Історії

This is a story about how IT has no age limits. Our hero today is a retired engineer from Rivne, Serhiy Henzel. The 66-year-old from Aityte, upon learning of his dismissal, began to look for and finally found a new job in his specialty. This was preceded by 700 responses to vacancies, ignoring recruiters, several interviews and test tasks. In the end, the specialist received an offer and has already started working. Serhiy shared his story with dev.ua.

Linkos Group has been creating digital services for reporting, document management, and business process automation for over 25 years. In an exclusive interview, Olesya Linnyk, the company’s managing partner, told how the company’s history began, which products bring the most revenue, how the war changed demand, and what awaits Ukrainian digital services in the future.

Lviv-based researcher and engineer Maria Giy, together with a professor at the University of California (CSUN), is developing the Early Insight & Engagement System (EIES) AI platform — an innovative solution at the intersection of engineering, behavioral sciences, and ethical artificial intelligence. The system detects signs of stress and isolation in adolescents and can reduce the number of students dropping out of school and criminalization of youth. The idea for such a platform was born from an academic study of the behavior of Ukrainian adolescents, which Maria conducted with Lviv National University, working with data from hundreds of children. Currently, the specialist lives in the USA, and her development is being prepared for testing in American schools in 2026. The EIES project is an example of an original contribution to the development of EdTech engineering and socially oriented AI, which has already attracted the attention of the academic and technological communities in the USA. Maria’s work demonstrates international leadership in the field of educational technology and artificial intelligence aimed at supporting youth. dev.ua talked to the specialist and learned a lot of interesting things about the career and achievements of the graduate of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, who has been creating useful AI products overseas for several years. Below is a direct speech from the specialist.

Software Developer at Sigma Software Group Alexander Filippov is a veteran who managed to return to IT after demobilization. He returned to IT for the third time — before the war he had a break in his profession, trying to create a business. Unlike many IT workers, he chose an office format of work, because he believes that «frames remove noise.» dev.ua talked to Oleksandr about what it’s like to return from the army to civilian life, to work in an office when most professionals are looking for complete remote work, and about the importance of freedom in the life of a former military man.

Signal messenger president Meredith Whittaker lives between New York and Paris, runs a company at the forefront of digital privacy, and despite her hectic pace, finds time for yoga, books about AI, and coffee with cardamom. «I joined Signal because I know the founder, Moxie Marlinspike, from our joint open-source project WindSignal,» says Meredith. Her day was " lived " by Business Insider.

42-year-old Android developer Oleksandr Plekhov has been working in IT for 12 years. Not only years of experience in the industry led him to his current job at the American Mercury Intermedia, where the Ukrainian is engaged in the optimization of existing solutions and the integration of third-party services. The fact is that Oleksandr shone in IT, having a degree in chemistry, and he believes that it was his natural science background that helped him successfully build a career in IT. His path to the IT field began after receiving a master’s degree in chemistry at the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, where he received thorough knowledge of research and finding solutions to complex problems. After practical experience in his specialty, in 2012 he independently retrained as an IT developer and began his career as a Mobile Developer. Throughout his career, Oleksandr has worked on projects in various domains, including IoT, Healthcare, e-commerce, and media, and is known for his leadership and effective team management. Oleksandr is also a Senior Member of IEEE. dev.ua spoke with the developer, who currently lives in the US, about switching, ideal mobile apps, the benefits of mentoring, and the Internet of Things. Here’s what the IT guy has to say.

«Briefly about how I earned money for a house in a year: I sat almost motionless for 10 hours every day for a year. I gained 15 extra kg and several thousand dollars. Now all hope is for 'you have to work hard in the village',» wrote freelance IT professional Viktoria Samarina in Threads, who returned to Ukraine after several years abroad. She currently blogs about life in a Carpathian village, where she tells how she is equipping a village house that did not have a sewage system at the time of purchase. dev.ua spoke with Viktoria about the non-trivial decision, rural difficulties and contrasts, as well as career ambitions and plans. Her story is surprising and depressing at the same time.

Imagine a Ukrainian who was born and raised in a small village with a population of 270 people, and now works for a tech giant in the USA. This is the real story of Serhiy Savin, a Data Scientist from the village of Khrypalichi, Volyn region. Serhiy told dev.ua about his path to global IT, work at Lyft, Reface, AppFlame in the USA, his desire to share knowledge and recording a course for «Diya.Osvita», as well as his own plans and ambitions. What follows is his direct speech.

34-year-old Kyiv resident Oleg Polishchuk is the CIO of a Ukrainian AI startup in the miltech sector, which creates a product for tracking and shooting down FPV drones. He has actively integrated into the American IT community and, in addition to commercial activities, devotes a lot of time to science. His IT background includes several successful startup projects in the HealthTech and media sectors, and he is currently focused on a miltech startup, for the development of which he even resigned from the position of Head of Engineering in an American company, which he led out of crisis several years ago. Oleg has over 10 scientific publications and experience working in multinational teams. He is a polyglot, speaks four languages, so he knows how to open any door. dev.ua talked to a CIO from overseas and learned a lot of startup insiders that will be useful to every startup owner.

