00:16:15 - Can juniors and early career devs get hired as FDEs?
00:19:12 - How to build a portfolio that gets you hired
00:22:17 - Why passion and attitude beat experience in the AI era
00:24:33 - How to train yourself to have a sense of urgency
00:29:05 - Can introverts succeed in client facing engineering roles?
00:32:17 - Lessons learned from interning at NASA and researching AI
00:35:09 - Are we in an AI bubble that will burst soon?
00:40:34 - Does becoming an FDE risk vendor lock-in for your career?
00:43:36 - Final advice for engineers entering the 2025 job market

#ForwardDeployedEngineer #FDE #SoftwareCareers

AI Won't Replace Software Engineers, But This Might (CEO Perspective) Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

If you think your value as a software engineer comes just from writing code, you're already at risk.

In this episode, Outsystems CEO Woodson Martin reveals why AI isn't the real threat to your career. Irrelevance is. He explains that writing code is now only 20% of the job, and the engineers who thrive are the ones who master the other "80% that matters."

We cover:

The billions of lines of ungoverned code AI is creating
Why the "Forward Deployed Engineer" model is changing team structures
The 80% of engineering work that AI cannot replace
How to shift from coder to problem solver who drives business revenue
A CEO's advice for building a lasting engineering career

This is a reality check for developers, tech leads, and architects who want to stay relevant as agentic AI reshapes the industry.

Connect with Woodson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodsonmartin

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:56 - How Agentic AI keeps the human in the loop

00:01:55 - Real-world example: Automating the grunt work

00:04:17 - How engineers are using agents internally

00:05:52 - Blending Low-Code and High-Code for complex systems

00:08:28 - Is a Low-Code career a trap for engineers?

00:10:50 - Will AI make software engineering obsolete?

00:12:09 - The 80/20 Rule: Why code is only 20% of your job

00:13:14 - Layoffs vs. the rise of the solo entrepreneur

00:15:18 - Career advice for a volatile tech market

00:17:02 - How to retain top talent and keep them happy

00:20:10 - Why we radically changed our engineering team structure

00:24:33 - The "Forward Deployed Engineer" model explained

00:27:08 - Outsystems vs. OpenAI: The future of platform building

00:31:45 - The tech debt problem no one's talking about

00:34:23 - The one thing that keeps you from becoming irrelevant

#SoftwareEngineering #CareerAdvice #AIAgents

How We Get More Done with Fewer Engineers Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

What if you could build a multi-million dollar software company where only 10% of your employees are developers? AFAS, a company with hundreds of millions in revenue, does exactly that with a lean team of just 70 engineers. In this episode, Engineering Manager Michiel Overeem pulls back the curtain on their unconventional strategies for achieving massive productivity with a surprisingly small team.

In this episode, we cover:

Why standardization is their secret weapon for efficiency.
How they thrive without traditional Scrum ceremonies.
The two distinct types of engineers they hire for success.
The surprising details of their 4-day work week (paid for 5).

This video is for engineering leaders and software developers who want to learn proven, counter-intuitive strategies to build hyper-effective teams and get more done, regardless of team size.

Connect with Michiel:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/movereem

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:22 - The "10% Engineering" Paradox at a €100M+ Company

00:03:20 - How Standardization Allows a Small Team to Do More

00:04:27 - The Two Types of Engineers Every Successful Company Needs

00:06:46 - Why Feeling Responsible is More Powerful Than Being Responsible

00:09:33 - The Secret Sauce of High-Performing Engineering Teams

00:11:52 - A Simple Method to Keep Engineers Connected to Customers

00:14:22 - What We Look For When Hiring New Engineers

00:17:09 - The #1 Red Flag That Will Get You Rejected in an Interview

00:19:33 - Why We Don't Use Scrum (And What We Do Instead)

00:22:51 - The Power of Strong, Decisive Leadership

00:24:13 - How Our 4-Day Work Week Actually Works

00:26:55 - Our Approach to Adopting AI Tools like Copilot

00:28:19 - Final Advice: The Best Way to Grow Your Career

#EngineeringCulture #Productivity #SoftwareDevelopment

GitHub Senior Engineer: How The Best Software Engineers Lock In System Design Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

System design interviews often focus on theoretical complexity, but how do Senior Engineers at GitHub actually approach scaling? In this episode, Bassem Dghaidi breaks down how to think about system design when real business impact is on the line.

