Q&A with Dmitry Bakhtin, Detsky Mir Head of Engineering, online services development and architecture of high-load systems specialist with over 20 years of expertise in the IT industry - exclusively for TechTimes.
- Dmitry, you started your IT career in the early 2000s, well before it became one of the most sought-after fields worldwide. Can you share why you chose this profession? What were the main factors that influenced your decision?
My interest in computer science began in my childhood when, around eight or nine years old, my parents gave me a computer and a programming book. While many of my friends were into video games, I was captivated by the world of programming. I created my first basic math program at ten, and the experience of turning code into a tangible result on the screen was simply magical for me.
As I continued my education, my love for programming grew. When I enrolled at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, I knew without a doubt that computer science was the right career for me. By my fourth year, I had developed a strong theoretical and practical knowledge base, which led to my first job offer in the field.
This foresight, combined with my innate interest in computer science, has driven my choice to build a career in IT. This foresight, combined with my innate interest in computer science, has driven my choice to build a career in IT.
Looking back, my early exposure to programming, my unwavering passion for computer science, and my belief in the transformative power of the IT sector on businesses and the world as a whole have all played a part in my decision to pursue an IT career and remain dedicated to the industry.
- Can you walk us through the early milestones of your career and the moment when you shifted from being an individual contributor to a leadership role?
The key turning point happened at CBOSS, a global leader in advanced IT solutions for comprehensive automation of telecommunications businesses.. In 2002, I joined their highly respected team known for their software solutions for mobile network carriers and an impressive lineup of top-tier developers.
I became part of a young developer team responsible for creating an intuitive, user-friendly web application with a complex interface featuring a hierarchical tree structure of requirements, test plans, and test cases. Our efforts were rewarded as our product significantly increased the efficiency of over 600 software engineers, 200 QA engineers, and 200 analysts. This innovative tool allowed the company to double their product development speed, inspiring other major Russian tech companies like Yandex and Mail.ru to develop their in-house software tools.
My participation in this project enriched my knowledge of the product development process, its various stages, players, and challenges. This experience set the stage for my subsequent career at well-known companies such as Rosbuilding, a top Moscow real estate developer; Rosgosstrakh, one of Russia's largest insurance companies; Telecom XXI, a telecommunication company providing and integrating IT equipment across Russia; and also at Sberbank and Detsky Mir.
- You mentioned your work at Sberbank, where you developed around 10 comprehensive architecture products within a year. Can you tell us more about the key projects, challenges you encountered, and the results of implementing your solutions?
Sberbank is Russia's largest banking and financial institution. I joined the team in 2017 when the company was focused on creating a diverse ecosystem of digital services, both financial and non-financial, for individual and corporate clients.
As a Senior Solution Architect, I worked on high-level concepts for Single Frontal Systems (SFS) software applications. One of my projects involved integrating e-government services into the SFS platform with large-scale external systems such as the Public Portal, Pension Fund, and Federal Tax Service. My role included technical leadership, introducing best development practices, implementing continuous code quality inspection platforms, and lowering the barrier to entry for the company's new projects. I also coached engineers from three development teams and periodically mentored up to 7-9 engineer teams with over 70-90 personnel.
Our project established a foundation for integrating external systems with the highest possible performance among competitors. Sberbank became a pioneer in global banking by measuring the level of business digitalization.
Besides offering online banking services, we served as a gateway to e-government services, leading to an increase in our audience from 15 million in 2017 to 20 million in 2018. Implementing a unified authentication service (Sber ID) allowed easy access to our services and enhanced the customer experience. As a result, Sberbank's non-banking business earnings reached 71.4 billion RUB in 2020, 2.7 times higher than in 2019.
- After your time at Sberbank, you joined Detsky Mir, one of Russia's largest niche retailers, as Head of Engineering. Can you tell us about the main projects you accomplished there?
I started at Detsky Mir as a Backend Development Tech Lead in March 2018 and was promoted to Head of Engineering three years later. Before 2018, the company had a weak online presence, with online business operations making up less than 3% of its total. Their old online store was a third-party product. That year marked a turning point for the entire structure and set the stage for a new era of digitalization.
Today, our engineers work on several significant projects, including an e-commerce platform for Russia and the CIS region, a web portal for suppliers with over 5,000 vendors and more than 2 million SKUs, a mobile app for employees used by around 10,000 in-store personnel across our chain of over 1,000 offline stores, and a Product Information Management application.
- Detsky Mir's online store remains one of the most popular shopping platforms in the Russian-speaking market. What innovations have you introduced to set your platform apart from competitors?
In 2018, the company decided to create a new web application to enhance the user experience for its multi-million customer base.
The application needed to meet all business requirements, possess a highly flexible, fault-tolerant, and scalable software architecture, and integrate seamlessly into the company's existing IT ecosystem. Another challenge was ensuring fast, uninterrupted supply and delivery to Russian cities, known as the "Same Day" concept.
