Why Pipedrive hires \/\/kood graduates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Our episode opens with Agur J\u00f5gi<\/strong>, CTO of Pipedrive,<\/strong> one of Estonia\u2019s most globally recognised tech companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pipedrive\u2019s 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:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re self-driven learners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Graduates arrive with the mindset needed to grow fast: curiosity, initiative, and the ability to figure things out independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They already have real practical experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to project-based learning, they onboard faster than many traditional candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re not afraid to ask questions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\/\/kood graduates don\u2019t have weird blockers,\u201d Agur explains. They don\u2019t hesitate to talk to seniors or even directors if that\u2019s what\u2019s needed to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And he reminds listeners that despite AI hype juniors are still absolutely essential<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere must be juniors, otherwise there will be no seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAI is moving fast, but someone still needs the engineering fundamentals to guide it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Agur also predicts the rise of a new generation – AI-native juniors<\/strong> who began coding with AI tools from day one. This, he says, will reshape how quickly developers grow into senior roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, we meet Fred<\/strong>, a kood\/J\u00f5hvi batch 5 student who took part in the Defence AI Hackathon<\/strong>, organised with Estonian Business School and the Ministry of Defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the team didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fred explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hackathons help students apply skills learned in school<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because \/\/kood focuses on full-stack projects, students can rapidly prototype meaningful real-world tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mentorship mattered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This hackathon had unusually strong domain experts, helping the team refine their idea into something realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teamwork skills from \/\/kood paid off<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Organising roles, managing scope, and communicating clearly all essential lessons from school that made the project possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His long-term goal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Becoming an entrepreneur working at the intersection of psychology and AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The episode closes with Lukas<\/strong>, a kood\/J\u00f5hvi alumnus who now works as a software developer at Insly, building AI-driven solutions for the insurance sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before coding, Lukas was a musician (and somewhat still is) and while that world burned him out, kood\/J\u00f5hvi offered something completely different:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A community where everyone teaches and learns from each other<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n He liked that anyone could be both a teacher and a learner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Environment that rebuilt his motivation and discipline<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lukas shared that he didn\u2019t have strong study habits before, but at \/\/kood he found himself progressing daily and staying motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Real friendships and a shared journey despite studying online<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His advice for future students?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try the Selection Sprint. Talk to people. Understand why things work the way they do – curiosity wins.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2714 Pipedrive values \/\/kood graduates for being self-driven, curious and practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2714 Juniors will always be needed, even in an AI-enhanced future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2714 Hackathons offer students real-world impact, fast learning, and unexpected opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2714 AI is already part of a junior developer\u2019s daily toolkit but human problem-solving remains essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2714 Strong communication and clear thinking matter as much as code \u2014 the best engineers can express ideas, shape prompts and collaborate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On YouTube<\/a><\/strong>, Spotify<\/a><\/strong>, or Apple Podcasts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kood.tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/agur.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom hackathon idea to potential defence-force collaboration: meet Fred<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kood.tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/fred.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nkood\/J\u00f5hvi batch 3 alumnus now a junior engineer: Lukas on coding, AI tools, and career growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kood.tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lukas.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nKey takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\ud83c\udfa7 Listen to the full episode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\ude80 Ready to begin your own coding journey?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n