In 2019, something remarkable happened: a Swiss pension fund chose Ukrainian entrepreneur Oleksandr Yatsentyuk and his IT company, Infinity Technologies, to lead a large-scale digital transformation. Under his leadership, the team built one of Switzerland’s first interactive portals for hundreds of thousands of members. Previously, fund clients relied on paper correspondence and waited weeks for appointments. With the new portal, all communication moved online.

In a full-scale war, where the sound of a drone makes the heart beat faster and is the No. 1 target for the MVG, Drone Agroflot is betting on drones in the agribusiness sector. The company not only survived a Russian missile attack on its office and the constant loss of drones due to electronic warfare, but also managed to increase the volume of work and develop the direction of pilot training. Rodion Soroka, a key person shaping the strategic development of the commercial direction of Drone Agroflot, told dev.ua about the peculiarities of working with agricultural drones and the survival strategy in conditions of constant competition and military risks.

Artur Dmytryshyn, a Project Manager at SoftServe, joined the army about 10 months ago through recruitment. Although he is only 24 years old now, he decided not to wait until he reached military age, but to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine right away. Thanks to his blog Keep Going, Artur is known to a fairly wide audience outside the IT bubble, and some of his posts have hundreds of thousands or even millions of views. It was his blogging experience that Artur decided to use to the maximum for the army, conducting meetings, solving recruiting issues, and creating viral content for the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

«I am inspired by creating something that really changes people’s lives and the work of teams,» says Kateryna Babiy, a 36-year-old developer from Lviv, who has been living and working in the USA for several years, where she is actively pursuing her career as an IT specialist. According to Katya, what drives her the most is when complex technical challenges turn into effective solutions: for example, optimizing architecture or implementing new approaches that allow teams to launch features faster, and users to receive a stable and reliable product. «I get pleasure from being able to combine technology and innovation with practical benefits, I constantly learn on my own and help others develop through mentorship. Participation in hackathons and pet projects adds even more drive: here there are fast deadlines, new technologies, ideas and people — and you never know which next innovation will turn into a real product. The greatest joy is to see that your work and your experience transform the team, the product and even the industry,» says the IT professional. In an interview with dev.ua, she told how she conquered America, what those who plan to move to the land of opportunities should prepare for, and whether American IT differs much from local Ukrainian IT. And also about mentorship, startups, and dreams. Next is Katya’s direct speech.

The story of 19-year-old Maksym Tyulyukov from Mykolaiv is about a thirst for knowledge, uninvited cardinal changes in life due to the war, and a successful attempt to build an IT career while still in school. He is perhaps the youngest middleware developer that the dev.ua editorial team has ever heard of. His career in IT began at the age of 16. The fact is that Maksym is from Mykolaiv. And in the first 10 days of a full-scale war, he saw a column of tanks with Z-tanks in person, and realized that he had to leave. For the next six months, the guy and his family lived in Bulgaria, but due to hardship and moral exhaustion in a foreign country, they returned to Ukraine and settled in Odessa. Currently, Maksym is a student at the Odessa State University of Intellectual Technologies and Communications. He works at his dream company and ambitiously plans to move to San Francisco, found his own startup, and, of course, work for global tech giants. Today’s story is about the difficult but inspiring path of a young man who confidently steps towards his dream despite the war, forced relocations, and circumstances that arise unexpectedly. Next is a direct speech by Maksym, who at 19 is already a Middle Back-End Engineer at OBRIO.

On the eve of the interview with dev.ua, employees of the local Internet provider Elite-Line were eliminating the consequences of the arrivals — in Kramatorsk they deal with this constantly. According to the director of the provider, Mykola Kucheruk, while their team was working on it, three KABs flew literally 500 meters from their office. The consequences of this arrival will also have to be resolved quickly, because some subscribers were again left without the Internet. Elite-Line specialists arrive at the destination in a few hours, having endured a pause: no one has canceled the tactic of repeated strikes against the Russians, so it is highly undesirable to leave immediately. In this regard, the Internet provider’s employees are exposed to the same risks as rescuers and medics arriving at the scene.

It would seem like a futile task to assemble FPV drones for the needs of the Defense Forces in sunny Portugal, but a union of Ukrainian IT workers has banded together to attract local residents to help Ukraine. And all this despite the Russians' attempts to sabotage the volunteers' activities. The founder and communications officer of DroneAid Porto told dev.ua about the peculiarities of fundraising in Portugal, what amounts locals donate and how DroneAid manages to attract new supporters.

