Principal Software Engineer: Democracy at Work is Overrated
Dario Gieselaar, Principal Software Engineer from Elastic gets brutally honest about what it really takes to succeed in a top tech company. We uncover the uncomfortable truths about the promotion game, why direct feedback is crucial (even when it hurts), and why a "winning" mindset is everything. This is the conversation about career growth they don't have in HR meetings.In this episode, we cover:Navigating promotion cycles and advocating for yourselfGiving and receiving critical feedback without being seen as "negative"The importance of accountability and managing low-performing colleaguesWhy a top-down approach can be more effective than team democracyHow to "disagree and commit" to keep projects moving forwardThis video is for any software engineer who wants to level up their career, navigate corporate dynamics, and become a high-impact performer in a competitive environment.Full episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/1q7Jjbi5GJ4Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick AkilPowered by Xebia!!Timestamps:00:00:00 - Career Progression for Software Engineers in Big Tech00:00:28 - The Pain and Frustration of a Missed Promotion00:03:44 - The "Classic Game" of Asking Your Manager for a Promotion00:05:38 - When Salary Becomes a Trigger for Your Motivation00:08:09 - Why Recognition is More Important Than Money00:11:09 - The Challenge of Giving Positive vs. Critical Feedback00:13:26 - Is Your Critical Feedback Being Labeled as "Negative"?00:15:36 - When Being Indirect Wastes Everyone's Time00:17:44 - Why Direct Disagreement Leads to Better Decisions00:20:16 - The Surprising Impact of Meeting Colleagues In-Person00:22:43 - How Reorgs Destroy High-Performing Teams00:25:59 - Why the World's Biggest Codebase is Embarrassing00:27:58 - Should You Let Your Team Make Their Own Mistakes?00:30:47 - The Unique Challenge of Building Enterprise Software00:34:16 - A Hard Lesson: When Your Directness Hurts a Colleague00:38:45 - The Uncomfortable Truth About Managing Low Performers00:43:21 - Why High Performers Leave Teams That Tolerate Coasting00:47:05 - A Contrarian Take: Is Workplace Democracy Overrated?00:50:54 - How to "Disagree and Commit" Without Wasting Time00:55:52 - The #1 Instinct to Control When Receiving Feedback01:01:43 - Mindset Shift: Treating Software Engineering Like a Competitive Sport
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How to Get a Remote or International Tech Job (Complete Guide)
The most common question I get is "How do I land a remote or international tech job?" In this episode, I'm breaking down the exact roadmap I would follow, from building core skills to the one thing you MUST do to get noticed by recruiters. This isn't just about resumes; it's about building a career that opens global doors.In this video, we cover:Why your first job should be local (and in-office).How to build a "social presence" that gets you hired.The right way to message recruiters so they actually reply.How to prepare for modern tech interviews that go beyond LeetCode.My personal story of failing a dream job interview and what it taught me.This guide is for any software engineer or tech professional, from early-career to experienced, who wants to break into the remote or international job market. You'll learn the actionable steps to stand out, get your foot in the door, and ultimately land the job.Full episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/GtPyXqFbCusBeyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick AkilPowered by Xebia!!Timestamps:00:00:00 - The #1 Question You Must Answer First00:01:08 - Why Your First Tech Job Should Be Local00:03:14 - The Surprising Benefit of Working In-Office00:05:17 - The Easiest Path to an International Role00:07:09 - Mastering English: The Underrated Skill00:11:23 - How to Stand Out in the Age of AI Resumes00:14:31 - Proving Your Worth with a Strong GitHub Portfolio00:17:37 - Build Your Network Through Community and Content00:20:13 - The Right Way to Message Recruiters on LinkedIn00:23:20 - How Tech Interviews Are Changing (Beyond LeetCode)00:26:41 - What I Learned from Failing My Dream Job Interview00:28:08 - Your Complete Roadmap to Landing the Job#TechCareers #RemoteJobs #SoftwareEngineer
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Tech Founder: From 0 to 15 Million Users. Here's What We Learned
Maximiliano Neustadt, CTO and co-founder of Polarsteps, shares the incredible journey of building a travel app from 5 people to over 15 million users. From surviving as a travel company during the worst possible timing to scaling without hustle culture, Maxi reveals the key decisions, hiring practices, and leadership lessons that drove their success. Learn how they built strong company values, made tough product choices, and why they spend a full day with every hiring candidate as part of the interview.Connect with Maximiliano Neustadt:https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximiliano-neustadt-90137b2Full episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/3ZLmpggjcUYBeyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick AkilPowered by Xebia!!OUTLINE00:00:00 - Introducing Maximiliano Neustadt, CTO of Polarsteps00:00:46 - The founding story of Polarsteps00:03:21 - The early days and first key hires00:05:48 - The unique Polarsteps hiring process00:15:15 - Transitioning from CTO to CEO during COVID-1900:19:37 - Rejecting startup hustle culture00:22:51 - Balancing employee freedom and company direction00:29:05 - Polarsteps' five core company values00:33:04 - Balancing user data and intuition in decision making00:38:24 - The approach to adopting new tech like AI00:44:13 - How Polarsteps fosters innovation
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Software Engineering Went From Hacker Culture to...
