🎙️ Señors @ Scale
Deep conversations with senior developers about scaling applications, teams, and careers
🎧 Latest Episodes
Refactoring at Scale with Jose Calderon
In this engaging conversation, Jose Calderon, a lead software engineer at JP Morgan Chase, shares his journey into software engineering, his passion for Java and the Spring ecosystem, and the importance of documentation and decision-making in software architecture. He discusses the evolving role of AI in coding, offers tips for learning Java, and emphasizes the significance of mentoring future engineers. The conversation also touches on crafting engaging conference talks, testing strategies for enterprise software, and the balance between refactoring and rewriting code. Jose concludes with book recommendations and insights into the gaming world as a form of relaxation.TakeawaysJose's journey into software engineering began with a passion for fixing computers and playing games.Java's ecosystem is robust, with a strong community and rapid evolution.Documentation of architectural decisions is crucial for future reference and understanding.AI tools can enhance productivity but should not replace fundamental coding skills.Unit tests should serve as documentation for code behavior.The choice between refactoring and rewriting code depends on the stability and control of the existing system.Chaos engineering helps teams prepare for unexpected failures in production environments.Mentoring future engineers is essential for fostering a strong tech community.Crafting engaging conference talks involves storytelling and relatable analogies.Gaming can serve as a form of relaxation and mental recharge for developers.Sound Bites"You can build whatever you want and play around.""The world is your oyster with Java.""You can simplify and still be effective."Keywordssoftware engineering, Java, Spring, coding, technology, software architecture, mentoring, conference talks, decision making, testing strategies, chaos engineering, AI in coding, book recommendations, gaming
Pragmatism at Scale with Tudor Barbu
🎙️ In this episode of Señors @ Scale, Principal Engineer Tudor Barbu (ex-Personio, Skyscanner) shares two decades of software engineering lessons — from hacking on cassette-based machines to leading platform efforts in modern frontend teams.We talk debugging horror stories, the evolution of tech roles post-pandemic, and the shift from chasing technical perfection to delivering user value. Tudor breaks down what it means to be a pragmatic engineer, how he interviews for adaptability, and why ownership (not just code) drives results.Whether you're mentoring juniors, scaling architecture, or just tired of reading octal bugs — this one’s for you.
Interviewing at Scale with Angel Paredes
In this conversation, Angel Paredes, an engineering manager at Datadog, shares his journey from being a student with a passion for art to becoming a successful engineer and manager in the tech industry. He discusses the differences between the tech environments in Madrid and Barcelona, his transitio...
Performance at Scale - With Danilo Velasquez
In this kickoff episode of Señors @ Scale, host Neciu Dan sits down with Danilo Velasquez — Staff Engineer at Adevinta and longtime frontend performance obsessive. They unpack the real battles behind Web Vitals, micro frontends, and the growing complexity of modern frontend work.Danilo shares war stories like:Supporting Internet Explorer 6 in production (yes, really)Building a homegrown Lighthouse bot to track 100+ pages every 15 minutesHow Core Web Vitals became the trigger for SEO incidentsWhy platform work is often the highest-leverage roleWhen React “won the war” (and why he still prefers Vue)How a setTimeout(0) hack saved his team’s performanceIt’s a candid, technical, and surprisingly human look at engineering at scale — packed with lessons for frontend leads, staff engineers, and anyone optimizing in the wild.🎧 Whether you're wrestling with architecture decisions, debugging layout shifts, or mentoring your next hire — this one's for you.
Hosted by Neciu Dan
Tech Lead, Co-Founder, Speaker
What is Señors @ Scale?
Señors @ Scale features in-depth conversations with senior developers, tech leads, and software architects who share real-world experiences of scaling applications, teams, and their careers. Each episode unpacks the hard-earned lessons from industry veterans who have been in the trenches.
From scaling applications to millions of users, to growing teams from 5 to 500+ engineers, to navigating complex distributed systems - this podcast delivers practical wisdom you can apply immediately in your work.
