KrystianKatafoni
I started out programming PLC controllers and fixing software faults on the production line at the Volkswagen plant. Today I am responsible for the technical side of a public-sector system used daily by hundreds of civil servants. Not a single step between the two was obvious, but what stayed with me is the habit of checking how things work one layer down — from the controller signal, through the database, to the code that ties it all together. At work I am currently integrating an event-driven architecture: messaging in a large legacy system built on Apache Kafka. I have also started developing agentic workflows in my team, along with the skills needed to use Claude Code effectively in software development.
I start on b1, then three jumps: c3, e4, d6. The fourth is still ahead. It should land on f7 — towards software architecture.
Four squares
career pathVolkswagen Poznań
Automation & SCADA Engineerstarting square · the physical layer
I programmed Siemens S7 controllers in TIA Portal and extended the SCADA system on a live production line. At the same time I was finishing a dual-study degree at Poznan University of Technology. That is where I learned what a minute of downtime costs, and how software quality translates into production costs.
Volkswagen Poznań
Java Developerthe opening · from signal to interface
I wrote the parts-management application for the paint shop and a multi-threaded service computing reports from the welding shop. I also built a service that collected signals from PLC controllers and exposed them over WebSockets to other client applications. On top of that I administered the IBM WebSphere server running the enterprise applications.
Capgemini
Developer, from mid to seniorthe middlegame · five years on one system
Five years on the same public-sector system. A large monolith with many integrations, continuously developed and adapted to changing legal requirements. Year by year I took on more of the design decisions.
Capgemini
Java Tech Lead, Senior Delivery Architectcurrent position
A public-sector system — I own the technical decisions in the main application and its satellite modules: REST interface design, integration patterns, successive Java and Spring upgrades, library updates. I designed the architecture for Apache Kafka messaging used to exchange data with a neighbouring system. I run code reviews, workshops and technical interviews, and onboard new engineers. The team currently numbers around 20 developers. I am preparing both the workflow concept and the team for using Claude Code in software development. I talk to the client-side architects directly and we shape the system architecture together.
Notebook
what I want to shareI write about my own experience as a software engineer. Migrations, technical problems and the solutions. Not often.
Repertoire
what I play every dayStrongest
- Java 17 · 21 expert
- Spring Boot 2 · 3 expert
- REST API design expert
- Apache Kafka advanced
- Oracle DB / SQL advanced
- Hibernate / JPA advanced
Used in projects
- Maven · Git advanced
- Tomcat · RHEL advanced
- MapStruct advanced
- Oracle AQ intermediate
- Docker · Jenkins intermediate
- GitHub Actions intermediate
- Kubernetes basic
Learning now
- Claude Code, working with agents rolling out
- AWS course, then exam
- Claude certification planned
- Microservices · CQRS learning
- Algorithms and data structures learning
Position assessment
what happened recentlyin production
I designed and launched event-based data exchange with a neighbouring system.
person-days of migration
I planned the move from Orika to MapStruct across hundreds of mappings so that it would cost half: a custom migration tool, a shared mapping registry, automatically generated tests. We stayed within the estimate.
releases on time
Since I took technical lead, no release has slipped. Problems are plentiful — the serious ones simply get spotted early enough.
people in the team
I set the technical direction of the project, review code, onboard new engineers and take on the hardest bugs in the system. I am introducing agentic workflows into how we build software.
Your move
I am happiest talking about what is new in AI, about technical rollouts and about what is going on in the world. Most of my private time currently goes into building agentic workflows and automation with Claude Code. If you would like to talk about working together or about new professional opportunities — I am open to the conversation. Do get in touch.