Innovation was crucial for achieving these goals. First and foremost, my engineers implemented top open-source software development tools and frameworks.. We tested numerous approaches to build engineering teams, ultimately transitioning from a traditional hierarchical structure to The Product Triad model (production, design, engineering), autonomous cross-functional groups that collaborate closely.
Additionally, we adopted the most effective DevOps practices, such as continuous CI/CD, high code coverage with unit and automation testing, and staged releases through canary deployment. We also paid close attention to metrics related to improving software delivery quality, such as deployment frequency, recovery time after failure, percentage of code changes leading to production losses, and lead times.
By following the best engineering teams worldwide, our platform established benchmark values for these metrics: several deployments per day, 10-20 minutes for recovery time, 10-15% change failure rate, and lead times under two hours. Our SLA has nearly reached "three nines," improving from 97% to 99.85%.
- Did your results meet the requirements of the business?
Yes, we could fully-fledged cover the Russian market and expand its online selling business to Belarus and Kazakhstan. The number of SKUs increased 20 times - from 100 000 to 2 million!
With an audience of more than 1 million users daily, our e-commerce platform has become the company's top online-selling website. The platform also lets our company compete equally with the leading online marketplaces in the children's goods and toys market.''
- Well, the industry is currently witnessing a surge in the popularity of marketplaces. How are you developing your platform, and what are the main challenges in this area?
You're right, and we provide third-party sellers with a flexible and user-friendly online tool, which I manage as a Software Architect.
Our main challenge was that the project began with only a few engineers. No other company has ever tackled a project of this magnitude in such a short time with such a small team! Despite this, we designed the entire architecture for the third-party suppliers portal, implemented essential tools for managing prices, provided in-house analytics, flexible reporting systems, customizable order management, and fulfillment process flow charts.
Our first suppliers joined the platform six months after the project launch, with an MVP developed by three back-end and three front-end developers. Within several months, the number of suppliers and SKUs grew from 100 and 10,000 to 500 and 50,000. Today, we have attracted over 5,000 integrated suppliers, with the product grid encompassing over 600,000 SKUs and third-party sales accounting for 10-15% of Detsky Mir's online business. Our engineering team expanded from the initial six members to 40 specialists, and the project set a trend in rapid application development that other companies have since followed.
- I understand you manage a team of around 200 developers. What is your strategy and what people management tips do you have for such a large department?
In my role, I oversee a team of 200 engineers, spread across eight specialized functional units: QA, DevOps, L3 support engineers, iOS, Android, Backend, Frontend, and Big Data developers.. Managing such a sizable department requires a well-defined strategy and effective people management practices to maintain a low staff turnover rate.
First and foremost, we prioritize our engineers' career growth. By regularly assessing their skills and competencies, we can identify professional development opportunities and offer tailored training programs. This approach helps our team members stay current with industry trends and technologies, ensuring they feel valued and supported.
Another critical aspect of our management strategy is creating an engaging work environment. We strive to provide diverse projects that challenge our engineers and allow them to apply their skills and knowledge creatively. By fostering a collaborative atmosphere, we encourage idea sharing and the pursuit of projects aligned with individual interests.
Lastly, we conduct consistent performance reviews to offer constructive feedback, recognize achievements, and address areas for improvement. These evaluations not only motivate our team members but also help maintain focus on individual and collective goals.
In summary, effectively managing a large department like ours requires a focus on career development, providing engaging and challenging work, and maintaining open communication through regular performance reviews.. These practices have been instrumental in ensuring our team members feel valued, supported, and motivated to excel in their roles.
- What key trends would you advise colleagues to follow in the current landscape?
The tech industry is evolving rapidly, and staying informed about the latest trends and advancements is essential to remain competitive.. As a programmer, it's crucial to keep up with developments in AI and other emerging technologies, as they are transforming the way we work and the tools we use.
Some may worry that tools like ChatGPT will replace programmers, but this is not the case. While these tools can automate routine tasks, they can't replace human creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills inherent to a skilled programmer. However, they can free up time for more valuable work, like exploring new ideas and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. GitHub Copilot is an excellent example of this.
To stay ahead of the curve, programmers should focus on developing cross-functional skills and regularly improving their proficiency with new programs and tools.. Cross-functional skills enable programmers to work in multiple areas and collaborate with colleagues from different departments. They also facilitate transitions to new projects and work on complex systems requiring knowledge across various disciplines.
Continuous learning and skill improvement are crucial for success in the tech industry. Keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies, tools, and trends is essential. Attending conferences, workshops, and training sessions can help programmers stay informed and learn new skills. Online courses and tutorials are also great resources for learning.
In conclusion, staying up-to-date with the latest trends and continuously learning new skills is vital for programmers to thrive in the ever-evolving tech industry. While tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot can help automate routine tasks, skilled programmers will always be needed for more complex tasks. Developing cross-functional skills and continuously improving proficiency with new programs and tools can maximize a programmer's value and contribute to their organization's success.
