Stephanie Liaw

I’m so excited to share that I’ve officially launched strawb software 🍓 A software development & business automation studio based in Central Otago. I started strawb to work closely with growing businesses who are ready to simplify and modernise their systems - and with early-stage founders who want to bring new ideas to life. Through strawb, I focus on: - intelligent workflow automation - thoughtful AI integration - building modern web & mobile applications - auditing and refining digital systems I love helping businesses move from messy and manual to clear and intentional. If you’re building something new, or your systems are starting to feel stretched, get in touch over at strawb software, I'd love to hear from you. https://www.strawb.co.nz/ Hannah 🤍

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From Architecture to AI: How a Career Pivot Unlocked Engineering Leadership Declan Quinn's path into tech was anything but conventional. From Architectural Technologist to Engineering Manager at Liberty IT, his journey is proof that career pivots can lead somewhere great. We caught up with him to find out how he got here, and why he thinks now is the best time to make the leap into technology. Read the full story now🔗https://lnkd.in/efSYrJRP

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Sometimes the fix is not in the code. Last Wednesday, I attended the SydJS Meetup, this time hosted by Atlassian at the Canva office here in Sydney. One part of it that really stood out was from Justin Talbot, Tech Lead at Loom. He shared how their team tackled reliability issues around meeting recordings. One challenge they faced was that the video meeting platform itself was somewhat of a black box. They had limited visibility into how the web meeting client was built and how the server side worked. This is where the idea of “Escape Room Software Engineering” came in as per Justin. The concept is simple but powerful, simulate messy, real-world scenarios on purpose and understand how failures happen. The Atlassian networking team found that all bot traffic was egressing through a SINGLE public IP per availability zone. I assume this could trigger rate limits, bot detection and other network issues. The fix was an infrastructure change: They allocated public subnet for Loom and allowed recording bot to pull IPs from a node pool. Once this change was implemented the recording issues were resolved. What I like about this talk was the reminder that not every reliability issue lives in codebase. Sometimes you need to look beyond the application layer and it’s about simulating real-world behaviour and how the entire system will run under imperfect scenarios. Really glad I attended. #SydJS #JavaScript #SoftwareEngineering #DeveloperCommunity #Atlassian

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Plot twist: I came back… but this time with a mic 🎤😉 Still wrapping my head around that one 🥹🤍 Just one semester ago, I was sitting in the lecture hall at the University of Canberra — stressing over deadlines, debugging at odd hours, and learning through trial and error 😅💻 And this semester? I had the honour of standing at the front of that same room, sharing our journey with the next cohort 🚀🌟 Talk about a full-circle moment 🔄✨ A heartfelt thank you to the University of Canberra, for creating opportunities like this — and a special thank you to Shaun Crain and Jeanette Cotterill who invited my team - Dharmi Gondaliya, Yevin Silva, Jeremy Ram and me back to speak 🙏💙 Your trust and support truly mean so much. Capstone is never “just a project.” It’s leadership under pressure 💡 Teamwork in real time 🤝 Growth outside your comfort zone 📈🔥 To all the students beginning your Capstone journey — embrace the challenges, communicate openly, think beyond the obvious, and trust the process. The transformation you’ll experience goes far beyond technical skills ✨💪 Wishing you all the very best — build boldly, lead intentionally, and make it count 🌟🚀 #UniversityOfCanberra #CapstoneJourney #Gratitude #Leadership #Growth #FullCircleMoment

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Last night, we had the privilege of welcoming back two incredible General Assembly Software Engineering alumni, Vithya Shankar (Software Engineer at RAiD (RSAF Agile innovation Digital)) and Jared Lee (Manager, VC Technology (Developer) at Standard Chartered), for a guest speaking session with our students. They shared candid reflections on their journeys into tech, what it’s really like working as engineers today and how they navigate an AI-driven world without losing sight of the fundamentals. A few takeaways that resonated strongly with our students: - Strong fundamentals still matter - languages and tools will change but problem-solving skills don’t - AI is a powerful tool but it shouldn’t replace thinking and judgement - Curiosity and understanding context help engineers create real impact - Building for humans is still essential - Networking and personal projects continue to open doors We’re incredibly grateful to Vithya and Jared for giving back to the GA community and sharing such honest, practical insights. Sessions like these reinforce why strong foundations and human judgement remain critical even as AI continues to evolve. Priscilla, Sook Meng Pang Peck Hoon Low Sangeetha Selvaraja Dihar Zainudin

