Michal Scupak: Not Just About Building Internet Banking

He later moved to Prague to study at the Czech Technical University (ČVUT), the oldest and most prestigious technical university in the Czech Republic. During his bachelor’s studies, he also spent six months studying in Belgium. He completed his master’s degree in 2021 and began his promising career at the Ostrava-based software and startup studio ProRocketeers this January.

Michal, do you ever miss your student days? Prague or Belgium?

Of course, sometimes I do. The six months in Belgium were a particularly great and intense experience. There was always something going on, even alongside my studies. I have less free time now, and it is harder to make plans with friends, but we still try.

What do you like, or dislike, about Ostrava?

I like Prague and enjoy going back from time to time. But I was born in Ostrava, and I generally like it here. Its industrial character and the festivals in the Lower Vítkovice area have a unique atmosphere you do not find elsewhere. I also feel that most people here say what they think directly instead of beating around the bush. :D

Could you tell us about the project you are working on?

I am working on a project for a Czech bank. That makes me part of the Finshape team, formerly known as BSC (Banking Software Company).

What is your role? Do you work on the backend or frontend?

I and most of the other ProRocketeers working on this project do frontend development. On occasion, though, we have also written a backend component in Node.js.

As is typical for us, your ProRocketeers team works as a Team as a Service. How many people are on the team?

More than 20 people work on the project in total, including analysts, testers, and other specialists. Our ProRocketeers team has six people, which is almost the entire frontend team. There is also one analyst and one tester from ProRocketeers working on the project.

What are you building?

The goal is to create a completely new online banking system.

Which technologies do you use?

We develop in JavaScript and TypeScript, specifically with Next.js. We use GraphQL and REST APIs to connect to the backend. We also use Git, Jira, Docker, and other tools, of course.

What have you enjoyed most about the project so far?

I used to do full-stack development in an older .NET framework, where I missed more modern frontend technologies. On this project, I now work mostly on the frontend, which I enjoy in general. I like working on things “you can see”.

What has been the biggest challenge?

It was not exactly an obstacle, but when I moved from full-stack to frontend development, I was a little surprised by how much more communication with colleagues it involved. As a full-stack developer, you more or less handle everything from the database to the browser. On the frontend, you need to put in a little more effort and “chase” other people so you can connect your work to theirs.

Do you have a practical tip for other developers?

I would recommend trying a bit of everything and occasionally taking on something new, whether that means a whole technology or just a library. You gain a broader perspective and see how the same thing can be done in different ways. It is very educational and helps us developers grow.

How do you like to recharge?

I do sports and travel, and I enjoy both winter and summer sports. This weekend I am going to an enduro mountain bike race, which is probably my main hobby. I often end up physically exhausted rather than rested, but it clears my head completely.

How long have you been cycling, and how did you get into enduro biking? What do you enjoy most about it?

I have been riding a bike since I was little. I did other sports too, but cycling really grabbed me when I was about 15. I got into enduro because you spend the whole day out in the forest or mountains, enjoying nature. These days, I see cycling, and races in particular, more as a social event where I meet friends from all over the Czech Republic. That is probably what I enjoy most: nature, friends, exercise, and a little adrenaline.

Do you ever get an adrenaline rush at work too? How are you with deadlines? Are you often under time pressure?

Not so far, but I think that might change over time as I take on more responsibility. For now, we mostly have tasks planned sensibly in advance and organised into sprints. We complete them according to plan and keep track of our progress. I think it is ideal when you can see how many tasks you have left at any given moment, it subconsciously motivates you to keep working efficiently. Of course, as on any project, there are things that should have been finished long ago but have not even been started, or that do not get done within a sprint. That is part of agile work, and we try to handle it flexibly and efficiently.

Is there anything else you would like to say about your work?

I would just like to say that I have a great team around me, especially the people from ProRocketeers. We spend time together outside work too, and without them the job would not be the same. That matters even more because I am still quite new to the Rocketeers team.

Thanks so much for the interview! Good luck with the project and on your bike! 🙂