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What You'll Learn
📈 Scaling Applications
-
Microservices vs monolith trade-offs - Database scaling strategies
- Performance optimization techniques
👥 Scaling Teams
- Technical leadership strategies
- Building effective engineering culture
- Mentoring and career development
🎧 Listen on Your Favorite Platform
🎵 Latest Episode
Refactoring at Scale with Jose Calderon
In this engaging conversation, Jose Calderon, a lead software engineer at JP Morgan Chase, shares his journey into software engineering, his passion for Java and the Spring ecosystem, and the importance of documentation and decision-making in software architecture. He discusses the evolving role of AI in coding, offers tips for learning Java, and emphasizes the significance of mentoring future engineers. The conversation also touches on crafting engaging conference talks, testing strategies for enterprise software, and the balance between refactoring and rewriting code. Jose concludes with book recommendations and insights into the gaming world as a form of relaxation.TakeawaysJose's journey into software engineering began with a passion for fixing computers and playing games.Java's ecosystem is robust, with a strong community and rapid evolution.Documentation of architectural decisions is crucial for future reference and understanding.AI tools can enhance productivity but should not replace fundamental coding skills.Unit tests should serve as documentation for code behavior.The choice between refactoring and rewriting code depends on the stability and control of the existing system.Chaos engineering helps teams prepare for unexpected failures in production environments.Mentoring future engineers is essential for fostering a strong tech community.Crafting engaging conference talks involves storytelling and relatable analogies.Gaming can serve as a form of relaxation and mental recharge for developers.Sound Bites"You can build whatever you want and play around.""The world is your oyster with Java.""You can simplify and still be effective."Keywordssoftware engineering, Java, Spring, coding, technology, software architecture, mentoring, conference talks, decision making, testing strategies, chaos engineering, AI in coding, book recommendations, gaming
Episode Description:
In this engaging conversation, Jose Calderon, a lead software engineer at JP Morgan Chase, shares his journey into software engineering, his passion for Java and the Spring ecosystem, and the importance of documentation and decision-making in software architecture. He discusses the evolving role of AI in coding, offers tips for learning Java, and emphasizes the significance of mentoring future engineers. The conversation also touches on crafting engaging conference talks, testing strategies for enterprise software, and the balance between refactoring and rewriting code. Jose concludes with book recommendations and insights into the gaming world as a form of relaxation.TakeawaysJose's journey into software engineering began with a passion for fixing computers and playing games.Java's ecosystem is robust, with a strong community and rapid evolution.Documentation of architectural decisions is crucial for future reference and understanding.AI tools can enhance productivity but should not replace fundamental coding skills.Unit tests should serve as documentation for code behavior.The choice between refactoring and rewriting code depends on the stability and control of the existing system.Chaos engineering helps teams prepare for unexpected failures in production environments.Mentoring future engineers is essential for fostering a strong tech community.Crafting engaging conference talks involves storytelling and relatable analogies.Gaming can serve as a form of relaxation and mental recharge for developers.Sound Bites"You can build whatever you want and play around.""The world is your oyster with Java.""You can simplify and still be effective."Keywordssoftware engineering, Java, Spring, coding, technology, software architecture, mentoring, conference talks, decision making, testing strategies, chaos engineering, AI in coding, book recommendations, gaming
"Deep conversations with senior developers about scaling applications, teams, and careers — real insights from industry veterans."
Why Señors @ Scale?
- Real-world scaling stories from senior engineers and architects
- Deep technical discussions about architecture patterns and trade-offs
- Career insights for developers transitioning to senior roles
- War stories from scaling applications to millions of users
- Leadership and team building strategies for tech leads
- Latest trends in software architecture and system design
- Practical advice you can apply immediately in your work
🎤 Meet Your Host
Neciu Dan
Tech Lead, Co-Founder, Speaker with experience scaling applications to millions of users. Dan has worked with teams ranging from startups to enterprise, and is passionate about sharing the hard-earned lessons from the trenches.
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