In September, Godel Technologies hosted its first-ever external tech meetup in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the event was a great success! With three dynamic talks covering different areas of JavaScript development and passing technical interviews, the meetup provided some useful insights and practical tips for the audience. Let’s look back at the key highlights from the event.

How OpenAPI Can Be Useful for a Full Stack Developer

The event kicked off with an informative talk by Ivan Shaban, Lead JavaScript Software Engineer at Godel Technologies, with over 15 years of experience in web and mobile development. Ivan clearly explained how OpenAPI can simplify the process of connecting and testing different parts of a full stack application. He demonstrated the power of OpenAPI in creating smooth client-server interactions and discussed how various tools around OpenAPI could be leveraged across different projects.

Ivan’s session highlighted the importance of using OpenAPI to streamline workflows and integrate microservices efficiently. His experience in managing large-scale front-end projects gave the audience a real-world perspective on why this technology is indispensable for full stack developers.

Mutate to Survive: How Strong Are Your Unit Tests?

Aleh Vasilyeu, a Division Manager and Lead Software Engineer at Godel, took the stage to discuss unit testing. He introduced the audience to Stryker Mutator, a tool designed to expose weaknesses in unit tests. Using a real-world Angular project, Aleh illustrated how to determine weak spots and refactor code for more reliable and resilient tests, highlighting that simply having tests isn’t enough to ensure quality.

Aleh dived into the world of mutation testing, where code is automatically changed to see if unit tests can catch those changes. He explained how surviving “mutants” reveal gaps in test coverage and how tools like Stryker Mutator can help strengthen weak areas. While he acknowledged the resource challenges and complexity involved, Aleh encouraged developers to use mutation testing strategically, especially in mature projects, to boost both coverage and confidence in their code.

Winning the Interview Game: More than Just Answers

The final session, led by Senior JavaScript Engineer Ihar Kazakou, focused on one of the most challenging aspects of a developer’s career – job interviews. In his talk, Ihar went beyond the technical skills typically discussed and told the audience about the strategies that help candidates make a lasting impression.

With over six years of experience in JavaScript, Ihar shared a perspective, drawing on his own participation in interviews, both as a candidate and as an interviewer. Ihar highlighted that interviews are not just about answering questions correctly but about presenting oneself confidently and establishing a strong connection with the interviewer. He also gave practical advice on handling live coding challenges:

 “First of all, calmly read, consider and formulate in your head what is required of you in the task. Make sure to paraphrase the task in your own words. Then share the solution idea with your interviewer, and tell them how you will be solving the task. And if the solution doesn’t come to mind, it is very important to verbalize your thoughts out loud – this might help you find it.”

Reflections from the Event

The event attracted close to 50 participants, many of whom were actively engaged, asking questions and seeking advice from the speakers. This level of audience involvement was a pleasant surprise for Ekaterine Kachakhidze, Head of Operations at Godel Georgia:

“It was very overwhelming for us because we didn’t have any Godel Georgia experience in external meetups before, so we didn’t know if this would be interesting for the audience or if they’d be active. I’m so happy it turned out the best way we could imagine. People really are craving tech meetups like this” Ekaterine shared.