airhacks.fm podcast with adam bien From Felix Computer Over Transylvania JUG to CodeBuild
Oct 12, 2025
In this lively conversation, Gabriel Pop, an experienced Java engineer and founder of the Transylvania Java User Group, shares his fascinating journey from programming on the Felix HC91 in communist Romania to working at AWS on developer services. He discusses the challenges of learning programming through BASIC and Pascal and reflects on his career at Betfair and Uber. Gabriel emphasizes the importance of community by organizing over 60 meetups and highlights the need for Corretto 25 support in AWS, showcasing his dedication to enhancing the Java experience.
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First Computer: Felix HC91 And Cassettes
- Gabriel Pop learned BASIC on a Romanian Felix HC91 Z80 computer using a Sony Walkman to load cassette programs.
- He typed simple programs like a digital watch and started by playing and modifying cassette games.
Specialized Informatics High School
- At 13 Gabriel joined a specialized informatics high school where they taught eight hours of programming per week.
- He learned Pascal there and had teachers who came from a former communist computing center.
Olympiad Problems Vs Practical Engineering
- Gabriel and Adam contrast algorithmic olympiads with practical software engineering tasks and note low direct applicability.
- They suggest algorithm training often serves as brain exercise rather than direct product work.
