Why did you decide to join Enjins?
The first reason was Enjins’ solution-driven approach. I was weighing up a product company vs. consultancy, and I realised Enjins offered a ‘third way’: the variety of a consultancy, but with the deep technical ownership of a product company. We don’t just advise; we build the engine. Combining this with the opportunity to work on multiple projects within a short time frame, while learning about different businesses and how they operate, really excited me. I also genuinely enjoy meeting new people; it gives me a lot of energy! Overall, the dynamism that comes with a consultancy environment stood out to me.
The second reason was Enjins’ strong focus on delivering end-to-end ML systems. Before joining Enjins, I worked as a Data Scientist at a HealthTech startup where my day-to-day work mainly involved researching and integrating AI solutions. However, I had limited hands-on experience with productionizing models and following DevOps practices. Essentially, it is an equally critical part of building a usable product. Otherwise, our cool AI solutions stay stuck on our computers. I wanted to gain more experience in taking ideas all the way to production, in an independent and sustainable way.
Considering all of these, Enjins offered exactly what I was looking for. And so far, I am very happy with my decision!
And why Enjins specifically, and not another Data & AI Consultancy?
For many people, company values are secondary. For me, these are really a way to get a glimpse of a company’s culture. At Enjins, I felt a strong alignment with the values, especially “down-to-earth”, ”empowering others”, and “exceptional performance”. Throughout the interview process, I spoke with six colleagues, and it genuinely felt like they embodied these values in the way they communicated and worked.
When this aspect is combined with the fact that Enjins offers an environment where I can continue developing the technical skills I care most about, it stood out as a very natural and quite exciting option for me.
How were your first months at Enjins?
Great! My first months were a mix of intensive AI LEAP training and starting on my first project right away. It was quite intense, but luckily, everyone was incredibly helpful and supportive. I had coffee sessions with all my colleagues to get to know them more closely, along with frequent check-ins with my buddy (a colleague who supports you with everything during your first two months).
There were even weeks when, because I was in the office more often, I saw my colleagues more than my family (sadly…). That’s only a good thing if the office is cosy and fun, and it really is.
So you started a client project already in the first week?
Yes, I started my Enjins career on a non-climate tech challenge at a FinTech company. I’m working from their office once a week. Since they are a scale-up, the environment comes with a more layered management structure and many more systems than I was used to. The technical side was challenging as well: I had to quickly pick up a new programming language and apply software design principles that I previously had limited hands-on experience with. Both the client team and my Enjins colleagues were very supportive throughout my adaptation process.
Now, after five months on the project, I can clearly see how much I’ve learned. I’ve been able to contribute significantly, and I feel much more confident applying software engineering practices and design principles, as well as using new tools in a production setting.
Do you feel you are having impact at your project?
I definitely feel my work there has a positive impact. We are currently building a native UI and a backend application for their custom chatbot. More specifically, I’m working on the backend side, where we implement bi-directional WebSocket connections between the native UI and the chatbot backend. This allows messages to be delivered smoothly in both directions and ensures real-time communication between the user and the chatbot.
Building this backend application is a crucial step for them, as it enables the company to offer a fully native UI experience for their users while also tracking performance metrics for chat conversations. These insights are essential for making data-driven decisions further in future.
It’s not easy! But that’s also what makes it exciting. This chatbot is used by customers throughout the day, and the company has over two million active users. Because of this, I’m focused on building a robust, production-grade backend; the focus isn’t just on making it work once, but on building a scalable solution that remains reliable and performant under heavy load. Ultimately, it’s about engineering a product that lasts. Delivering that high performance combined with a user-friendly UI creates a very tangible impact.
We will also likely start with the next phase of the project, where we will support the fraud detection team with the MLOps side of their models. Their first fraud detection model has already prevented around €600,000 in losses by identifying scammers. Deploying and scaling more of these models could potentially protect millions of euros in customers’ bank accounts. The idea of contributing to this is genuinely motivating!
Did you have a say in which projects you wanted to take on?
Yes, actually. During my interview process, I shared that I wanted to further develop my software engineering skills. They took that into consideration, and I was assigned to this project, as it aligned well with the goals I discussed with them.
