Think. Build. Evolve. A meetup for forward-thinking developers
Think. Build. Evolve. A meetup for forward-thinking developers
Hosted by ING Hubs România
Join us on Thursday, 23 October, 18:00 for an evening of hands-on insights, new ideas, and great company.
Three speakers, three perspectives — from smarter learning as a dev, to building reliable systems with Kafka.
Agenda:
18:00 – 18:45 – Welcoming participants
18:45 – 19:00 – Welcome thoughts
19:00 – 19:35 – Talk #1 by Simone de Gijt - Kotlin & Java Developer @OpenValue
19:35 – 20:10 – Talk #2 by Mihăiță Țintă - Chapter Lead Engineer @ING Hubs Romania
20:10 – 20:45 – Talk #3 by Andrei Rugină - Software Architect @ING Bank Romania
Starting 20:45 – Networking & pizza & drinks
Talk #1 – Hack your brain: smarter learning for devs by Simone de Gijt
Abstract: This talk explores how developers can learn smarter, not harder, by applying insights from neuroscience to coding practice. You’ll discover why learning is more than storing information. We’ll dive into the difference between rate of learning and rate of retrieval, and why being a fast learner doesn’t always make you a fast retriever. You’ll learn practical strategies to make new concepts stick.
We’ll also cover how to structure your coding sessions using the primary–recency effect. Along the way, you’ll get actionable tips for boosting focus and leveraging downtime.
Whether you’re learning a new Java framework or mastering advanced concepts, you’ll walk away with science-backed tips to learn smarter, code better, and stay ahead.
Speaker bio: Simone de Gijt is a passionate Java and Kotlin developer at OpenValue Amsterdam. Based in Houten, the Netherlands, she brings a unique blend of technical expertise and social energy to every project.
Outside of work, Simone is a scuba diving enthusiast, board game strategist, and Hogwarts Legacy adventurer. She thrives on collaboration, loves sharing ideas, and likes to work together on complex issues. She's defined by the combination: social but nerdy!
Talk #2 – From strategic design to modular, eventful, and reliable systems by Mihăiță Țintă
Abstract: How do we move from strategic modeling to a modular Spring-based architecture with Kafka? We’ll be looking at a real-world use-case to implement reliable event delivery while avoiding tight coupling and knowledge leakage across modules. Expect hands-on examples and architectural patterns that help translate business language into clean, modular Java code.
Speaker bio: Mihăiță (Miță) is an engineer with 15+ years of experience in the tech industry; he has delivered numerous mobile and web applications along the way. He is an avid learner, always on the lookout for the latest developments in the area.
Talk #3 – Implementing domain events with Kafka by Andrei Rugină
Abstract: Microservices promise flexibility and scalability, but integrating them efficiently is a challenge — especially when aiming for autonomous modules. This talk explores how Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles and domain events can help achieve decoupled, maintainable architectures. We’ll look at why and when synchronous integration falls short, the role of domain events in bounded contexts, and the messaging requirements that arise from DDD. Then we’ll dive into how Apache Kafka fits into this picture and the design patterns we can apply. By the end, you’ll see how Kafka can power a robust event-driven microservices architecture aligned with DDD principles.
Speaker bio: Andrei has been a software architect at ING Romania since 2007, and he currently focuses on the platform powering the bank’s internet and mobile applications. He is passionate about messaging, domain-driven design, modularity, and distributed systems. He also has a soft spot for clean design patterns that make complex systems easier to maintain.
This is an in-person event and presentations will be conducted in English.
Looking forward to sharing insights and ideas with you!