The Mentoring Developers Podcast

How Zain Mustafa Built a Tech Company from Scratch | Mentoring Developers | Episode 97

Guest Bio: Zain Mustafa is the CEO of Geeks of Kolachi, a forward-thinking software development agency. With over a decade of experience in the tech industry, Zain has led numerous successful projects, specialising in web and mobile application development. His expertise spans across full-stack development, UI/UX design, and digital transformation, making him a versatile leader in the field. Under his leadership, Geeks of Kolachi has become known for delivering innovative, high-quality solutions.Introduction to Zain MustafaArsalan introduces the guest, Zain Mustafa, founder of a tech company started from freelancing.Growing from Freelancer to EmployerDiscussion about Zain expanding his team from freelancing to dozens of employees.Zain's Greetings and GratitudeZain expresses his appreciation for the opportunity to be on the show.The Catalyst for Diving into TechArsalan asks Zain about the moment he decided to pursue a career in technology.Early Love for Computers and First Coding ExperienceZain shares how modifying games like Grand Theft Auto ignited his interest in coding.Choosing Between Cricket and CodingZain discusses his decision to focus on programming over a potential cricket career.Do You Need a Computer Science Degree?Conversation about the necessity of formal education in starting a tech career.The Importance of Community in LearningThe value of learning alongside others and building a supportive network.Working Remotely vs. In-Person CollaborationArsalan and Zain discuss the pros and cons of remote work and personal space.Adapting to Hybrid Work Models Post-COVIDHow companies are balancing remote and in-office work in a post-pandemic world.Managing Remote Work Challenges at HomeStrategies for setting up effective home workspaces despite family and space constraints.Blurring Lines Between Work and Personal LifeArsalan shares experiences of extended work hours and lack of boundaries while working from home.The Need for Social InteractionZain talks about an employee's desire to return to the office for human interaction.Starting Geeks of Kolachi: Overcoming Early ChallengesZain recounts the struggles faced when launching his company and pivoting strategies.Transition from Training to Development ServicesThe shift from running a bootcamp to focusing on development due to financial constraints.Scaling the Company During COVIDHow Geeks of Kolachi grew from 8 to 30 employees amid the pandemic.Embracing Entrepreneurship Over Technical RolesDiscussion on shifting focus from coding to managing and growing the business.Building a Client Base Through ReferralsThe role of client relationships and referrals in business growth.Establishing a Sales TeamThe realization of needing a sales team and learning from peers to structure it.The Power of Online PresenceHow maintaining an online profile can lead to unexpected job and business opportunities.Exciting Projects: AI-Powered Relocation ExpertZain describes working on an AI-driven platform to help users find optimal countries for relocation.Collaborating with Industry Leaders on the Audi ProjectInsights into developing virtual showrooms for Audi using Unreal Engine.Balancing Passion Projects and Business NeedsThe importance of guiding clients honestly, even if it means turning down projects.Diverse Clientele: Startups to Fortune 500Geeks of Kolachi's experience working with a range of clients across industries.Technical Evolution and Focus on AIZain's journey from working with Angular to diving into AI and LLMs.AI's Impact Across IndustriesDiscussion on how AI is revolutionizing various sectors and the surge in related projects.The Democratization of AIThe accessibility of AI tools like ChatGPT to the general public.Advice for Aspiring DevelopersZain emphasizes the importance of focused learning and community engagement.Cultivating Curiosity in DevelopmentEncouraging developers to remain curious and continuously explore new ideas.Services Offered by Geeks of KolachiOverview of the company's capabilities, including 24/7 availability and team structure.How to Connect with Zain and Geeks of KolachiContact information and social media presence for those interested in collaboration.Closing Remarks and ResourcesFinal thoughts from Arsalan and information on where to find episode notes and links.Thanks for Listening!Do you have some feedback or some advice for us or our audience? Please give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher and share your thoughts.If you found this episode useful, please go ahead and share it with your friends and family. You can also listen directly and give your feedback on the website.You can subscribe to Mentoring Developers via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

