Why Pipedrive has hired //kood graduates, hackathons and alumni stories – kood/Cast ep 9
In this episode of kood/Cast, we dive deep into the future of software development – from what sets //kood graduates apart in the job market, to building defence-tech prototypes in 72 hours, to how our alumnus uses AI as part of their daily workflow.
Featuring voices from Pipedrive, kood/Jõhvi student and alumnus, this episode paints a vivid picture of how tech careers and tech education are changing right now.
Why Pipedrive hires //kood graduates
Our episode opens with Agur Jõgi, CTO of Pipedrive, one of Estonia’s most globally recognised tech companies.
Pipedrive’s engineering organisation is large with around 400 people, with 200+ directly in product and software development. And according to Agur, //kood alumni consistently bring the following qualities:
They’re self-driven learners
Graduates arrive with the mindset needed to grow fast: curiosity, initiative, and the ability to figure things out independently.
They already have real practical experience
Thanks to project-based learning, they onboard faster than many traditional candidates.
They’re not afraid to ask questions
“//kood graduates don’t have weird blockers,” Agur explains. They don’t hesitate to talk to seniors or even directors if that’s what’s needed to move forward.
And he reminds listeners that despite AI hype juniors are still absolutely essential:
“There must be juniors, otherwise there will be no seniors.”
“AI is moving fast, but someone still needs the engineering fundamentals to guide it.”
Agur also predicts the rise of a new generation – AI-native juniors who began coding with AI tools from day one. This, he says, will reshape how quickly developers grow into senior roles.
From hackathon idea to potential defence-force collaboration: meet Fred
Next, we meet Fred, a kood/Jõhvi batch 5 student who took part in the Defence AI Hackathon, organised with Estonian Business School and the Ministry of Defence.
Together with two schoolmates, he spent 72 hours developing a logistics tool for the Estonian Defence Forces – a system designed to help battalions understand resource availability, usage patterns, and automated re-ordering workflows.
Although the team didn’t win a prize, something more meaningful happened: a representative from a military logistics battalion contacted them afterwards and invited them to present the solution further.
Fred explains:
Hackathons help students apply skills learned in school
Because //kood focuses on full-stack projects, students can rapidly prototype meaningful real-world tools.
Mentorship mattered
This hackathon had unusually strong domain experts, helping the team refine their idea into something realistic.
Teamwork skills from //kood paid off
Organising roles, managing scope, and communicating clearly all essential lessons from school that made the project possible.
His long-term goal?
Becoming an entrepreneur working at the intersection of psychology and AI.
kood/Jõhvi batch 3 alumnus now a junior engineer: Lukas on coding, AI tools, and career growth
The episode closes with Lukas, a kood/Jõhvi alumnus who now works as a software developer at Insly, building AI-driven solutions for the insurance sector.
Before coding, Lukas was a musician (and somewhat still is) and while that world burned him out, kood/Jõhvi offered something completely different:
A community where everyone teaches and learns from each other
He liked that anyone could be both a teacher and a learner.
Environment that rebuilt his motivation and discipline
Lukas shared that he didn’t have strong study habits before, but at //kood he found himself progressing daily and staying motivated.
Real friendships and a shared journey despite studying online
Now, he writes code every day, often with AI as a partner, and he sees AI not as a threat, but as a workflow accelerator.
His advice for future students?
Try the Selection Sprint. Talk to people. Understand why things work the way they do – curiosity wins.
Key takeaways
✔ Pipedrive values //kood graduates for being self-driven, curious and practical.
✔ Juniors will always be needed, even in an AI-enhanced future.
✔ Hackathons offer students real-world impact, fast learning, and unexpected opportunities.
✔ AI is already part of a junior developer’s daily toolkit but human problem-solving remains essential.
✔ Strong communication and clear thinking matter as much as code — the best engineers can express ideas, shape prompts and collaborate.
🎧 Listen to the full episode
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