TechLead-Story: Christoph Bernhofer, CTO at iLogs

Team

Size and Roles:

• The development team consists of approximately 40 members.
• There are two product development teams and three project development teams.
• The majority of developers are Java Fullstack developers, each with individual preferences.

Organization and Methodology:

• Each dev team has its Team Lead responsible for coordinating sprint composition.
• Division into product and project development teams optimizes for longer sprints in product development for a robust base product, and shorter sprints in project development for flexibility to address customer needs and minimize time-to-market.

Distinctive Team Aspects:

• Emphasis on flat hierarchies, discussions at eye level, and close collaboration.
• Full flexibility in coordinating implementations.

Recruiting

Integration in Recruiting Process:

• Specific skill requirements for new hires come directly from the dev teams.
• Team Leads are involved in interviews to assess how well a candidate fits into the team, alongside evaluating technical skills.
• Prioritizing good team composition and a positive team atmosphere is the highest requirement for new hires.

Onboarding Procedure:

• Dedicated individuals are assigned to new colleagues to simplify the onboarding process.

Qualities Beyond Technical Skills:

• Team composition is paramount, ensuring that a new team member aligns well with the existing team dynamics.

Technologies

Technical Challenges:

• The decision on the right framework, considering changes in licensing and technological orientation, poses a significant challenge, especially with the use of standard Java technologies.
• The commitment to a specific technology in product development makes abrupt shifts challenging.

Technologies in Use:

• Standard Java EE on Payara for the backend.
• Java Server Faces 2 frameworks like PrimeFaces are used partially.
• Lightweight frameworks like React or Angular-based frontends are increasingly used.

Evolution of Technology:

• Transition from monolithic architecture, prevalent in the early 2000s, to (micro)service-oriented architecture.
• The shift provides more flexibility in components where it is demanded and necessary.