Location: FAV Hörsaal 1 Helmut Veith (https://maps.tuwien.ac.at/?q=HEEG02)

Free entry, but an RSVP ticket is required.

Abstract

Shipping large-scale software is rarely about writing code alone. This talk reflects on real-world experience building software in larger companies, and on everything that happens before and after code is written.

Based on stories, we will explore how trade-offs are made and why they can lead to decisions that seem unintuitive from the outside. We will discuss how technical debt can be a strategy rather than a failure, how far-reaching decisions can be without being obvious upfront, and why ownership matters just as much as architecture.

We’ll also talk about how an engineer’s role evolves over time. Why technical skills are often not the limiting factor for growth and impact at scale, and how working as a Staff Engineer or manager changes your perspective.

This talk is aimed at myself from 14 years ago, when I started my career. It’s the talk I would have liked to hear back then. What lies ahead, what reality looks like, and what to focus on.

About Nicolas Dular

Nicolas Dular is a Staff Backend Engineer at GitLab, where he has spent over six years tackling complex engineering challenges. Currently, he focuses on performance and scaling within the Product Planning team. Notably, Nicolas was instrumental in building the AI Framework that powers GitLab Duo, enabling teams across the organization to integrate AI features.

With a deep background in full-stack development, his experience spans building A/B testing frameworks, scaling data collection systems and pioneering WebAssembly solutions for PDF rendering at PSPDFKit. A strong advocate for the Individual Contributor (IC) path, Nicolas previously served as an Engineering Manager before successfully returning to a hands-on technical role.

Mandatory Disclaimer

Please note that all opinions expressed in this talk are exclusively his own and do not reflect those of his employer.