Mentoring Developers

This interview will be concluded in the next episode of Mentoring Developers. Kasey’s Bio: I’m Kasey Bonifacio and I’m a developer at Sparkbox where I started out as an apprentice. I’m passionate about web development and love constantly learning new ways to make the web more awesome. When I can pry myself away from the […]

Ryan’s Bio: Ryan Cromwell is a coder by trade with over 10 years of experience delivering solutions ranging from real-time customer loyalty systems and elegant user experiences to streamlined statistical process control software. Having worked with passionate, high-performing Agile teams, Ryan ventured into the world of Scrum.org training and Agile coaching to replicate those amazing […]

Pavlo’s Bio: Pavlo Grijincu is currently a junior developer at Listrak, where he has been for three years. He graduated from Millersville University in 2012 with a BS in Computer Science, ending an official educational career in computer science that began in high school. Now he gets his education through books, code camps, and pre-recorded […]

Hauwa’s Bio: Hauwa is a Montana State University graduate and technology enthusiast with an obsession for entrepreneurship. Also an avid world traveler, Hauwa’s direct experience “DropTripping” items across countries for those in dire need serves as her primary motivation and inspiration in seeing to DropTrip’s success. Episode Highlights and Show Notes: Hauwa: My programming career […]

Derick’s Bio: Derick Bailey is a developer, entrepreneur, author, speaker and technology leader in central Texas (north of Austin). He’s been a professional developer since the late 90’s and has been writing code since the late 80’s. In his spare time, he gets called a spamming marketer by people on Twitter, and blurts out all […]

Jay’s Bio: Jay Bobo is a software engineer & serial entrepreneur. He has 10+ years of experience in product development and strategy working with companies such as Microsoft (MSN), Nike-Pacific, State Farm and Coca-Cola. He currently works in healthcare building meaningful products for physicians, pharmacists and patients alike. Find him on Twitter @jaybobo Episode Highlights […]

Matt’s Bio: Matt has developed on the web for 17 years. He can configure pools of servers, architect and develop the applications on those servers, and make it all look good (and run). He has a Master’s degree in Computer Science and he leads the Columbus Ruby Brigade. He has launched projects for folks from […]

Introduction to Zain Mustafa

• Arsalan introduces the guest, Zain Mustafa, founder of a tech company started from freelancing.

Growing from Freelancer to Employer

• Discussion about Zain expanding his team from freelancing to dozens of employees.

Zain's Greetings and Gratitude

• Zain expresses his appreciation for the opportunity to be on the show.

The Catalyst for Diving into Tech

• Arsalan asks Zain about the moment he decided to pursue a career in technology.

Early Love for Computers and First Coding Experience

• Zain shares how modifying games like Grand Theft Auto ignited his interest in coding.

Choosing Between Cricket and Coding

• Zain 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 Learning

• The value of learning alongside others and building a supportive network.

Working Remotely vs. In-Person Collaboration

• Arsalan and Zain discuss the pros and cons of remote work and personal space.

Adapting to Hybrid Work Models Post-COVID

• How companies are balancing remote and in-office work in a post-pandemic world.

Managing Remote Work Challenges at Home

• Strategies for setting up effective home workspaces despite family and space constraints.

Blurring Lines Between Work and Personal Life

• Arsalan shares experiences of extended work hours and lack of boundaries while working from home.

The Need for Social Interaction

• Zain talks about an employee's desire to return to the office for human interaction.

Starting Geeks of Kolachi: Overcoming Early Challenges

• Zain recounts the struggles faced when launching his company and pivoting strategies.

Transition from Training to Development Services

• The shift from running a bootcamp to focusing on development due to financial constraints.

Scaling the Company During COVID

• How Geeks of Kolachi grew from 8 to 30 employees amid the pandemic.

Embracing Entrepreneurship Over Technical Roles

• Discussion on shifting focus from coding to managing and growing the business.

Building a Client Base Through Referrals

• The role of client relationships and referrals in business growth.

Establishing a Sales Team

• The realization of needing a sales team and learning from peers to structure it.

The Power of Online Presence

• How maintaining an online profile can lead to unexpected job and business opportunities.

Exciting Projects: AI-Powered Relocation Expert

• Zain describes working on an AI-driven platform to help users find optimal countries for relocation.

Collaborating with Industry Leaders on the Audi Project

• Insights into developing virtual showrooms for Audi using Unreal Engine.

Balancing Passion Projects and Business Needs

• The importance of guiding clients honestly, even if it means turning down projects.

Diverse Clientele: Startups to Fortune 500

• Geeks of Kolachi's experience working with a range of clients across industries.

Technical Evolution and Focus on AI

• Zain's journey from working with Angular to diving into AI and LLMs.

AI's Impact Across Industries

• Discussion on how AI is revolutionizing various sectors and the surge in related projects.

The Democratization of AI

• The accessibility of AI tools like ChatGPT to the general public.

Advice for Aspiring Developers

• Zain emphasizes the importance of focused learning and community engagement.

Cultivating Curiosity in Development

• Encouraging developers to remain curious and continuously explore new ideas.

Services Offered by Geeks of Kolachi

• Overview of the company's capabilities, including 24/7 availability and team structure.

How to Connect with Zain and Geeks of Kolachi

• Contact information and social media presence for those interested in collaboration.

Closing Remarks and Resources

• Final thoughts from Arsalan and information on where to find episode notes and links.

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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 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

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

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xmSi1ytopsssR1i3kKveg

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. 

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

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.

Important Links

Github: https://shady-selim.github.io/

YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ShadySelimTube

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.