Chris Kay

One common theme I've learnt from all the years working with high-performing deep tech engineers: The biggest jumps in their careers rarely come from chasing tech stacks or stronger titles. They come from moving into environments where the people around them raise the bar. I spoke recently with an embedded systems engineer who has worked across architecture, safety, simulations and release ownership. He summarised it nicely: “I enjoy the work. But the best results happen when there’s someone equally competent across the table. Someone you can challenge and be challenged by.” In embedded systems, controls, perception and platform development, the complexity is too high for individual contribution alone. The engineers who grow the fastest seek out teams where competence density is high, where ideas are contested, and where it’s normal to shape both system architecture and delivery. If you’re considering your next move, ask yourself: Will I be part of a team that accelerates my thinking? Or am I optimising for comfort and a familiar stack? The right environment does more for your development than another year solving similar problems on your own.

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As software systems grow in scale and complexity, ensuring reliability becomes increasingly challenging. Subtle and preventable bugs—especially those rooted in undefined behavior and the absence of well-defined boundaries—can silently compromise system integrity. Undefined behaviors represent a broad class of preventable bugs that are nearly impossible to track or detect manually. A language that eliminates such bugs can significantly reduce the need for extensive testing and static analysis, keeping test development more manageable. Another major challenge in today’s software growth is integration, along with the increasing safety and security concerns at component boundaries. As components are integrated, the number of required test cases multiplies rapidly. Strongly typed APIs help enforce safety at software component boundaries. The compiler can catch misuse of dependencies during compilation, ensuring correctness before the system even runs.

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Is Rust quietly becoming the serious alternative to C++? Over the last 12 to18 months, I’ve noticed Rust popping up far more often on Job specs and in places it wouldn’t have touched a few years ago: Systems and embedded software Robotics and autonomy stacks Performance critical backend services Safety critical environments where memory bugs are unacceptable Rust isn’t replacing everything I think Python still seems to dominate speed-to-market, and C++ isn’t disappearing anytime soon. But Rust is changing the conversation. Why? I guess memory safety without a garbage collector Strong compile time guarantees that reduce entire classes of bugs Growing ecosystem support (and real production adoption, not just hype) The trade-off, of course, is complexity. Rust demands more from engineers upfront but pays it back with reliability at scale. My take: Rust isn’t “more popular” in raw numbers yet I dont think but it’s becoming more trusted for the hard problems maybe Curious what others are seeing: Are you experimenting with Rust, actively using it, or still firmly in the C++ / Python camp?

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Agree with this https://lnkd.in/euHq-CPA  — I’ve been thinking that the space between fragmentation and rigid standardisation might need a more organic evolution. HL7 v2 is a good example of something that developed organically, and we’re seeing a similar pattern emerging with HL7 FHIR RESTful APIs. Right now, I’m leaning toward the idea that standards (potentially driven by EHDS via IHE/HL7 Europe) are largely being self-imposed by suppliers and NHS Trusts. Over time, these independently developed approaches will begin to overlap, creating practical examples that can support the case for formal standardisation. Another perspective is that organisations proactively standardising will enhance the value of their products. For instance, in diagnostics across the North—and in shared care record systems—we could start connecting these solutions to enable more automated clinical pathways, particularly in areas like cancer, which is a major focus of the 10-year plan. On a related note: I'm chatting with US developers around cancer pathways, it's quite clear we have a 10-20 year tech debt gap between UK and US. We are catching up as we are getting US standards second hand.

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Do you actually deliver strong embedded interviews, or just technical ones? Over the past two weeks, I’ve spoken with embedded engineers who are actively interviewing in Germany. The ones getting the strongest feedback are doing the same 3 things consistently. They explain their decisions, not just their tasks. They talk through why a specific RTOS, OS, or architecture was chosen and how hardware constraints shaped those choices. They show ownership beyond delivery. They describe what happened after release, how systems behaved in the real world, and what they learned when things didn’t go to plan. They stay comfortable in imperfect systems. Legacy code, safety standards, long lifecycles, and limited resources are treated as part of the job, not something to work around. This is how embedded software and embedded hardware interviews are being evaluated right now in Germany. Strong candidates aren’t trying to sound impressive. They’re showing how they think inside real systems. If you’re interviewing right now, do you feel your answers reflect how you actually work day to day?

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Not the first time I’ve seen this either - that AI is actually making the end to end code development process LESS efficient. Again, just my opinion, but probably because the bulk of folks using AI right now are, a) still leaning how it works, b) not using it for the right task elements. It’ll take a while before we really settle to what works, and it may completely change some of the ways we’re used to (still trying to) do certain tasks. Like any tech change - there’s an efficiency / learning curve cost at the beginning.

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The top 6 reasons (in my opinion) that the UK has a shortage of engineers today - * Embedded Software Engineers from Europe aren’t moving to the UK since brexit * Hardly anyone has hired graduates in the last 2 years to add to the talent pool * Many embedded engineers retired early during COVID * Hardly any companies are sponsoring visas (cost being a major factor) * Birth rate is in decline, the UK working population is shrinking overall * The 2 year graduate visa isn't attractive enough for employers to hire graduates. Would you agree?

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