The Scalefocus Java & Integration team is the biggest one in the company, yet its spirit of togetherness is exceptional. Spread across all 7 delivery locations, teammates love helping each other while becoming better professionals.
Learn more about the personalities and processes in our Java crew from the people in it.
Introduce us to your team – how many specialists are there and what do you do?
The Scalefocus Java & Integration team has over 100 software professionals across 7 locations making it the largest team in the company. We are responsible for the development of software applications for many and diverse businesses in Bulgaria and abroad.
What technologies do you use?
The Java ecosystem is extremely varied in technologies and we use the most relevant ones for our projects. These include, but are not limited to, Spring, REST, Microservices, Hibernate, Docker, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Relational and Non-relational databases.
What projects are you working on?
Our projects are different both in terms of complexity (we work with international industry leaders, as well as start-ups) and in terms of industries – e-Commerce, Fintech, Healthcare, Insurance, Telecommunications, etc. Java is everywhere, including in the technology stack of the world’s largest companies. The essence of the projects determines the size and the composition of our teams.
How do you work and how often do you go to the office?
Our model is Work from Everywhere, so we work both from home and from the office. There are no rules, and everyone decides whether to stay in, go to a coworking space or work in the comfort of a mountain hut. Needless to say, bringing a laptop to the beach in the summertime is also very popular. The other great opportunity that more and more people are taking advantage of is going to any of the company’s seven locations (Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Bitola, Skopje, Istanbul). In this way, we work alongside colleagues from across Bulgaria as well as with teammates in our international destinations – North Macedonia and Turkey.
How does a typical workday look like for people in your team?
How a colleague’s day will go depends mostly on what project they are working on, as well as on their role in it and the stage of development they are involved in. Usually, teams have a morning daily meeting where they discuss how tasks are progressing, what they need to keep the flow smooth and how we can help each other. Whenever we’re at the office, we always go to lunch together.
What other teams and departments do you collaborate with most frequently?
We predominantly collaborate with Front-end, Quality Engineering, the Mobile and DevOps teams since most often the development of a given project is tied to their activity.
Tell us about something your team is proud of.
We pride ourselves on being collaborative and extremely supportive of each other; it doesn’t matter if we’re working on the same application on entirely different projects. There is always someone in the team who is willing to help, not out of obligation but because we like to learn from each other. Something else we are proud of is our knowledge transfer culture – we exchange experience, know-how, and lessons we have learned in our work. It helps us grow collectively which brings us closer together as colleagues and as professionals.
What do you like doing together outside of work?
At the end of а workday, we sometimes get together over beers, have pizza or play games. We go out on the weekends, and in the summer, we work together at the seaside. We often celebrate our birthdays in the office. 😊 Delicious food, good drinks and sports are great facilitators in getting to know each other beyond the professional aspects of our lives.
How do new people fit into your team?
People in the Java team are friendly and welcome warmly new colleagues. After introducing them to the organization and to the projects, we make sure to take care of their socialization. It’s key for adapting to any new environment and we try to shorten the time people need to feel they belong precisely through informal get-togethers.
How would you answer the question, “If you are…….…, come join our team”?
If you are curious, motivated, proactive and want to grow professionally in a dynamic, high-tech and international environment, come join our team!
Finally, how would you describe your team?
Our team is united. Even though it is spread across 7 locations, we feel close and there are no barriers between us.
Read. Exercise. Mediate. Repeat.
If you think personal development is a topic worth exploring, you will learn a lot from Dimitar. Years ago, he started researching ways to improve his social skills. He says there is no recipe for how to be more socially successful, instead we need to look at the process holistically and start by making small changes that will improve the quality of our life over time. This will make us more social naturally and open us up to the world. Mitko has been doing calisthenics for 10 years while making meditation and reading an integral part of his day.
He is also a content creator across multiple channels. You can follow him on Instagram where he shares practical self-improvement tips or check out his blog focused on tech topics and soft skills that also features short videos. Below are Mitko’s book recommendations:
Top 3 Personal Development Books:
- Atomic Habits (James Clear)
- Outwitting the Devil (Napoleon Hill)
- The Richest Man in Babylon (George Samuel Clason)
Top 3 Software Engineering Books:
- Code Complete (Steve McConnell)
- Clean Code (Robert C. Martin)
- The Complete Software Developer’s Career Guide (John Sonmez)
How a job can also be your favorite hobby
Ekin truly loves his job. This is evident not only in his dedication during working hours, but also because he likes to take on additional programming challenges in his free time. He calls them ‘hobby projects’ and shares them on his LinkedIn page. He says they are a way to push himself – he has an idea but is unsure if he’ll be able to make it happen, and there is only one way to find out. He became interested in the possibilities of modern technology by working at different startups, but he says he didn’t always know exactly what he would end up doing.
He got a degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) and during his junior year, he decided to get into Java and later into full stack. Despite being very passionate about his work, Ekin doesn’t let it take over his life. He loves to travel with his wife who also has a career in technology. Ekin is happy that the Work from Everywhere model allows them both to explore new places and cultures after they close their laptops for the day.
What do Rhodope Кaba Gaida and Java have in common?
Boyan believes that music can heal one’s soul. The Rhodope Kaba Gaida has been his passion since his school years, but this is hardly a surprise – he was born in Smolyan. He grew up with the traditions of the Rhodope mountains, surrounded by folklore. He learned to play by ear and never used notes. He says that mastering the instrument requires great discipline, real passion, and a pinch of talent. It’s his consistency that helps him both in playing well and in being a good software engineer.
As part of “101 Kaba Gaidi” in 2012 Boyan took part in setting a Guinness world record for the most gaidi on one stage; today he also plays in the band Petko Voyvoda. Boyan is among the veteran members of the Java team at Scalefocus. He joined the company 6 years ago as an intern and is currently a Senior Java Engineer.
The road from criminal police to IT
Dimo is the living proof that nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it. After a successful career in Criminal Police, he decided to leave the system and devote his time to what he had since then considered a hobby – IT. The transition wasn’t easy. While investigating crimes, Dimo studied part-time at the Technical University in Varna, and later at SoftUni. His time with the police taught him a lot and gave him the understanding that we never know who is standing across from us. That is why we must approach everyone we come into contact with carefully and respectfully.
Although he liked his job and the feeling of being useful, he decided to take a risk and look for his place in the tech world. He is among the new members of the Java team at Scalefocus and is motivated to perfect his programming with persistency. He says that free time has been a luxury for years, but the moment his workday is over, he devotes himself entirely to his family.
Finally, how would you describe your team?
Our team is united. Even though it is spread across 7 locations, we feel close and there are no barriers between us.