We discuss why "simple is complicated enough," the dangers of premature scaling, and why vertical scaling often beats complex distributed systems. If you want to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and understand how to design software that actually serves the business, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

- The "Order of Magnitude" rule for scaling systems

- Why GitHub often runs millions of requests on simple architecture

- How to communicate technical constraints to non-technical stakeholders

- Why 90% of Bassem's code is now written by AI agents

Connect with Bassem Dghaidi:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bassemdghaidy

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:48 - Theory vs. Practice in System Design

00:02:06 - The Startup That Almost Failed via Kubernetes

00:03:33 - How GitHub Scales (It's Simpler Than You Think)

00:05:20 - The Underrated Power of Vertical Scaling

00:08:23 - Why Big Tech Interviews for Scale You Don't Need Yet

00:10:39 - Software Evolves, It Isn't Just "Built"

00:11:53 - Only Design for the Next Order of Magnitude

00:15:39 - Stop Building Generic Frameworks

00:18:17 - "Hacking" the System Design Interview

00:21:29 - Translating Tech Problems to Business Risks

00:27:37 - Layoffs & Engineering Efficiency

00:29:41 - Proving Your Impact with Numbers

00:31:00 - Professional Engineering vs. Hobby Coding

00:32:19 - "Simple is Complicated Enough"

00:35:03 - The Rise of AI Coding (The Motorcycle Analogy)

00:37:30 - "90% of My Code is Written by AI Agents"

00:41:04 - How to Become a Great Engineer

#SystemDesign #SoftwareEngineering #GitHub

From Backend Engineer to Head of Mobile (Lessons from Uber) Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

What does it take to build a career as a mobile engineer when AI is changing everything?

Pasha Mazurin shares how he went from Java backend engineer to Head of Mobile, why he only joins mobile-first companies, and how AI-assisted development brought the joy back to his work. This isn't theory, it's real lessons from 15+ years in the field and now learning Android at a senior level.

In this episode, we cover:

AI-assisted mobile development workflow (the four-window tmux setup)

Why mobile-first companies operate completely differently

Hiring for strengths, not lack of weaknesses (lessons from Uber)

Leading as a hands-on engineer who stays in the trenches

Why React Native doesn't feel native and when to go fully native

Whether you're building your mobile engineering career or figuring out how AI changes your workflow, this conversation offers practical perspectives on staying effective and making intentional career choices.

Connect with Pasha:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kovpas

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:13 - Using AI as Your Junior Engineer Teammate

00:02:33 - The Four-Window Tmux Setup for AI-Assisted Development

00:04:29 - Managing Multiple Features with Git Worktrees

00:05:52 - Why AI Makes You a Better Code Reviewer

00:08:07 - Setting Up Markdown Files for AI Context

00:11:54 - Small Teams vs Big Companies: Where Mobile Engineers Thrive

00:16:26 - The Mobile-First Company Filter That Shapes Every Career Move

00:18:31 - Being Nice: The Underrated Career Skill

00:20:29 - Pick Your Battles: When to Disagree and Commit

00:22:52 - Hire for Strengths, Not Lack of Weaknesses

00:25:16 - Is Software Engineering Still a Good Career Choice?

00:28:19 - How I Accidentally Became a Mobile Engineer

00:31:41 - Why I Only Work on Apps That Matter to People

00:35:08 - Joining Uber During the Big Mobile App Rewrite

00:39:12 - Leading Without Rank: Managing as a Hands-On Engineer

00:43:01 - How AI Changed Mobile Development in 12 Months

00:46:09 - The Communication Skills That Make or Break Engineers

00:49:59 - It's Okay to Say You Don't Understand

00:51:30 - Working on Payments: Building Critical App Infrastructure

00:53:25 - Why React Native Doesn't Feel Native (And What Works Better)

00:55:36 - Can You Switch Specializations Without Taking a Pay Cut?

00:57:02 - How Learning Android Brought the Joy Back

How to Stay Relevant in Tech (25+ Years of Lessons) Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Worried about staying relevant as AI and new tools keep changing tech? The answer isn't chasing every new framework, it's treating your career like an engineering problem you can solve.

In this episode, we cover:

Why staying relevant isn't about the tools (and what it's really about)
The 3 essential career management tools: Brag Doc, Competency Framework, and Mentors
How to get promoted when you're already doing the work
Navigating salary negotiations and knowing when to leave
Building a career plan that gives you permission to relax

If you're an engineer who wants to take control of your career instead of letting it happen to you, this episode gives you the frameworks and tactics to do it.

Connect with Özgen Güngör:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozgengungor

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:46 - The Biggest Challenge for Tech Careers Today

00:01:33 - How to Stay Relevant in the Age of AI

00:03:46 - The Coming Commoditization of Coding

00:05:29 - How to Move Up the Value Stream as an Engineer

00:07:35 - Your First Tech Job is a Throwaway (And That's OK)

00:09:24 - The Power of Breaking Down Your Career Plan

00:11:44 - You Work 13% of Your Life: Why Intentionality Matters

00:13:56 - I Have Too Many Career Options. What Do I Do?