Manifesting Skilled Software Developers in FinTech
"It depends on what your definition of 'is' is."
Not a typo! Bill Clinton actually said this in a press conference. Odd as it may sound, definitions do matter. And in our world of technology and hiring, a clear and flexible definition of a "skilled software developer" can make all the difference in building effective teams.
TL;DR: My Personal Take on Hiring Skilled Java Developers in FinTech
Some great starting points:
Java Core & Enterprise Resources
Design & Architecture
Project Management
Software Approach
A Conversation That Sparked This Article
During a recent visit to Bangkok, I caught up with a FinTech exec running operations in Myanmar. We started by discussing the regional impact of a recent earthquake, but soon drifted, as tech folks do, into hiring challenges. Her hiring dilemma echoed something I have heard repeatedly across Southeast Asia: finding and retaining skilled developers is tough.
While this may seem like a FinTech-specific issue, the reality is that any innovation-focused industry under regulatory pressure faces this problem. What is really at stake is how we define a skilled developer, and whether our definition unintentionally filters out great talent.
Drawing on 20+ Years of Engineering Experience
Though I spent time as a PM on Microsoft’s .NET Framework team, I have been building with Java SE & EE throughout my career. Ironically, I used J2EE terminology in my Microsoft interviews and got hired anyway. Since then, I have often written demos in both Java and C# comparing and contrasting tech stacks across the JVM and .NET worlds.
This article leans into Java and its ecosystem because that is where our conversation began. But the principles here extend to any modern development stack.
So What Makes a "Skilled Developer"?
Let’s break it down into three parts: Education, Skillset, and Experience.
1. Education: More Than a Degree
I am agnostic about college degrees, but not about foundational knowledge. A developer without a CS degree must still master key concepts:
The best developers often self-learn (self-taught). But you still need that foundational rigor whether from a university or a deep dive into books and practice.
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2. Skillset: Tools, Frameworks, and Tech Fluency
IDE Proficiency
Being productive in an IDE, any IDE, is essential. Whether debugging through logs or stepping through breakpoints, the ability to trace and fix issues is non-negotiable. If a developer is fluent with an IDE (even if it is not your org’s default), they will ramp up quickly.
Framework Adaptability
If your team switches from VueJS to ReactJS, you would expect a learning curve. But strong developers leverage transferable knowledge: SPA principles, state management patterns, and so on. The same applies when comparing Laravel to ASP.NET MVC, or Spring Boot to NodeJS.
Emerging Tech Readiness
Cloud, AI, Blockchain, all buzzworthy, but also very real. I do not expect mastery of every tool, but I do expect developers to understand core building blocks:
Strong fundamentals help developers ramp up on Azure, AWS, or GCP, or even jump from Java to Python to use AI APIs.
3. Experience: Use It, Don’t Worship It
Ah, the double-edged sword. No experience? No job. No job? No experience. Too much experience, but in the "wrong stack"? Still no job.
It is common to dismiss a Java developer with 5 years in Spring/Hibernate because the opening requires Struts. That is a mistake.
The real goal: find developers who have been through the SDLC, participated in DevOps, deployed on servers or cloud, and shown an ability to learn and adapt. Rigid filters create blind spots.
A Quick Note to Hiring Managers
I get it; you need contributors to ramp up fast. But here is a truth worth remembering:
It’s not that skilled developers are rare. It’s that our definition of "skilled" may be too narrow.
Instead of looking for unicorns who tick every box, consider:
This is not about lowering the bar, it is about building flexibility into how we assess capability.
"လှေနံ ဓါးထစ်", A Burmese saying loosely translated to yesterday’s landmark: throwing away good things or discarding value due to narrow and rigid thinking
Let’s not do that with our hiring.
Final Thought: Experience with Junior Hires
While this article emphasizes experienced hires, I have also hired and coached interns and juniors for over two decades in North America and Southeast Asia, many of whom became key contributors. With the right support and team, investing in potential pays off.
Don’t Ponder. Take Action 📣
Let’s continue the conversation in the comments 👇
Enjoyed this piece? I write about tech leadership, developer hiring, and FinTech innovation, with real stories and battle-tested insights from 20+ years in the field.
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This resonates deeply — especially in fast-evolving spaces like AI and FinTech, where yesterday’s “perfect” tech stack quickly becomes outdated. At GetGenAI we’ve seen firsthand that it’s the adaptable, curious developers who drive real innovation — not just the ones who check every box. Our best progress often comes from people who ask better questions, not just write better code. Thanks for shining a light on this — it’s time we reframe how we define “qualified.” Looking forward to diving into the full article! 🚀
Absolutely agree, Joey. The emphasis on adaptability and fundamentals is crucial. Your insights into developer hiring are refreshing and much needed in today's fast-paced tech landscape. Thank you for sharing your expertise!
You've been doing great job. Let's rock more brother!