Before the war, Katrin Yarosh had her own online store, and after the full-scale invasion began, she worked as a project manager in a large outsourcing company. But one day, Katrin realized that she needed a break so as not to burn out completely. The Aityvitsa radically changed her field of activity and created a store of goods for four-legged friends. We tell you what motivated her and how her life turned out after IT.

Oleksandr Kurinny, a graduate of KAI and CEO of AxxonSoft Ukraine, together with the Kyiv Aviation Institute, opened the first intelligent video surveillance laboratory in Ukraine. Thanks to this cooperation, students will be able to learn to develop complex security systems based on artificial intelligence. The company invested more than 5 million hryvnias in the project, which allowed creating a unique educational program. A dev.ua journalist visited the opening of the Axxonsoft intelligent video surveillance laboratory and tells how this modern space will function.

43-year-old Oleksandr Omelayenko from Kharkiv successfully combines work in IT and teaching at school. In parallel with his work in a game development company, he works as a computer science teacher in grades 5-11. And this, the IT specialist admits, gives him important preferences. In particular, thanks to the school, the specialist has a deferment from mobilization. dev.ua continues the series of articles about IT specialists who combine work in business and teaching. Below is a frank conversation with Project Lead of Unreal Department at Pingle Studio Oleksandr Omelayenko about Ukrainian education, NMT, bureaucracy, and the difference between working in IT and at school. Next is the direct speech of the specialist.

AIT residents are usually an inexhaustible source of knowledge that they are eager to share. Some create their own courses, some like teaching in IT schools, and there are those who go on to become teachers, teaching mathematics and computer science to children. School computer science teacher from Dnipropetrovsk region Taras Nikolaev works in parallel with teaching at the largest Ukrainian service company SoftServe. He has been teaching since 2002, currently at Dnipro Lyceum No. 100 «Leader» of the Dnipro City Council. And at the same time he works as a manager of the talent development center at SoftServe with beginners in IT. dev.ua talked with Taras and learned about the motivation for working at school, the difference in approaches to work in public education and IT, as well as the urgency of studying computer science at school, when there are a lot of courses around to enter IT.

This story — about a radical change in life path — surprises and inspires at the same time. Daria Nedashkovska, Lead Software Testing Engineer at EPAM, before becoming an IT specialist, became the first female saber fencer to represent Ukraine at international competitions, including the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. dev.ua talked to Daria — the girl told why she chose IT and whether her sports past helps her in her current work. Next — Daria’s direct speech.

Alyona Bagrytska, a back-end developer, went from a quiet life under the sirens to her first offer in IT. Her story is not about quick success, but about night codes, depression, antidepressants and an unexpected breakthrough during the war. She survived fake interviews and instability under fire, but in the end she received an offer that led her to her dream job. dev.ua talked to Alyona about what it's like to "enter IT" in the difficult year of 2025.

An experienced lawyer and fighter of the special forces unit «Phantom», who participated in the ATO/OJS operations, Volodymyr Kopchuk at one time felt the need for changes and decided to radically change the direction of his activity. The man, who had considerable military experience and a legal background, decided to try his hand at IT. Having learned about the program «IT for Veterans» from EPAM, the man acquired a new profession and immediately received an offer — he joined the company as a business analyst. Volodymyr told dev.ua why he decided to enter IT and whether military experience helps a veteran in solving work tasks. Next is Volodymyr’s direct speech.

C-level experience, top projects in FinTech, and a sense of belonging — it would seem that everything is in place. But war, forced emigration, burnout, and a bold decision to leave the “stable” IT world opened up new perspectives for marketer Ksenia Okolovich. dev.ua spoke with Ksenia about her decision to leave IT and start building her own brand.

Japan this week executed the «Twitter Killer» who killed nine people in 2017. It is the first use of the death penalty in the country since 2022.

Over the past few decades, Ukrainian women have proven that their place and role in the domestic IT sector are beyond doubt. If we take the statistics from February 2024 to February 2025, then among new IT entrepreneurs, women generally made up 48%, almost embodying the same gender equality in practice. But is there a place in Ukrainian IT for purely female projects, which, moreover, declare themselves on the market with a slight touch of shocking? The girls from Sisi.Dev prove that yes. We spoke with Founder and Project Manager Yulia Mazhaeva, Co-founder and Head of UI/UX design Khrystyna Moroz, and Business Development Manager and Marketing specialist Alena Kukhtina to understand what services Sisi.Dev provides, what domains they work with, and what it’s like to run a women’s business during a full-scale war. In a conversation with dev.ua, they also told us how it all started, what business development plans they have, and how customers are reacting to their somewhat provocative «sign.»

Marina Sherstyuk is a former UI designer with experience in large, engineering, and international projects. After five years in IT, the specialist decided to leave the field and start her own business - teaching yoga. dev.ua talked to Marina about her decision to change everything and what challenges awaited her on the path to a happier life.