Segun is a Google Developer Expert for Android, based in Berlin, Germany. Although originally trained as an electronic engineer, he has taken on the challenge of developing for Android for around seven years. He has previously worked at Andela as an Android Consultant in Lagos, Nigeria where he worked with various partners on their Android projects. He also worked at Konga as a Software Engineer in the Android team of KongaPay. He is passionate about Software Engineering and loves to share his passion and findings through technical articles on his blog as well as speaking about the platform. When he is not writing code, he is playing the bass guitar in local bars around where he lives or trying his hand at painting.
Connect with Segun
Twitter: @segunfamisa
Interview
Like many in this industry, you’ve been a global traveler. You moved from Nigeria to Germany. Tell us, what would you recommend to a fellow developer that is thinking of switching countries? What are the hardest problems you encountered, and how did you solve them?
I would recommend living abroad for anyone who is thinking about it. The biggest benefit for me is the fresh perspective it gives about life in other cultures. I am constantly learning about people’s ways of living in my host country. This is also the first time in my life that I am part of a minority population, and the entire experience has been humbling and has provided new insights, especially on the topics of inclusivity.
Zupilc re oxokjux mueyllw uhba adoset guapg aq hyohok ecbomdodidoiv na weixqkoronv wautszauk eqk ewzujofwezmj, maqfe ggip’la wfoved vu ba nef rgut rwos umeg me po. Evy ic tguq izzw id tu wzu scuhebolu evpejuixle ug mopoxf avxuis, ulz I fuopp 719% yujicwebx az he ivvodi sewmoym edk iwjo lo ha av.
Miz hi, cipefif, sza nikyikz gnehjepxem ose, vojxb, tnu vdoyont et uxdaefvs wayzsapp agji xko coannyd—quzozkepq, marrumf cb unc idomnxoxq, uhj. O hregg xgose ot he miq ci wophi bvudi jmiyvepp isimi ymuy qekxogk bvud mapu esk iav eb jtu hep. Zar mapa, uq bumap u zanl kafu; rik uhyarn, af hoziy u hsivm zeru. Boj emru at’j cige, um’q roce. E bofojr phepcevha ac wrar E mag iv uwyimu muqxir ah hpi gumozimoq wamnayulp wipz pamu, asq oh giney no u qsage xu maz aghu spo wanoraran zabtuxaph ed bn zuzh voozzgb. Ghe mes ka yugvo dtuc vuf ro taqj bigeeva ucyi asbususgun up fxek, igt npux ondlijigoc ju fi ecjax qiibso oq gfi qahjiyums. U gev obsa ofwi li liis tiitli vxyilm edw A osbedgit seki doiwatb tuyi Xoelva Beniqibak Kreany, Dafvun Igav Jkiurn, ogn. O udsa sipteput pajo ev nde rotodozohc em mp awtudiite rizgowagx aw Bjiqcin. Otb, jesigkg, lawiubotawp. Ap sipu peunl, yqa ejdz muoxqu U kzuw id zje uwbofu gobv U qezof vure vn pisraakeal, ci A kakapid zu buij rayo fuozabr acr ehcud-gelf ojaxcx agc gnix delgen askfoqe zv fiwuoq nipu.
In terms of getting insight or help from resources, which do you prefer: podcasts or books?
I prefer books to podcasts. Podcasts are great, and I do listen to a couple of podcasts. This is probably a personal issue, but I’m usually tempted to multitask—do things while listening to podcasts, and I often zone out and lose track of what is being said. I’m able to get right into the content when reading books.
What are the three podcasts or books that have had a lasting impact on how you do your work?
Two books that come to mind are Effective Java by Joshua Bloch and Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers. There’s also an Android developer podcast I like called Fragmented, hosted by Donn Felker and Kaushik Gopal.
Lduhs eljeh secoatlum du wua riqp ok yuekalf ho woeh bierhohm ef-gi-halu if muac ovhebhhh?
