Today, we’re catching up with Samuel Eke, a Fullstack Developer at techquarter. From his love for fishing and his studies in theology to building complex banking architectures, Samuel proves that a great software engineer is, at heart, an explorer.
Read on to discover his journey of transitioning from chemistry to the world of tech.
Bianca Cornaciu [BC]: What do you like most about software development and what led you to choose this career path?
[SE]: I did not write code from my childhood, not even in highschool, but the change came after I decided to not pursue a career in chemistry. I was always the person who loved to explore different topics, challenges and the questions what, why and who were always there.These questions are constantly reappearing in software development. The problem solving part and the continuous challenges provided the drive to advance in this field.
[BC]: What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on so far in TechQuarter, and what made it rewarding?
[SE]: The project that I’m currently working on is by far the most challenging project soo far, mainly because it revolves around banking and payment topics. This area is new to me, but exactly this aspect is the most rewarding part of it, because it gives me valuable experience and insight how is an actual bank built from scratches.
[BC]: What would a day in your life as a fullstack developer look like?
[SE]: The average day has changed in the past few weeks as we welcomed our first baby. Sometimes it is chaotic given the new family situation, but overall I try to keep the day organized. In the first hours hit the gym, then eat some breakfast, then start to work, by responding to messages, try to do code reviews, attend meetings then advance with the current task, then some more meetings. Given the extremely dynamic nature of our work on the project there are no two days that are the same, but I am not giving up on trying to keep everything structured and planed out.
[BC]: In the ever-evolving field of technology, how do you keep your skills sharp and stay up-to-date with industry trends?
[SE]: In this new era of AI models and agentic workflows it is hard to keep up, but I am subscribed to some tech channels on YT and occasionally on social media platforms I meet the next big news about the newest most performant model. But sincerely I learn a lot from llms, they are capable to simplify new ideas and then explain them, so I can build knowledge on knowledge. The key is to remain forever curious and ask the relevant question. But do not forget not everything is 1 and 0’s, keep your mind open to the betweenness as well. As software engineers we tend to see the word as true or false but the truth is multi-layered.
[BC]: Looking towards the future, which emerging web technologies or trends are you most excited about and potentially looking to work with?
What are your predictions in this area for the next 3-5 years?
[SE]: I am excited about frameworks that enable agentic workflow across multiple systems, these have the capability to retain memories and context and execute workflows. In the next year or so we could see a big shift to this direction. I am curious how could we implement these kinds of flows in our day to day development.
[BC]: What piece of advice would you give to someone aspiring to become a developer?
[SE]: Don’t be discouraged by what you don’t know yet, prove that you can learn fast and that you can ask the right questions, knowledge will accumulate overtime. First learn to ask a lot, ask yourself first, think about the answer, and don’t be afraid to ask others too.
[BC]: Has any movie, book, or TV series sparked your interest lately?
[SE]: Recently I finished the book from Fyodor Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment, it is a must read for everyone. I learned a lot about human behavior and had a lot of compassion for certain characters, but without spoiling anything I just want to courage you to read it to the end even if you don’t understand the first one hundred pages. Everything will be clear after a certain point.
[BC]: Is there an activity that helps you relax and unwind?
[SE]: I take great pleasure in fishing. I can’t say no to a great weekend on the bank of a lake.
Fun Fact: Can you share a fact about yourself that not many people know?
[SE]: I only started coding in university, and I am interested and moderately versed in theology. So any time I am up for a good conversation on these topics.