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Running a small or medium business in Sydney isn’t easy. Between rising costs, staffing headaches, and the need to “do more with less,” every decision matters. Here’s the good news 👉 Cloud solutions aren’t just for big corporates anymore. They’re now one of the smartest moves an SMB can make: -Work anywhere, anytime – Whether you’re in the office, at a client site, or stuck in Sydney traffic, your team can access files and systems securely. -Save money – No need for expensive servers sitting in a dusty office corner. Pay for what you actually use. -Stay secure – Cyber threats are real, but cloud providers have world-class protections that most SMBs can’t build on their own. -Scale instantly – Hiring 5 new staff? Expanding into another suburb? Cloud grows with you without the painful upfront cost. 👉 My tip: Don’t think of “cloud” as just tech. Think of it as peace of mind, flexibility, and a way to future-proof your business.

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Melbourne-based New Aim’s Dropshipzone marketplace was growing fast— but database management was slowing the team down! They migrated over 40GB of data to MongoDB Atlas in just 4 minutes. Since then: 1. Maintenance time and incidents down by 50%. 2. NPS up from 32 to 42 in 12 months. 3. Developers focused on building features, not fixes. More here: https://lnkd.in/gRaFBDbX

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Tips for Graduate Engineers Recently Let Go from Tier One Companies If you’ve recently finished a graduate program at a tier one company and found yourself back in the market possibly due to budget cuts or government project slowdowns (like in Victoria) here are a few key things to keep in mind: ✅ Your next step may not be "up" it might be sideways Smaller or mid-tier companies often need people who can hit the ground running and do detailed, hands-on work. That can be a real adjustment if you’ve only worked on big-picture tasks in a large organisation. ✅ Ask: Are your skills truly transferable? Just because your role was important within a large project, doesn’t mean it’s valuable in the broader market. If you were doing high-level reporting or niche coordination work, it might not translate to a smaller firm that needs someone to physically design, build, or troubleshoot on projects ✅ Avoid painting yourself into a corner Some roles such as asset management in councils or niche technical coordination on large projects may not exist widely outside that environment. Be careful not to over-specialise too early if your goal is broad employability. ✅ Think like a small business owner Smaller companies expect a return on investment. After two years, they’re expecting more than just your name on a tier one resume they want to know: 👉 Can you build something? 👉 Can you design or manage something hands-on? 👉 Can you add tangible value quickly? The name on your resume matters less than your practical capabilities Don’t assume that just because you were in a big company, it will open doors everywhere. If you can’t clearly demonstrate what you did, that brand name won’t carry you very far. Take stock of your experience and reposition Now might be the time to retrain slightly, shift sideways, or even rebuild with more detailed, real-world work. It’s not a setback it could be the foundation of a much more robust career. I hope this helps a few people out there navigating this transition. If you're in this boat, feel free to reach out. Mark / Graduate Coach If you want to chat, hit the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/gbVzm3mG #engineeringcareers #graduateengineer #graduateadvice

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Tech isn’t just about coding. It’s about having the confidence to try, even when you don’t have all the answers. That’s exactly what Winnie Zhang did. As a Software Engineer at Atlassian, she’s turning challenges into opportunities and making an impact through tech. In this week’s WCW, Winnie shares her journey into STEM, the skills that helped her succeed, and how she pushed past self-doubt to thrive in the industry! Read her story here 🔗: https://lnkd.in/gghDqF8D