Episode 96

INTRO Stan is a goal-oriented professional with a historical record of providing IT project leadership, architectural solutions, and Agile/Scrum expertise to drive project initiatives. He has proven experience in leveraging internet and intranet, client and server, web development, and consumer-facing RIA application expertise to lead software development projects and technical transformations for diverse global clients. He is a demonstrated subject matter expert in Agile/Scrum, holding certifications as a Certified Agile/Scrum Master, Developer, and Trainer. He successfully streamlines project initiatives by practicing risk management, promoting Agile/Scrum adoption, and enhancing cross-functional stakeholder communications to achieve project objectives. Through the utilization of the off-shore delivery model, he can effectively lower resource costs for clients’ major projects. Furthermore, He is highly skilled at devising elegant technical solutions for challenging architectural problems. Stan’s Bio: “Stan boasts extensive experience with Agile/Scrum since 2006, taking on roles like Agile Coach, Solution Architect, and Scrum Master across 10+ significant projects. He’s adept at offering technical leadership, and Scrum Master responsibilities, and has conducted East Coast client assessments to determine their readiness for transitioning to an Agile/Scrum setup List of topics 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:40 – What you do in Microsoft 00:03:55 – Microscope is free but not cheap 00:05:20 – How destinations work in Microsoft 00:09:10 -Why did you choose this field 00:11:40 -What was your first job 00:13:48 -Who did you manage being in tech 00:17:06 -Did you experienced mentorship 00:21:10 -You have to respect people’s time 00:22:00 – What do you see in someone to consider for your team, how do you manage people 00:26:00 -How some can get into the Microsoft 00:30:40 – How we can find him 00:31:45 – How you can get in touch with us Important Links Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/stanley.d.chatman/ Scrum.org: https://www.scrum.org/stanley-chatman Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanchatman/?trk=public_profile_browsemap LINKS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xmSi1ytopsssR1i3kKveg Thanks for Listening! Do you have some feedback or some advice for us or our audience? Please give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher and share your thoughts. If you found this episode useful, please go ahead and share it with your friends and family. You can also listen directly and give your feedback on the website. You can subscribe to Mentoring Developers via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

Episode 94

INTRO  “Richard Campbell spanned the computing industry both on the hardware and software sides, development, and operations. He was a co-founder of Strangeloop Networks and was on the board of directors of Telerik. Now he is the founder and chairman of Humanitarian Toolbox, Richard is also the host of two podcasts: .NET Rocks! and RunAs Radio.” Youtube: https://youtu.be/Ui2XmQgqvL0 Richard’s Bio: BIO Richard Campbell wrote his first line of code in 1977. His career has spanned the computing industry both on the hardware and software sides, development, and operations. He was a co-founder of Strangeloop Networks, acquired by Radware in 2013, and was on the board of directors of Telerik which was acquired by Progress Software in 2014. Today he is a consultant and advisor to a number of successful technology firms and is the founder and chairman of Humanitarian Toolbox, a public charity that builds open-source software for disaster relief. Richard is also the host of two podcasts: .NET Rocks! and RunAs Radio. Episode Highlights and Show Notes: List of topics 00:00 – Introduction 03:16 – Starting the courier 07:01 – Way of Success in tech 07:55 – The importance of degree 11:56 -Best job opportunities. 14:46 – Struggle faced in the first job 17:48 – Bootcamp 21:54 – What struggles you faced in the beginning 23:00 – What’s your position now 24:10 – What is android 25:48 – Number 1 problem 29:50 – A lesson to take from him  31:55 – Who do you work many hours? 32:45 – Why you chose Android? 38:56 – What are you doing right now? 41:23 – My biggest problem 42:15 – Biggest opportunities 43:00 – How to get in touch with you Important Links Github: https://shady-selim.github.io/ YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ShadySelimTube YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xmSi1ytopsssR1i3kKveg Thanks for Listening! Do you have some feedback or some advice for us or our audience? Please give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher and share your thoughts. If you found this episode useful, please go ahead and share it with your friends and family. You can also listen directly and give your feedback on the website. You can subscribe to Mentoring Developers via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. 

