Beyond Coding What Separates Good Engineers from Great Ones
Oct 22, 2025
Sander Mak, Director of Technology at Picnic and creator of the Tech Academy, shares secrets to elevating one’s engineering career. He emphasizes the importance of understanding core principles over just coding skills. Sander explores the value of 'boring' technology, the pitfalls of copying without comprehension, and the shift from coder to product-focused engineer. He also discusses training strategies, fostering developer happiness, and integrating soft skills with technical growth to prepare engineers for real-world challenges.
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Cohorted Tech Academy For Rapid Growth
- Sander describes building Picnic's Tech Academy to onboard early-career engineers in cohesive cohorts.
- New hires join product teams immediately while receiving structured courses, mentorship, and protected learning time.
Hire For Learning Energy
- Look for eagerness to learn and side projects during hiring instead of just stability-seeking candidates.
- Ask questions in interviews and evaluate if candidates are also 'interviewing the company'.
Teach Why, Not Just How
- Teach hard skills deeply: how frameworks work and why they exist, not only which APIs to call.
- Require reflection sessions to translate theory into team-specific practice and presentations.