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🇦🇺 From Basic Coding to Einstein's Universe: Advanced Physics Simulation 🚀 **REALITY CHECK**: While most developers are still figuring out CSS flexbox, I just finished implementing relativistic spacetime curvature algorithms that could transform Australia's $2.5B space technology sector. 💥 **This isn't another "ToDo app" portfolio project** - it's computational astrophysics that bridges Einstein's General Relativity with real-world Australian research infrastructure. ## ⚡ **Technical Mastery Beyond Web Development** **What others build**: Static websites with HTML/CSS/JS basics **What I delivered**: Real-time gravitational field equations processing massive datasets at 60fps using advanced p5.js optimization 🔬 **The Mathematics**: Implemented Schwarzschild metric calculations, photon geodesics, and relativistic ray-tracing - concepts that typically require PhD-level physics knowledge. ## 🛰️ **CSIRO & Radio Astronomy Revolution** My gravitational lensing algorithms could enhance Australia's cosmic infrastructure where others struggle with basic API integrations. CSIRO Square - While junior developers learn fetch requests, I'm solving signal distortion problems that could save millions in research funding. BureauOversigten.dk Synergy Geoscience - This is what happens when advanced mathematics meets cutting-edge programming skills. ## 🎓 **University Research: Computational Physics Leadership** **Typical student projects**: Calculator apps and portfolio websites **This project**: Production-ready algorithms for gravitational wave research and astrophysics education The Australian National University Swinburne University of Technology Curtin University - Your OzGrav teams need developers who think beyond conventional web development paradigms. Spaceium Inc. (YC S24) Airbus Defence and Space Telstra Optus - Ready to discuss how elite-level coding can solve your most complex signal processing challenges. Abellon CleanEnergy ExportFinanceHub India - This is the caliber of technical innovation Australia's space economy demands. **#EliteDeveloper #AdvancedCoding #ComputationalPhysics #AustralianSpaceTech #CSIRO #SquareKilometreArray #BlackHolePhysics #RelativisticPhysics #DeepTech #TechLeadership #QuantumPhysics #RadioAstronomy #BureauOfMeteorology #SpaceIndustryAustralia #DefenceScienceTech #PhysicsSimulation #AstrophysicsTech #GravitationalWaves #OzGrav #HighPerformanceComputing #SeniorDeveloper #TechInnovation #STEMLeadership #ResearchCommercialization #SpaceEconomy #PhysicsTech #AdvancedJavaScript #ComputationalAstrophysics #TechMastery #InnovationAustralia #NextGenDeveloper #ScientificComputing #SpaceEngineering #TechExcellence #CodingMastery #PhysicsInnovation #AustralianInnovation #TechDifferentiation #AdvancedAlgorithms #SpaceTechnology #EmergingTech #FutureTech #TechVisionary #CodeToImpact #beyondBasicCoding #EliteTechnology #AdvancedSTEM #TechBreakthrough**

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This week I had the privilege of representing #Westpac at UQ’s Engineering and Computing Careers Evening at the St Lucia campus. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with many future #UQ engineering students and explore where their interest in technology could take them in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. We even spoke with students as young as Year 9 who were already passionate about software — a promising sign for the future! Events like this are incredibly valuable in giving students early insight into how university learning and the professional workplace in tech differ from high school, and importantly how they can best prepare for that transition. Throughout the evening, I had the chance to answer some burning questions from both students and parents, including: - What role will AI play in both education and tech careers today and into the future? - How do I choose between computer science, software engineering, or another engineering discipline? - What skills are needed to land a job as a software engineer?  While coding itself is an important skill in this context, I believe problem solving and a strong mindset are in fact more powerful in the long run. - What does a typical day in the life of a software engineer look like?  It's not all coding, but also collaboration, ongoing learning, helping others, and more. It was inspiring to see how UQ is actively embracing AI and incorporating it into its CS and SE curriculum. Just as higher-level programming languages once made software engineering accessible to more developers, I believe AI will continue this trend — enabling even more people to create, build, and solve meaningful problems with code. A big thank you to UQ for hosting, to Daniel Timchur for coordinating Westpac’s involvement, and to Soobin Son and James Nguyen for a great evening of conversation and connection. #UQ #Westpac #TechCareers #SoftwareEngineering #AI #STEM #FutureOfTech

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We’re Not Hiring Grads. We’re Doing Something Better. I’ve taught coding at universities and bootcamps around Australia, so when the idea of supporting young people getting into tech came up, it felt like a good fit. When Andrew Walker, who’s been a mentor of mine for a long time asked if I'd be interested in helping with the "Tech Apprenticeship", I jumped at the opportunity. At first, it was just a one-off, helping out where I could. But since then, it’s turned into something bigger. Now at Block Software, we’ve started bringing on apprentices. We work with charities to find motivated young people and give them hands-on experience, real projects, and support from the team - They're actually working with our clients. This isn't a "grad program" or anything like it. This is supporting "at-risk" youth to get in to high paying tech jobs and make an impact on their communities. It's become the part of Block Software that motivates me the most.