Episode 93

“Shady Selim is the first Android Software Advocate in the Middle East. He is a Leading Mobile Developer of Android. He is a Google Speaker and AngelHack Ambassador. He is a Group Member of Flutter Egypt. He is a Leader of GDG & Kotlin Programming Languages” YouTube: https://youtu.be/qZY-LEzWfMI Shady’s Bio: Shady Selim’s career background includes mobile development, project management, and development advocate experience, with a history of successfully leading global teams on high-profile projects for industry giants such as IBM and Facebook. I am highly skilled as a team lead, development manager, and CTO, and I hold an M.Sc. in Business Information Technology from Middlesex University and an MBA from Cairo University. I am knowledgeable in many industry technologies including Android, Windows Phone 8x, iOS, Java, Kotlin, ASP .NET, Swift, jQuery, Angular JS, and JavaScript to develop application and design concepts. Episode Highlights: List of topics 00:00 – Introduction 03:16 – Starting the courier 07:01 – Way of Success in Tech 07:55 – The importance of degree 11:56 -Best job opportunities. 14:46 – Struggle faced in the first job 17:48 – Bootcamp 21:54 – What struggles you faced in the beginning 23:00 – What’s your position now 24:10 – What is android 25:48 – Number 1 problem 29:50 – A lesson to take from him 31:55 – Who do you work many hours? 32:45 – Why you chose Android? 38:56 – What are you doing right now? 41:23 – My biggest problem 42:15 – Biggest opportunities 43:00 – How to get in touch with you .. Important Links Github: https://shady-selim.github.io/ YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ShadySelimTube YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xmSi1ytopsssR1i3kKveg Thanks for Listening! Do you have some feedback or some advice for us or our audience? Please give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher and share your thoughts. If you found this episode useful, please go ahead and share it with your friends and family. You can also listen directly and give your feedback on the website. You can subscribe to Mentoring Developers via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. 

Episode 92

Guy Royse is a software developer with more than 25 years of programming experience and has been a part of a government program to teach computer programming to prisoners to enable them to live a normal and happy life after their prison terms. Now he goes out into developer communities and helps others build great software through cutting-edge technology solutions. He has much wisdom to share and we’re privileged to have him as our guest in this episode. Here we go YouTube: https://youtu.be/PGKIda7uZsA Guy’s Bio: Guy works for Redis Labs as a Developer Advocate. Combining his decades of experience in writing software with a passion for sharing what he has learned, Guy goes out into developer communities and helps others build great software. Episode Highlights : List of topics 0:38 -Went to prison to teach programming and software development. 2:00 -People are going to get off prison surely one day, when they come out we don’t want them to go back in. 2:47 – There is a great demand for developers in the world. 3:53 – If you’re making 40000 Dollars a year from a job, out of the prison that is a really great job out of the prison. 3:51 – It was really cool going into prison. 4:44 – Prisoners while doing programming, they think they are not in prison for a while. 5:06 – My father spend time in prison and I got my other family members to spend time in prison. 5:46 – I never feel safe there, which I think is interesting. 7:52 – I am being running software for about 25 years. 9:00 – Which languages you are teaching? 9:27 – We teach Java, and I came and started teaching Java script 12:30 – Government decides to recycle all the PCs. 17:20 – I was in the fifth standard and I decided to be a programmer. 24:45 – I learn Pascal. 28:10 – In 1944 it was really hard to get a job as a developer. 32:46 – I will say Do have anything to stand out among the people. 37:42 – When I am hiring a person, I care about three things, 1. Can you do things, 2. Will you do the thing, 3. Will you play well than the other? 39:44 – Jack of all trades and master of noon is often times better than master of one. 53:15 – Teaching is the best way to learn. 57:12 – Getting started is the most important thing GUEST Links: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/guyroyse Twitter: https://twitter.com/guyroyse YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/user/guyroyse Website: http://guyroyse.com/ Redis: https://redis.io/ Redis commands: https://redis.io/commands RediSearch: https://oss.redislabs.com/redisearch/ Redis Cloud: https://redislabs.com/try-free/ Redis University Videos: https://www.youtube.com/redisuniversity Free courses: https://university.redislabs.comYouTube Channel: https://www. Youtube.com/channel/UC4xmSi1ytopsssR1i3kKveg Thanks for Listening! Do you have some feedback or some advice for us or our audience? Please give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher and share your thoughts. If you found this episode useful, please go ahead and share it with your friends and family. You can also listen directly and give your feedback on the website. You can subscribe to Mentoring Developers via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.