Wookash Podcast Charlie Malmqvist | Performance Without Tricks
Jan 10, 2026
Charlie Malmqvist, a systems and graphics programmer known for projects like NowGrep, shares his insightful journey from learning programming languages to building innovative tools. He discusses breaking into graphics programming, the challenges of contract work, and why he founded NowGrep to streamline file searches. Charlie also emphasizes a zero-dependency approach for high performance and shares his principles on memory management and data structures. Plus, he spills the beans on organizing the Better Software Conference, focusing on quality and community.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Eclipse To Low-Level Game Engines
- Charlie started programming at 14 with Eclipse and later learned C# in a Swedish gymnasium focused on game development.
- He moved from Game Maker and Unity to C++ and OpenGL to understand low-level engine internals.
Side Hustles, Store Code, And Muay Thai
- Charlie experimented with web stores and refurbishing electronics, building backend and frontend himself.
- He sold items directly and found the business uninteresting, then moved to Thailand to train Muay Thai for three months.
Portfolio Built Jobs, Not LinkedIn
- Charlie built a graphics demo repo in Odin to show work and got connected to Randy, which led to collaboration and game releases in Jai.
- That portfolio approach landed him a graphics programming job when he reached out directly to a CEO.