Tip? Before entering a live-coding competition, fuel up with some dark chocolate and coffee – Anton Lukyanov did, and it earned him a Bronze medal at Exadel Code Arena! 🎖️
We sat down with Anton Lukyanov, Senior Software Engineer and .NET developer in Exadel, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the contest from a winner’s perspective.
What inspired you to participate in the Exadel Code Arena?
I have always enjoyed solving algorithmic problems that require some deep thinking, and I genuinely enjoy writing code. Additionally, I was curious about what this event would be like, and I wouldn’t have known unless I participated.
How did you prepare for the competition?
I made sure to get a good night’s sleep, took a short walk in the sunny weather, solved a random medium-level LeetCode problem, bought some coffee and dark chocolate. That was enough to get me geared up!
What did you like about the Exadel Code Arena?
I appreciated that it was an event specifically for programmers, focused on coding challenges rather than a general-purpose contest or quiz. While I understand there are many people in the company with roles where coding isn’t a primary skill, and not everyone wants to code outside work hours, it’s enjoyable to compete with colleagues purely in programming from time to time. I will definitely participate in similar events in the future.
There were many straightforward problems that primarily involved writing code quickly, but some of the tasks made me think hard. I enjoyed the satisfaction of completing each problem and seeing the green test results before moving on to the next. But the most rewarding part was definitely getting into the top 3 :)
Anton Lukyanov, Senior Software Engineer, Exadel Belarus
-Which programming language did you choose for the competition, and why?
I used C# because it’s the language I work with, so I’m most comfortable with it. I felt that any modern high-level programming language would have been well-suited for the tasks presented at the competition.
How did you manage your time during the competition, especially under pressure?
I carefully reviewed the solutions for the first tasks, but my checks on the last tasks were less careful due to time constraints, so I wasn’t entirely confident about covering all edge cases. I am not particularly fond of a fast-paced tempo for challenges, as it leads to uncertainty about the quality of the final results. Also, I wasn’t sure if I should hurry because there was no option to review all tasks in advance so this added to the challenge. I only took a brief coffee break about halfway through.
If you could work on any dream project, what would it be?
I would love to work on a project related to music or musical activities. I considered working at Spotify, but unfortunately they don’t have .NET jobs. If I were to create my own project from scratch, it would focus on preserving fond memories with friends and family–something like a photo album and a blog focused more on personal value than seeking external reactions.
Do you listen to music while coding? If so, what kind of music?
Mostly, I listen to different types of electronic and rock music, but lately, I tend to work in silence. In 2022, I got into a genre of electronic music called drift phonk, which turned out to be an excellent fit for both focused work and for driving around the city when I’m in a rush.
⭐Check out other posts about the Exadel Code Arena: an interview with Gold winner Abdujabbor Ibragimov and an interview with one of the organizers, Yauheniya Reutskaya.