Intro
Hi, I’m Oskar, a Full Stack Software Engineer with 3 years of experience, specialising in Frontend development. I have a proven track record of building high-performance, scalable web applications using React, TypeScript, Terraform, and cloud technologies (primarily AWS). I’ve also worked with React Native, Next.js and other React meta frameworks, built design systems, modernised legacy applications, and developed new solutions by closely collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders.
Most recently at Pfida, I was a Software Engineer and apart from working across the whole stack (BE and FE), I led key projects: revamping our customer-facing finance application, building an internal admin panel, designing our UI Design system, and enabling tenanting/white-labeling. I also introduced BFFs, ephemeral environments, and contract-driven practices to improve team efficiency and collaboration.
In my spare time, I enjoy learning new things. Currently exploring Go for backend development and I’m always digging into the latest tools. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with Tanstack Start, Go, gRPC and diving into map visualisations to build a personal project: a photography trip planning app that will provide relevant information. When I’m not coding, you’ll likely find me behind a camera!
I’m particularly interested in the role at II because of your mission to help people have better financial future. You also have reputation for innovation in the investment platform space and I like that you value collaboration and ownership with aligns with my interest. I have experience in a similar environment (fintech) which I believe makes me a strong candidate for this role and aligns with the requirements. Also, chance of using RN again really appeals to me :). Also, it is a product I would personally want to use myself as investing is something I am interest in.
Why II
My experience at a fintech startup has provided a solid foundation in developing software within a regulated environment and use cutting-edge technologies. The natural next step for me is to apply my foundation to larger, more complex projects within a bigger organisation like II, which I see as a logical step in my career progression.
First of all, I am impressed by the position of the company and that you are being transparent with investors. I like the mission of the company that you want to help people to take control of fincncial future as I believe tech should empower users to make better decisions and improve their lives. I also like company values such as moving with speed, owning outcomes and it aligns with my own approach to work. Also, company is in a stable position, which is something I am looking for, a stable place where I can apply foundation to larger, more complex projects within organisation.
From a technical perspective, your tech stack aligns perfectly with my experience with React, RN, AWS which would allow me to make contributions from day one, and I like the fact, that I would get exposure to working with Native Applications again.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
My key strengths include my technical expertise in frontend technologies, particularly React and TypeScript, where I’ve built complex applications and implemented design systems. I’m also strong in architectural decision-making, having led frontend technology decisions and established best practices that improved development velocity. I pride myself on my ability to balance technical excellence with business needs, always focusing on how my work impacts users and business metrics and I have a product mindset.r
As for areas of improvement, I’m continuously working on broadening my backend
expertise. While I have experience with Node.js and AWS Lambdas, I’m actively
expanding my knowledge of more complex backend architectures. I’ve been addressing this by taking on more full-stack responsibilities and collaborating with backend engineers to learn from their experience. As for soft-skills, my weakness is probably related to hyperfocus caused by ADHD, but I have found techniques to have it under control. Sometimes it is also my strength, because it allows me to notice things that others have missed.
How do you approach learning new tech
I approach learning new technologies systematically. First, I identify why the technology is valuable, read some case studies and how it fits into the broader ecosystem. Then I focus on building a solid foundation by understanding core concepts rather than just syntax. I believe in learning through practical application, so I typically create small projects to experiment with new technologies and I avoid tutorials as they give you perception that you understand something, but when you have to do something on your own, you realise that you haven’t learnt much. For example, when learning about microfrontends, I built a proof-of-concept that demonstrated how we could gradually migrate a legacy application to React.
I also use dev community by following key contributors, understanding open-source projects and how they were implemented. Good docs are important, but seeing real-world implementation provide deeper insights. I share what I learn by writing notes or mentoring others, which helps to reinforce my understanding. I believe that in every business good documentation about decision making is important, because it gives context to others on why it was done this way not the other as often there’s a genuine reason. Also, it helps to prevent siloing knowledge, which from the business perspective can be very dangerous, and I have experienced that before.
Why did you leave your last job?
Joining Pfida was a great career move for my professional growth as it gave me exposure to quite a lot of problems and I was able to wear multiple hats. After a while the team has run out of work and company started the redundancy process and made key people from our team redundant. With morale low and little active work for months, I found myself feeling unproductive. It felt like the right time to step away, reflect, and make space to find a role that aligns better with where I want to grow next. What I am looking from a new role is an environment, where there’s definitely more work to do, decisions are made slightly faster than months and months of meetings, and
What are you doing now?
I’m taking time to evaluate my next opportunity, making sure it is a right fit in terms of culture, engineering quality. I am also exploring short-term projects while looking for a job. Currently, I’ve been exploring map visualisations in the app and started building an application for my personal needs. Something similar to Roadtrippers and Locationscout for photographers.
About the Role and Team
- “Could you tell me more about the specific projects the engineering team is currently working on?”
- “How is the engineering team structured? Would I be working in a cross-functional team or a specialized frontend/backend team?”
- “What would my first 30, 60, and 90 days look like in this role?”
- “How do you balance feature development with technical improvements and addressing technical debt?”
- “What are the biggest challenges the team is facing right now that this role would help address?”
- Thinking back to people you’ve seen do this work previously, what differentiated the ones that were good from the ones that were really great?
About Technology and Development Practice
- “How does Interactive Investor approach design systems and component libraries?”
- “What is your testing strategy and how do you ensure quality across your applications?”
- “How do you handle deployments and what does your CI/CD pipeline look like?”
- “What’s your approach to accessibility and ensuring your platform works for all users?”
- “How has the tech stack evolved at Interactive Investor, and are there any planned changes or upgrades?”
About Company Culture and Growth
- “How would you describe the engineering culture at Interactive Investor?”
- “What opportunities are there for professional development and learning new skills?”
- “How has the acquisition by abrdn affected the day-to-day operations and culture of the engineering team?”
- “What do you enjoy most about working at Interactive Investor?”
- “Where do you see this position evolving over the next 2-3 years?”
About Business and Product
- “How does the engineering team collaborate with product and design teams?”
- “What metrics do you use to measure success for your engineering team and products?”
- “How does Interactive Investor differentiate itself technically from competitors in the investment platform space?”
- “What’s the product roadmap look like for the next year, and how would this role contribute to those goals?”
- “How does Interactive Investor balance its commitment to being a consumer champion with business growth objectives?”