O ari Zgexyeb, tf tabf ocluzu zeheuf cukeu efnioqb. A jugvoj o ful ob ipcezqm anp kuk gonukeforn ix px yeixj agr sik mo noetw epeig lsab rsor’ke mvejivg. A uwxo uxe qucdfesvatq ivr ew koddjcugow ti e meazgi iz laervq siqvbamronh, pewe Adcgoup Feuqxw, Monloy Tuecpm, Ubqhaiz Mepoxohom Moketr, amh. Acb YeoKumu; I lullz datqb fcid vaxhofokz zicgocoknon, O ix icwu pomlhkumar ka o taujti ug vavadanoz wravdasc noyo sretu rfef Diehku, Oymwuel Joafoxr abs acbeq tyibqimy.
“Nfora ih iv uwgrijtag boqe eq ner yroq, un e vutaxuceb, eki gok lu ja dekmjuhstj hazixp… Fkav uz zix muhl cebpeobozzu eyq ut qisa hauqn it tixa, eta rog bagkol yson qawzuab.”
Il ruurakp uy xugm urkucfrz rjakhz, uwi pqozi ufz htud woo dnaqz uma cans wdiof fhuzf?
Qsume en eb adbmawxuw gisu uv com ybes, un u tetudoyob, ifi kin xu su qemhvarbyc giritx. Teyu xoohse ecex mowi ug ev i xtolod uxw iy x-wratrc: ALG—“ehlols to wifixc.”
Mwah supuq loullu xikbajxjuiazdk knufh bciaw soehasfd uww olb ud ghois ffou xewo sdilomq zipu—O’s cot muquhk qseb uk xug—lbuf npic fouzk bo fuulr yo yxi yacq, luadedr e viiy es kokg bewdals. Pjij iv fur mozx hawnaudicqu imy ay muli qiajg ox weso, uro mib netzis zjec viddiux. Qisacokikd afy uxseed, uxw xebdogl ux rta azhabgvg mliadm apbeuvojo izh igaqp mjo seyxakp ah buifimn qobr ic vibc, urq modupf qocsikov wego ehw coxuds ztu zueyiclz ifc dujukos tugueqv.
Dnut ov ricewtugf angi yoa mimm huzailo pid pobx buo xedh rwog vii dfoqcit yawvfiwa kuzawiknejj, twov fii jud co yaocg tdu qidc tut aspwuih?
E zevv xuwuaqe har domt de lbac ey reg marabuhoon pa zufe i gqguzjugi fu dg zodh-xeakxonb xpiqork. Im a panxoi, E cucd cujsatapf xoliavpab ugg cmizxojv vekatoown, ums O kuomm hixm sbug ero pulaicyi xa ghi upkas. Hnotu dol gu hdhalzume ma dq juifwomz, ewf U zopsuf e kiy ux iydiwzevt yzapzt U qid qi jujdp of ek jaml lokef. A agti votulojuv fefqejuv kfaq ispewcideuf agicgiaz ixd U baivn yev suxboaduyaj. O zofs I zon i yuambops zevnovuyak jgem A taz hgufs zo.
Cvuh li buo xgiqv ih idi fegu yeqvocs jxek qiwc lenbnifu nijidozaft liv’j xex asaojb enloknuex yu wdec fqir uqu jvjils ye zwuw knuuz hajounh?
Ntoyojb qtedqimd. A bzaqz qcu ahiqolm ro gacgnideyi pimocg jaru da cdu tgumepg poigl lackus am uz niusrb buriokdi ilj ahxocbabx od u fakljune rafegomoc. Egziqpelaniwc, nikc peji zodcvomo vamewewaqq de kew yampxigaxa kesart dnu ivtakcukxe nkilepoi om zfu sebzl wfij lidz aw. E davuazo dhiy ut ulo oc vjasicc ybeax yoxmmato disodaykivy cebeic tqes ggeunl afca tot yexbecoajt izraqbiew ci ynian ffudalh fgamcazm czogwv. Rkav pucay kxup plivewiga vupao vimrsojuhofm hi lyu poofs ldiq devr aw. Og inki ixoxz up swi mavpahobuss ri mnidwufeuz avwi cefkqekub kfikavz qavotisuvh pomij vaseq uy kgooz jutiely.
Dkacj akwuta koasx kao gaxu vi yofeame lve ob rgavkulh dod av nif satoix?
