At Le Sallay, we believe in opening doors to real-world knowledge — and that’s exactly what happened during our recent talk with Anton Zenkov, Vice President of Software Development at Kanda Software. Speaking to our students, Anton shared his professional journey, insights into the software industry, and advice for young people curious about tech careers.
What followed was a deep and surprisingly honest look at how software gets made, what roles are out there, and what the future might hold.

From Text-Based Games to Vice President
Anton began his story in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where, as a teenager, he built his first computer game — entirely in text, with a dot navigating between ASCII letters. What drove him then still drives him now:
“I liked that you could build something and enjoy it — and share it.”
From that moment on, Anton pursued programming, eventually working remotely for a U.S. company before moving to the United States and rising through the ranks to VP of Software Development.

What Is Software, Really?
Anton reminded us how software isn’t just apps and games — it’s everywhere:
“You probably interact with hundreds of pieces of software every day without realizing it.”
From messengers and school calendars to robotics, biotech, movies, and music production — software is the invisible infrastructure of our lives.

Roles in the Industry
The students were introduced to the wide variety of roles that make up a software team:
• Coders who write the software
• Product Managers who define what it does and how it should work
• Designers who create the user experience
• Testers, essential especially in industries like aviation
• DevOps Engineers, who keep everything running

“Testing, in some industries, is more important than writing code.”
“Everyone hates the team lead,” Anton joked, “but they’re necessary.”
On AI and the Changing Landscape
Naturally, the conversation turned to AI and its potential to reshape tech:
“Some believe AI will replace coders in two years. I don’t think so.”
Anton pointed out that while AI can generate small chunks of code, it still lacks reliability, structure, and the ability to work at scale:
“Coding is maybe 10% of what coders do. The rest is understanding the problem and designing the solution.”

Designers and testers may see shifts in their roles, but as Anton put it, “the best people will still be needed.” He emphasized that AI might change how we work, but not whether people are part of the process.

How to Get Started?
Students asked practical questions: How do you learn? What should you study? Do you really need a degree?
Anton’s answers were refreshingly clear:
• Start building.
“Software is a skill, not just a science. Like juggling, you have to do it to learn it.”
• Don’t rely too much on AI.
“If you let AI do your thinking, your brain gets lazy. You need to understand what you’re building.”
• Pick a language that fits your interest.
Python for AI, C++ for performance, JavaScript for web — the fundamentals are universal.
• Degree or no degree?

“A degree helps get your first job. After that, it’s all about what you’ve built.”
Open source contributions and personal projects can often matter more than credentials — especially when they demonstrate your initiative and ability to solve problems.

Why It Matters
Anton closed with a story. Years ago, he built a simple tool to track phone calls on desktop computers. He uploaded it to the internet and forgot about it. But years later, people were still emailing him, thanking him for the software.
“Seeing people use something you’ve built — that’s the most rewarding part.”

Final Takeaway
For our students, this wasn’t just a tech talk. It was a roadmap — not just of how to become a programmer, but how to start right now.
“You’re old enough to do real things,” Anton said. “You just need to start small, and stick with it.”

We’re deeply grateful to Anton Zenkov for taking the time to speak with our students — and for reminding us that the best way to learn software… is to build it.