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🚀 What an incredible experience last week at the Australian Summer School in Software Engineering (OzSE 2026) in Melbourne — focused on 𝗔𝗜 + 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 🤖👩‍💻 https://lnkd.in/eNi89Y3F First of all, the organisers did an amazing job 👏 Kudos Patanamon Thongtanunam - Kla Tantithamthavorn - Chetan Arora, Ph.D., FHEA - Tingting Bi Michael Fu Such a high-quality event bringing together researchers + industry from 🇦🇺 Australia ( a few from 🇳🇿 New Zealand and other countries), with a genuinely welcoming community vibe 🤝✨ I met great people, had great conversations, and I’m honestly thinking: I want to go every year 📅😊 One message came through loud and clear: 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗘 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆. Everyone agrees on this, but people (everywhere not only at OzSE) still debate the degree and the capacity in which it applies. Software engineering is definitively changing, and we need to adapt to this shift. As SE researchers, we have a responsibility to help shape this transition and ensure a future where we can trust the software that runs the world, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗜. Here are my personal takeaways on AI+SE (the 3 main challenges that kept coming up during the presentations and insightful discussions) 👇 🧪 𝟭) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 → 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜-𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲.  AI (and AI agents) can generate code quickly and cheaply ⚡ But then we still need to ensure relaiability, security, explainability… Doing this manually at scale will be impossible as more and more code gets generated. 🌍 𝟮) 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 How can we ensure that AI-generated code is reliable, trustworthy and implemented with human values (Inclusion, diversity, sustainability, societal impact) ? 🎓 𝟰) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗽 / 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁) We need capable engineers who understand fundamentals to oversee and evaluate AI-generated code 👀🧠 But if "𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴" becomes the norm, junior hiring shrinks, and software engineering student numbers drop… then in the future who will have the expertise to supervise the software that runs the world? 📚 Personal note: I was genuinely happy to see that many of these themes strongly echo what we (Annie Vella, Partha Roop, Kelly Blincoe, and I) discussed in our recent ACM TOSEM vision paper on the future of AI-driven SE. Especially the idea that AI will remain central, but human judgment + verification/testing stay indispensable. see paper here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eHuZmEzn #OzSE2026 #SoftwareEngineering #AI #GenerativeAI #TrustworthyAI #Australia #NewZealand #SE4AI #AI4SE

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Ever needed access to a web app while offline or stuck with terrible internet? That’s where Service Workers and Offline-first web design shine. With the launch of Semester 2, I attended a fantastic talk hosted by the Microsoft Enthusiasts Club RMIT, featuring Zach Jensz(Software Engineer Prezzee), who walked us through building Offline-first AI Web Apps. We explored how to: Use Service Workers for offline caching Leverage WebGPU for accelerated processing Get ready for WebNN, a powerful upcoming API for on-device machine learning in the browser These tools make it possible to build smart, resilient apps that run even without internet, fast, private, and efficient. Huge thanks to the team and Microsoft Learn for putting it all together! #AI #WebDevelopment #OfflineFirst #ProgressiveWebApps #ServiceWorkers #WebGPU #WebNN #RMIT #MicrosoftLearn #StudentLife #Microsoft

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AI is changing the way companies hire. A new report that I saw on ACS new website shows many Australian firms are bringing on fewer entry-level engineers because generative AI tools now handle much of the repetitive coding and testing work. This boosts efficiency, but it also raises a concern: without junior roles, the pipeline of future talent could break. Entry-level jobs are how people gain real experience and grow into tomorrow’s mid-level and senior professionals. The challenge ahead isn’t just about embracing AI, it’s about making sure we still create pathways for new graduates and career-starters to learn, contribute, and develop alongside these tools. Source: ACS Link : https://shorturl.at/8aPpL

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AI talks are everywhere, but this session was about actually building. This weekend, I stepped out of my usual Android development workflow to get my hands dirty with vibe coding at the WSTI AI Workshop hosted by Western Sydney Tech Innovators. It was a hands-on session where people from diverse backgrounds experimented, built, and turned ideas into quick prototypes. The focus wasn’t on theory, but on learning by building. As an Android developer, it was interesting to see how AI-assisted workflows and rapid experimentation can speed up the path from idea to prototype. Looking forward to exploring this further and seeing how it can complement mobile development. Thanks to Western Sydney Tech Innovators for organising such a collaborative and hands-on session. 😇 #AndroidDevelopment #AI #VibeCoding #Innovation #WSTI #TechCommunity #WesternSydney

