If you’re lucky, you’ve had a teacher who made a big impact on you. A teacher who made you sit up a little further in your seat. Who shaped your character or interests well beyond the semester or year you spent in their classroom.

For me it was Mr Wiffen, the mathematics teacher who helped me and a class of 25 students finish their entrance exams 2 years early. 

Mike Engber and Dan Halabe probably don’t even identify as teachers–they’ve had long, successful careers in tech–but somehow I think their students think of them as one of these impactful teachers.

I sat down with them to talk about teaching Computer Science at De Anza College in Silicon Valley, Mike’s storied career as a developer at Apple, and Dan’s experiences as a developer, technology consultant and his time working with the team who wrote the first client-side browser applications EVER for Netscape. 

If you’re an educator who wants to get in touch with Dan or Mike, shoot us an email at [email protected]. 

They don't teach this at school.

Should I work for a startup or a corporate? 

What industry should I work in?

How can I avoid screwing up my first technical job?

In Programmable Episode #1, I discuss these crucial questions with Dr. Silvia Pfeiffer, computer scientist and co-founder of Coviu telehealth platform. 

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Background

02:59

Spinning Out a Company from a Research Organization

08:10

The Impact of the Pandemic on CoView

12:24

The Challenges and Rewards of Scaling a Startup

20:00

Transitioning from Founder to Next Chapter

31:29

The Role of Software Engineers in Solving Critical Problems

45:32

Finding Your Passion and Making a Difference

Links discussed

Programmable is the podcast for early-career software engineers, hosted by Lucas Hakewill. We talk to engineers, founders and coders to help you with your career.

You’ll learn how to level up your technical skills, make inspired career choice, and how to avoid fatal mistakes in your technology career.