Over the past few months, I’ve been strengthening my software architecture and design skills, while also gaining hands-on experience with various DevOps tools. More recently, I shared my interest in diving deeper into LLMs, LLMOps, and building multi-agent systems. Just this week, I heard that I will likely be starting my second project soon, focused exactly on those areas!
You also mentioned the AI LEAP trainings. Can you explain what those are in a bit more detail?
Alongside my regular project work, I followed several AI LEAP onboarding trainings during my first two months at Enjins. These trainings cover a wide range of topics, from LLMs and multi-agent systems to MLOps principles in depth; from learning the Infrastructure as a Code framework to improving consultancy skills.
The trainings also include practical exercises, which make the learning very hands-on. During the first couple of months, I reserved about one and a half days per week to work through these exercises. For some of the topics, I had intermediate experience, so I had plenty of opportunities to ask questions and really deepen my understanding.
Overall, learning directly from experienced colleagues was incredibly valuable, and I enjoyed it a lot!
Which of the AI LEAP trainings did you like the most?
I think the LLMs and GenAI training, because I am really interested in the deep learning side of LLMs, how LLMOps is structured, and, of course, multi-agent systems. I also really liked the non-technical Pyramid Principle training, which was given by one of our commercial leads. It was interesting to learn how to restructure the way we express an idea so that it becomes more engaging and sparks interest in the audience. I especially like the idea of having a kind of recipe for more engaging conversations.
You also have a personal coach that guides your personal development. How is that helping you?
As an AI Engineer in the early stages of my career, having an experienced coach who can oversee the kinds of challenges I might face on projects and help me navigate them has been incredibly valuable. She supports me not only with project-related questions, but also in clarifying the direction I would like to grow within Enjins and in setting meaningful development goals together to realise that.
On a more personal level, I really appreciate having someone I can openly reach out to and share how I’m feeling about my work and my experience at Enjins. Those conversations help me reflect, gain perspective, and work more intentionally on improving in the areas that matter to me.
Could you give an example of a AI LEAP goal that you have set together with your coach?
I would like to follow both the technical and the delivery tracks of the AI LEAP program in a personalised way. One of my goals is to strengthen my project management skills, as I believe I can contribute to Enjins in that area and would genuinely enjoy doing so. I also like working at a higher level, especially when it comes to planning and structuring work, which is why one of my goals is to join a design sprint to further practice these skills.
At the same time, I want to continue working on technical projects within an AI and ML context. Ideally, I’m aiming to balance this across two projects. I know that developing my project management skills and participating in design sprints will be challenging, but that’s quite exciting for me, and I’m very much looking forward to learning in those areas.
In 3 years, where do you see yourself?
In three years, I see myself in transition to a Lead AI Engineer. I want to be the one designing the architecture for complex AI products from scratch, ensuring they aren’t just ‘cool prototypes’ but core technical assets that provide real value for years.
What was your highlight at Enjins so far?
I was part of the organisation committee for the Christmas event! So that was my clear highlight. At the same time, I also really enjoy our regular days at Enjins, especially Fridays, when everyone is in the office, and we can have drinks together afterwards.
What is your advice to potential hires considering a boutique agency like Enjins?
Since Enjins is relatively small, the atmosphere is very ‘gezellig’ and down-to-earth. Everyone genuinely makes time to help each other, which creates a great environment for growth and development. For example, if you want to improve your presentation skills, you can easily reach out to one of the commercial leads. If you’re interested in learning more about GenAI, you can talk directly with one of the lead AI engineers.
In my experience, this level of accessibility can be harder to find in larger companies, where people are often busier or where it may take weeks to schedule a conversation. Of course, it depends on the kind of environment you’re looking for, but if you enjoy a fast-paced yet cosy setting with experienced engineers who are happy to share their knowledge, then Enjins can be a great fit for you!
Could you try and describe Enjins in one sentence?
Learning a lot, while being in my common room (you know, like in Harry Potter). Want to ask Lale more questions? Feel free to reach out to her directly at lozgen@enjins.com