Pauline Vos (Senior Software Engineer at MongoDB) reveals how software culture evolved from its counterculture, DIY, and anarchist roots to what we see today.We explore:The original hacker mindset and why it matteredHow open source was always politicalWhy 2017-2018 changed everythingWhere to still find real hacker culture (hint: hacker camps, FOSDEM)The difference between building puzzles vs. building APIsFrom Anonymous protests to battle snake competitions, from lockpicking to the lost idealism of the early web - discover what software engineering lost and where you can still find it."Open source culture goes back to the 70s... quite a few of them see free information, open information, accessible information as a human right." - Pauline🔗 Connect with Pauline:https://pauline-vos.nlhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paulinepvosFull episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/0fIoRVlObNoBeyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick AkilPowered by Xebia!!OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - The Origins of Software Culture00:02:13 - The Shift to a Profit-Focused Culture00:03:48 - The Reality of Production and the Need for Guardrails00:05:32 - Contrasting Modern Startup Goals with Hacker Culture00:07:16 - The Role of Architects and Pragmatic Design00:09:46 - The Anti-Capitalist Roots of DIY Culture00:11:52 - Open Source: Political Roots and Business Models00:15:28 - The Thriving and Misunderstood PHP Ecosystem00:21:23 - Why Open Source Lacks User Experience Professionals00:23:36 - The Decentralized Web and The Fediverse Explained00:30:12 - The Web's Original Vision vs. Its Current State00:33:09 - The Impact of AI on How We Use the Internet00:36:07 - AI-Generated Code: A Goldmine for Hackers00:40:47 - "Slop Squatting": A New AI-Related Security Threat00:43:03 - How to Find and Engage with Hacker Culture Today00:46:20 - Gamifying Software: Battle Snake, CSS Battles, and the Demoscene00:50:04 - Final Advice and How to Get Involved
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Search Is In Everything You Build (And You Probably Don't Know It)
Search is just about Google? Think again. In this conversation with Pratim Bhosale (Senior Developer Experience Engineer at Treblle), we discuss how search technology secretly powers nearly every app you use daily.What we discuss:- Why Netflix recommendations are actually reverse search- How dating app swipes and e-commerce filters are sophisticated search in disguise- The evolution from keyword matching to semantic understanding- Why JavaScript developers are writing the most insecure code (surprising data)- How AI is changing what brings developers joy- The authenticity crisis in tech content (and why Pratim blocks AI-generated responses)Key takeaways:- Every filter, recommendation, and personalization feature you build involves search- Modern search goes way beyond text - it's about context, location, and intent- The developer experience is fundamentally changing with AI tools🔔 Subscribe for more Beyond Coding episodes💬 What hidden search problems have you discovered in your projects?Connect with Pratim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhosalepratimhttps://x.com/BhosalePratimFull episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/X4CxFXTpcBQBeyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick AkilPowered by Xebia!!OUTLINE00:00:00 - The Evolving Magic of Search00:03:28 - From Physical Files to Contextual AI00:05:00 - Why All Developers Should Care About Search00:08:28 - Unlocking New Possibilities with Hybrid Search00:12:40 - The Developer Advocate's Dilemma: Depth vs. Breadth00:15:05 - The Joy of Fast Feedback in Backend Development00:18:01 - How AI is Reshaping Creativity and Joy00:21:17 - AI's Impact on Code Generation and Security00:24:57 - Programming Languages and Code Quality00:29:05 - Picking Up New Languages in the Age of AI00:33:12 - The Rise of AI-Generated Content on Social Media00:38:52 - When to Use AI in Your Content Creation00:42:15 - Why Empathy is The Most Valuable Skill for the Future00:45:52 - The Future Value of Human Experiences
Beyond Coding is a weekly podcast with conversations that go "beyond coding" in a fireside chat format.
Common topics are tech, entrepreneurship, and career journeys.
Authentic, informative and inspiring. That's the aim for each episode.
New episodes every Wednesday 🎙
Netherlands