Graduate Artem Statsenko from GeekBrains talks about whether there will be a machine uprising
Since seventh grade, I’ve been interested in everything related to math and physics. All through high school, I was sure this was what I’d be into for life. But just before graduation, I read a “Professions of the Future” magazine from Skolkovo. It highlighted future trends and in-demand careers, and that’s where I saw robotics. I thought, “How cool,” and decided to really focus on my exams.
You’re making a mistake I wasn’t deeply into computer science or programming, but I was curious about it. I tried creating, deleting, and renaming folders through the console, and that was my experience. When I was applying to universities, I planned to go to Bauman University because they offered robotics. I visited the campus, left my documents, and then checked out another university—MISIS. My gut told me I’d like it there, so I made up my mind.
I went back to Bauman and said, “I’m taking my documents and leaving.” They replied, “You’re making a mistake; we’re offering you a scholarship.” But I had already decided. I entered physics and electronics because I wanted to go beyond just mechanics and robotics—I wanted to understand physics, internal and quantum processes, and more.
My real start in programming came in my first semester with a course in C#. I was the only one in my group to pass the course automatically because I was so into it. The professor gave me extra assignments, and even suggested I transfer to the Information Technology and Automated Control Systems faculty. But I refused—I wanted to stick with physics, nanomaterials, and nanotechnology. The professor said, “If you change your mind, come anytime.”
This wasn’t what I expected I ended up spending six years studying nanomaterials and nanotechnology, then worked in the field for three and a half years. All the while, programming remained a hobby. I’d watch tutorials and experiment for school, making programs for work. I automated a few processes that didn’t have solutions.
It was surprising to realize I’d chosen the wrong path—I thought it was mine. But it wasn’t a “future profession”; it was a conservative field. Mostly it was paperwork, documentation, patents, and more. I wanted to innovate, optimize, and develop things that didn’t yet exist.
I’d suggest new things at work, like using a simple program to help different departments visualize calculations. They said, “Go ahead.” A few months later, I had a prototype, but they didn’t use it. That’s when I knew this wasn’t an innovative field.
I wanted to get through That’s when I began working independently and realized I was doing okay. I decided to take it up as a hobby since my job wasn’t interested. I planned to make games on weekends. Later, I enrolled in GeekBrains.
By the second course, studying got harder, especially if you wanted to do high-quality homework. I realized they were teaching things I had no idea about, and I wanted to truly understand. Not just finish the homework but really dig in. That’s when I knew I was committed.
My goal: Apply for every position They started teaching us about jobs and positions in the field, and our instructors were inspiring. Starting on January 1st, I set a goal to apply for positions, monitor openings, and complete test tasks. After four months, a few companies were interested.
One offer was for 40,000 rubles, while I was making 80,000, but I thought I’d take the pay cut for experience. But many offers were for outsourced projects that lasted a short time.
One company asked, “Can you make a game in a day?” I said, “Yes, if basic functionality is enough.” But I didn’t want to push out buggy code and rush projects.
We’re ready to hire you I kept doing test tasks. In total, I spent 20 hours on them over four months. An international company with former Google and Microsoft employees gave me a test, but I didn’t make it past round three. Then another company reached out. I was given a three-day deadline and asked if I could do it. I completed everything except one thing and asked for more time, which they gave. In the end, they told me they liked my work and were ready to hire me.
An operator can make adjustments with a few clicks I’m now a developer at Native Robotics, where we create APIs and applications to manage palletizing robots. These robots take items from conveyor belts and stack them on pallets, commonly on large-scale automated production lines. Each robot has a unique API based on the manufacturer.
To make even minor changes, companies need to call a service technician. But our app lets operators who don’t know robotics make adjustments through a tablet interface, which syncs with the real robot in real time.
We’re setting up at the Munich Robotics Expo In my last role, my maximum salary was 80,000 before tax. Now, I make over 100,000 after just a year in this field.
Our team is expanding, and next week we’re presenting at the largest international automation and robotics expo, Automatica, in Munich. We’ll have a prime spot in the center of the exhibition.
Grateful for the direction I’m grateful to GeekBrains for helping me get into a field I had only dabbled in on my own. There’s a lot of information online, but it’s often very surface-level.
Thanks to the Career Center for their help with my resume and for preparing me for interviews with HR. That guidance helped me find the right direction.
Want to become a programmer? If Artem’s story inspired you, you can explore programming at GeekBrains. Find the right program for you here.