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The only content guide you need Less than 10 of them drove 80% of my results The posts that performed all had one thing in common. I did something hard and wrote about what I learnt along the way. — Lessons from growing Startup Club NZ to the largest student-led startup community — The time I ended up working with Steven Bartlett's team — A 7-part lesson series from my time at Stanford University The posts that flopped were about things I planned to do or about resharing other people's ideas/success. Those few posts that worked brought me new friendships, invitations to events I wouldn't have had access to, and 50+ exec applications directly from LinkedIn. They made SCNZ's partnerships with Notion, Buildclub, and other companies possible. Here is the formula I keep coming back to: — Do a cool thing that is hard, story-worthy, and brings you fulfilment — Talk about the lessons learnt and how you did it — This gives you access to opportunities that help you do more cool things — Repeat —— 🔖 P.S. What's one cool thing you've done recently that's worth writing about?

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Taming Parallel Complexity: Diving into Concurrency: Theory & Practice (CSSE7610) at UQ School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science As I progress through my Master of Software Engineering at The University of Queensland, a powerful synergy is emerging between my courses. My current deep dive into Concurrency: Theory and Practice (CSSE7610) is proving to be the critical link that binds them all together. First, what does exploring Concurrency entail? It's about mastering the principles of parallel computing—the art of making multiple tasks execute simultaneously and correctly. This goes far beyond simple multi-threading to a rigorous understanding of: 🧠 Theoretical Models: Formal methods and process calculi that provide the mathematical foundation for reasoning about concurrent systems. 🔒 Synchronization: Implementing mutexes, semaphores, and monitors to solve race conditions and ensure data integrity. ✅ Verification: Using model checkers to prove the correctness of a system's logic, moving beyond testing to guarantee reliability and avoid deadlocks. 🚀 Practical Application: Building the robust, efficient, and scalable architectures that modern software demands. Now, here's the powerful part: how it all connects. My exploration of Artificial Intelligence is about building intelligent algorithms. Concurrency provides the engine to run them at scale, enabling parallel data processing, distributed model training, and high-throughput inference that makes AI applications feasible. My studies in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) are about crafting seamless user experiences. Concurrency is the silent force that makes it possible, ensuring the UI remains responsive by managing complex background tasks without freezing or lag. My work in Software Innovation is about transforming ideas into market-ready products. Concurrency provides the technical rigor and architectural stability needed to build a disruptive prototype into a reliable, scalable, and high-performance solution that can handle real-world load. This holistic view—where deep technical knowledge in concurrency enables innovation, powers intelligent systems, and delivers flawless user experiences—is exactly why I chose this program. I'm fascinated by how these specializations interconnect. #Concurrency #SoftwareEngineering #ArtificialIntelligence #HCI #SoftwareInnovation #SystemsDesign #DistributedSystems #TechEducation #UQ #ParallelProgramming

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This semester at UTS, as part of Design in Mechanical and Mechatronic Systems (DMMS), our team had the opportunity to partner with real-world clients on practical engineering outcomes. The team and I had the privilege of working with Sipei Zhao from the UTS Acoustics Lab to develop a functional “Active Headrest” model to support the lab’s future research and testing. The headrest integrates speakers and microphones, which, when paired with signal processing algorithms, can deliver: 🔇 Active Noise Cancelling (ANC): reducing external environmental noise 🎧 Spatial Audio: creating immersive, 3D sound experiences 🔊 Personal Sound Zone (PSZ): forming a private "sound bubble" that only the user can hear Throughout the semester, we applied a structured engineering design process - ideating, prototyping, and refining our concepts and research to overcome challenges and deliver a system that met client requirements. I’d like to extend my gratitude to our client, Sipei Zhao, for his engaging and supportive efforts throughout this project — it has been a pleasure working with you alongside the team. I’d also like to thank Marc Carmichael, Ali Bayat, and Katia Bourahmoune for their continuous guidance and feedback, which proved invaluable to our progress. Team 21: Joshua Watson Abael Joseph Benjamin Brown Rhys Darcy Alex Cacciola Kyron Vella UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT UTS Industry Studios

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