Quit your old job and excel in IT: Artem Ziborev's story

Artem Ziborev, a senior software developer who is one of the country's leading IT professionals, is a model of success in a new field. After a solid 15-year career in law, Artem moved into IT, where he made significant contributions across multiple industries. His ability to adapt quickly and achieve outstanding results in different sectors shows how a talented individual can excel in a completely new field. Artem shares his insights on deciding to change careers, the steps needed to prepare, and how to succeed in a new role.

Thank you for being with us, Artem! Your story is truly inspiring! Can you tell us what motivated you to leave a successful career in law for a completely new field in IT?

Yes, at some point I decided to give up my successful career in the legal field and start from scratch. In many ways I have my family to thank for their support, without which I would not have been able to do this.

While working at Pravo.ru, a leading Russian legal publication, I had the unique opportunity to work in a virtual legal consulting project at the interface between legal practice and project management.

Watching the developers' work and seeing the project grow, it was fascinating for me to look at the lines of code and analyze how everything worked. This was probably the main trigger for my career change. I've always had a passion for computers and technology, so I decided to pursue this field. It was very challenging because I had to start as a junior developer. However, from the very beginning of my career, I was able to take part in major innovation projects. One of them was a virtual assistant for Russia's largest bank, Sber – I optimized the address book search algorithm, which shortened the user's path and increased the conversion rate of payments and transfers.

We know that you were part of the development team that created an online vehicle–Sharing platform that has gained worldwide recognition and is currently present in over 50 countries. Can you tell us more about this project?

Yes, it was a great experience. I worked on software for scooter and car sharing and had a great opportunity to use my skills. Started as a startup, this project caught the attention of investors who fully supported it and helped it become a significant part of the car sharing space.

The special thing about this project is that due to its presence in different countries, we had to take into account the regional specifics of car sharing and rental, such as legal subtleties and mentality. Due to the large number of users, it was important to choose the right architectural solutions and infrastructure to ensure stable operation despite the increased load. All in all, I can say that it was a challenging but very interesting work.

You have also been involved in the development of a video analytics system for large manufacturing companies. This project has had a very positive impact on improving safety in hazardous industries. Can you please tell us about the impact of its implementation?

This system eliminates the need for human presence in hazardous areas, minimizes the number of accidents and prevents the so-called “human factor” that can lead to dangerous incidents. In addition, during the operation of the system, numerous measurement data and statistics are collected that help analyze the efficiency of raw material use and the duration of technological processes. All this is useful for making management decisions.

You have developed recommendation systems for one of Russia's largest real estate developers and computer vision systems for NLMK, a world-leading steel producer. Does your professional background help you in your current role?

As a professional with a legal and financial background, I approach projects from both a technical and business perspective. I assess the value of the project, analyze its development history and identify the critical features required.

For example, my work resulted in a 50% reduction in network infrastructure load, significantly reducing the need for additional servers and reducing monitoring and maintenance costs, thereby optimizing overall business expenses.

With your experience and unique approach, you have no problem seeing the nuances of transforming a modest project into a thriving IT service. We know you want to share these insights in a book. Can you tell us more about the topics you will cover?

The main idea of ​​the book is to show how to turn a pet project into a full-fledged commercial service. It is crucial to understand at the beginning, even with a simple project, that it can scale quickly and potentially serve millions of users. Therefore, it is important to design the architecture and select the tools and technologies taking into account high loads, and also optimize the code and methods for data-intensive applications.

My goal is to demonstrate this using examples of modern frameworks, architectural solutions and development best practices. In this book, I will guide the reader through all stages of developing a small project into a successful one. I will share my experience of working with highly loaded services and focus on monitoring and early detection of business-critical errors. This approach will help readers create high-quality products, ensure smooth operation and quickly respond to potential problems, allowing newcomers to learn the basics faster and handle tasks of varying complexity more efficiently.

Your achievements in IT were recognized with the prestigious Time for Innovation Award, securing you the title of Breakthrough of the Year 2023 among over 1500 competitors. Can you describe the level of competition you faced and say what impressed you most about the experience?

I am very grateful to the organizers for their trust and for considering and recognizing my application and the project I implemented. The competition was intense as there were many industry leaders, both companies and professionals who have made significant contributions in their fields.

The Breakthrough of the Year Award is given to projects that have made notable progress in their field over the past year. The jury chose my project, which involves developing an artificial intelligence-based recommendation system for real estate developers. This system increases investment efficiency, forecasts sales, improves marketing activities and helps make more accurate strategic decisions.

As a jury member of the Runet National Award and the Trends competition, which focuses on blockchain, fintech, content and AI, how do you assess the new wave of developers? Have you noticed any particularly innovative ideas or emerging trends?

As a jury member at events such as the Runet National Award and the Trends contest, I have the opportunity to be one of the first to identify current industry trends and stay up to date with the latest technology. Judging at these competitions provides a unique chance to closely examine a large number of innovative solutions and influence the development of the industry by selecting projects that revolutionize the field in some way.

Today, I see blockchain actively expanding beyond the financial sector into other areas such as logistics and insurance. This opens up new opportunities and presents exciting challenges for developers.

You have published numerous research papers in international scientific journals, including those of the Eurasian Union of Scientists and the Agency for Advanced Studies. What excites you most about this field?

Software development is exciting because you have to constantly evolve and learn new things. You have to integrate new techniques and approaches to be of value to companies. The big advantage is that you can read an article or post on X (formerly Twitter) about a new tool in the morning and implement it in your project in the evening. Everything is open, available and moves at the speed of light.

When I talk about these systems, it is a pleasure for me to see how their practical implementation has shown an increase in investment efficiency and profit maximization. In addition, the developer receives a clear business plan with construction schedules, budget and related documentation.

As a member of the International Association of Honored Developers (IAHD), do you believe it is crucial for software developers to join professional communities? What advice do you have for those moving into programming from other fields?

Nowadays, there are many courses and educational platforms that allow individuals to enter the IT world and change their career path. I firmly believe that these training courses provide a solid foundation, but the profession of a developer requires continuous growth and self-learning.

Unfortunately, inexperienced software developers often struggle to get offers from large companies. It can be difficult to get key positions at FAANG (Meta, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google), Yandex or Sber, but many of these companies offer free internships and bootcamps. Participating in these programs can help candidates prove themselves and get valuable job offers.

I recommend that aspiring developers do internships, even if they are unpaid at first, and get involved in open source projects. This will help them gain experience and build a portfolio that will help them in their job search.

I would also like to stress the importance of participating in professional communities and associations to make professional contacts. Building a strong network can help you find a job or get valuable projects for your portfolio.