Hi everyone! I’m a Tech Lead at Hyperskill — a project-based learning platform for programmers.
Here’s a bit about how I found my way into tech — and why I still love what I do.
My Role at Hyperskill
At Hyperskill, I handle most of the technical stuff. I'm the one keeping our web interface, mobile app, and IDE plugin running smoothly and integrated with our backend. So if something breaks, most likely you should blame me — sorry!
My days typically start with a health check: reviewing logs and metrics to catch any issues that surfaced overnight. Then I sync with our support team to understand what challenges our learners are facing in real-time. The bulk of my work involves tracking down and fixing the inevitable small bugs that pop up across our platforms, plus implementing new features based on user feedback.
There are definitely moments when I feel frustrated by code that refuses to cooperate. But what keeps me going is knowing that our platform helps people learn new skills and potentially transform their careers. That mission makes every struggle worthwhile.
How I Got Into Tech
For most of my life, I saw myself as firmly in the liberal arts camp. While I did well enough in STEM subjects and had a knack for the limited programming we covered in school, my real passion was creative work — especially writing. I even pursued a degree in Political Science, about as far from code as you can get.
The turning point came through my tech-savvy friends and those Friday night conversations about computational theory and neural networks that somehow captivated me. I tried Python and experienced almost an epiphany: programming isn't fundamentally different from other creative disciplines! You start with a vision of what you want to create, then explore countless paths to get to that vision. It's actually very similar to creative writing if you think about it. That realization completely shifted my perspective. Programming is actually a form of art. Once I understood that, something clicked that I didn't even know was missing. One project led to another, and here I am writing code professionally for many years.
If you had told my 2015 self that I'd become a programmer, I would have thought you were absolutely out of your mind.
Building for Developers, as a Developer
Building a learning product for developers feels incredibly meaningful to me, especially as someone who taught myself programming without formal computer science training. I wish Hyperskill had existed when I was starting out. Instead, I used countless other platforms and felt every frustration that comes with trying to get a grip on those complex CS concepts.
What genuinely excites me is witnessing our student's journey firsthand. Reading posts in our Discord or comment sections under topics, I see learners making the exact same mistakes I once did, then pushing through those same mental barriers I remember hitting. Watching them struggle with complex concepts and then finally break through, that gives me real joy. Our students' success stories are what really drive me though. People around the world are completely transforming their lives with nothing more than a computer, internet access, and sheer determination. Programming is such a powerful social mobility tool nowadays. That's genuinely extraordinary, and knowing our platform plays a part in those transformations makes everything I do feel worthwile.
How AI Changed My View on Coding
I see AI as simply the latest tool in programming's continuous evolution toward greater efficiency and focus. You see, just three generations ago, developers were programming with punch cards and binary code. We've progressively abstracted away the tedious parts — first with programming languages, then keyboards and terminal screens, then sophisticated IDEs and version control systems like Git.
25 years ago, we were writing code in text editors with barely more functionality than Notepad, and 'version control' meant copying files to floppy disks. Each innovation freed us from mechanical tasks so we could focus on solving more complex problems. AI fits perfectly into this pattern. It handles routine code generation and reduces my time scrolling through Stack Overflow, which means I can dedicate more energy to building meaningful features for our students. But the fundamentals haven't changed — you still need to understand basics of programming to successfully create, verify, debug and optimize. If anything, these skills have become more critical since you can now offload syntax entirely and focus on architecture, logic, and user experience.
AI hasn't fundamentally altered my view of programming, it has simply refined it. The craft is still about problem-solving and creating value for users — we just have better tools to do some dull work for us.
Outside of Work
I'm a committed lifelong learner, so in my free time I inevitably find myself going down Wikipedia rabbit holes at 2am, discovering something like the biological differences between turtles and tortoises (they're not the same, by the way!). I genuinely can't help myself when it comes to exploring new topics. As for recharging, I like watching lighthearted coming-of-age films, reading mid-to-late 20th century American literature, and listening to jazz. Recently, I've also re-discovered absolutely amazing modern Japanese music — there are some phenomenally creative bands emerging from that scene right now. Their music is perfect for powering through challenging work weeks.
My Advice to New Learners
Be ready to learn hard and adapt quickly. Never forget that even though AI can handle routine work now, understanding how things actually work is genuinely rewarding and fun.
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