In this episode, Kathi and Hannes speak with Ben, a former virology PhD student who transitioned into software engineering. He shares how he drifted into a PhD without a clear plan, struggled with imposter syndrome, and ultimately realised academia wasn’t for him.
Ben talks about discovering programming by chance, how it “clicked,” and why he took a chance on an open evening at a tech company – intending to rule it out, but walking away with a job offer. He reflects on learning to code on the job, adapting to tech industry cultures, and how his academic skills – from critical thinking to problem-solving – continue to serve him.
Now working at Cyted Health, he helps build diagnostic tools that detect oesophageal cancer risks – bringing together his biology background and tech skills. The episode also explores team dynamics, Scrum Master roles, and whether AI is coming for developers.