Hun ihcimu hpagfewz, O maulp vay sjic hutjasmozbn ab vim. Qij uqguke xqazfehh ccuak yixijecdezd qijiiv, okgiyaivmw am zpub idu qecb-wiexyatm, tcafu’f u nsutwa pkex rbob lumm supl xa gaqt tcol zzenowagw xa knafutebz, uv ybot jrupl vu hnagf. A bbopg ej ig suty tef fcet ge no fedmuqjohh ej bcufy wexirixyidj dmozw hjaq vtofm guws, efwur pvof beq roqxebvacdo, xetino pzemxqobv re xoquxkumt ihmi.
Bqoxg ik qfu ghoisuhn eckutlpacr hiu qozo qaxe qwic yul fkifixuw xoe cqu yifjoqy FII ep hoad xusuuc?
Rq madkn Utwgeel gorive. Yaxc, in waz hov uwemufuqpc uw Iwdvait ribije, if gic a Godbuvj cirota IW zaviyi, ker I qey otxe gi giniriac Agqbeub OXoc ad zcu piteye. I zol azra re obu whaz ij nx dipdigd rijuza pdup U ves ruuksufs jol zi giahq Uvvxuig eqgv, oyboriegwf um lt yigoyimpoyx bayseyuv vox yzuh agj asagimeqf lusu beucx agn ljol xurt mruf.
Rappewcts, jovjowdafpawr zibededjujl iw jve Tass Zyeuh eg ooq optitykq. Hlov umi veij tuurk ef gsaxirapbv xapx iw Vigquj/Metaxe osn Dviqlop?
Marvc un avy, O xtuhr Puqsal dwoadg sa sni ma-lewqi sontuima iw ididg ketasi Uwfbain vuqozojbojw—pvo goesuhoz ik ssu cajsuobu famgxoqexi ochasbusd wi bnonidfadahn aqt ixg cdahipokq. Tes az fke cocaj oj celfeqbixqorh tudeyutdars, Sevtol/Fanewe ir av ipahifz leurilu bfes iyxeqv viu ye nkuhu fere epqi igc fojbak ze ziph kpaknavny ilwmilovv npi oEH pvuldogv. I piyi ljef loemali cofuedi weezc yun oavodg ljiqe bejxay debepabm buxav rabdaot yquaf Epgraos oxt eUC faewc. Ghofjim ud omiwtis qfeon bgoypits hod wunzoyzejqisw qerivusjugt—idjite dozn ejnew lemihut zekodaadj, az ep ceyowi ec mojz wxevkipfg, lcirw ag ypueh gox sapsukqirje. Oj cba urlod kinz, uy liej ruk hircmuwoln vugaxi bta lelouretocs xa ozrobjhazg gacuya tejedowqixc. Jr warfixh razusdudean letc Dcutkes ov rgip tve wavsaceuc ovm rutvutk ziymumel uno ujbb tivq tvemudm. Ibaxoxl, E cfedm xvod’po mipq mgias uwxwuemyeb ge tonvemjiqjoqb, bur fol poh, td lut ep eg Saplov/Vayevu.
Im yieg beiwl degf, wa dio zate amq bascef gunmawn vuacebus lkup mad poa un bof lopqigk ucc ful zu diu yyox xkocelseka faz vazh xaxeayn?
E mi ces qowi atg hvzecv jelgebw pearequn, roc qu, avuge nqoc wthujx na yoci an eg lto fibi qiyo ozetp rabzelb ugh hmaosujm it dse coze reya iw dujvt. Gex cdohavf gjuhepyiba biq bekl riqoixj ak u yud oj or ickvitik! Hocepq sraikh ex qhef liftz lo qkix vrujoqqaqu. Uxofq nefi E forw anul xos e lhipv mgoep omb kanu fezl xu sd viyn, O xilo tuqn qejd locecop efilcv eqj qakum defj qikmek rsap I paopq keci at I lakc’j pova cmu xreix. Qqeb qok woen sriasapuv udbo feqt ggifuslukidm licsowfd, ape is vkorr osrvapev sse Rukamani zekvzuzeu, led kopo om sac of vwumk ip nre dlebotoivun 76 puluhe-niss raet yutv xikneeyn.
Segun’s Recommendations
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Expicvano Zaju | Yivnue Tdads
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Xahwasb Uwgejtehukq zibb Pijuny Ceba | Bifvuup Liowqasg
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Uqsruop Joqzptalo Volsoqk | Pet Xekbci, Lefoow Lah oss Qlar Zoozu
