CodeChem

07/08/2026

What if getting better at coding with AI isn’t about letting AI write more code?

Today at Base42, Dimitrij Krstev presented to our interns on AI as a Code Assistant, focusing on what working with AI actually looks like for developers.

AI can help you understand an unfamiliar codebase, hunt down stubborn bugs, get a project off the ground, or handle repetitive refactoring. But it can also make mistakes, take shortcuts, and confidently give you something that still needs fixing.

Dimitrij also covered something that doesn’t get talked about enough: tokens, context and cost. Better prompts aren’t just about better answers. They can mean less unnecessary exploration, less context usage, and less money spent.

AI can write the code. Knowing what to ask, what to trust, and what to change is still on you.

Thanks Dimitrij, for this great presentation and for sharing what you’ve learned along the way! 😊 👏 💛

31/07/2026

31/07/2026

Every engineer has something worth sharing. 💡

During this Open Day, our team took the time to introduce future engineers to the way we think about software, architecture, and problem-solving.🚀

The same mindset carries into our daily work: sharing knowledge openly so better ideas become better products. That’s how we keep improving every solution we deliver.

30/07/2026

Elena Stamenkovska led this week’s session for our new interns: “Know Your Tooling”. 🛠️

The idea behind it: tool fluency compounds. Every shortcut or workflow pattern you learn builds on the last one, and it adds up fast.

She started in VSCode, where a single shortcut jumps you to any function in the repo by name, then moved to Rider, where you can step straight into library source with no setup at all. DataGrip handled every database in one window and compared two versions of a query cell by cell. In the terminal, iTerm2 turned output into something you can click. Finally, vim, where three keys get you through your first session without panicking. ⌨️

Every tool came with a trick worth stealing, and the assignment was simple: leave with one new cool thing you didn’t know this morning.

Thanks, Elena! 👏

24/07/2026

Ever exported an ERP report to a spreadsheet just to finish the part it couldn’t handle? 🫠

In the demo, the ERP bends to your business. After go-live, your business bends to the ERP.

For accounting, payroll, and inventory, that’s fine. Those processes look the same everywhere, so off-the-shelf is the right call.

The trouble is the workflow that makes you different: your pricing logic, your approval chain, the way your warehouse actually moves goods. You either bend it to fit the ERP or bolt on workarounds until they need their own workarounds. 🩹

There’s a third option: build the software around the process, so it fits how you actually work.

If the process is generic, configure the ERP. If it’s your competitive advantage, don’t flatten it into someone else’s template. Build for it.

💬 What’s the messiest workaround you’ve seen holding a finished system together?

23/07/2026

Today at Base42, Zoran Zafiroski led an AI for Learning presentation, exploring how modern AI models work, where they can fail, and how engineers should approach them critically. He covered common pitfalls such as hallucinated APIs, fabricated citations, outdated documentation, and incorrect technical claims, while also showing the interns how to tailor AI to their own learning workflow through better prompting, confidence calibration, and systematic verification of AI-generated code and information before relying on it.

The presentation continued with a workshop led by Gjorgi Krenkov, who demonstrated practical prompting techniques through a series of real-world examples. Using everyday scenarios, he showed how AI responses should be challenged, tested, and verified rather than accepted at face value. The key takeaway was clear: AI is a powerful tool, but responsibility for correctness always remains with the engineer.

A great balance of technical foundations and practical application. Thanks, Zoran and Gjorgi! 👏💛❤️

22/07/2026

Stefan Milev led this week’s session for our new interns: LLMs for Dummies. 🧠 He broke down how large language models actually work, and how we got from autocomplete → chat → agents.

He also covered the mechanics that usually trip people up, like the context window and why there’s no magical memory, plus token usage. Stefan walked through the failure modes to watch for: hallucinations, limited context, bias, variation, and task scope. The key theme was responsible AI use and keeping a human in the loop, always. 💬

Clear examples, punctual, and easy to follow throughout. Solid foundation for the interns as they start building with AI. Thanks, Stefan! 👏

21/07/2026

One common mistake teams make is treating QA automation as a race to automate everything. 🤔 Our QA engineers take a different approach. 👇🏻

Before writing automated tests, they prioritize areas where failures would have the most significant impact, such as user login, core business workflows, critical integrations, permissions, and release-critical functionality.

The goal is not to create the largest test suite but to ensure that every release is safe to ship. This is where QA automation provides the most value: by reducing risk, identifying issues earlier, and allowing QA engineers to concentrate on areas where human judgment is essential. 💡

What is the first test you would automate on a new project?

20/07/2026

🏓 CC Ping-Pong Tournament: done and dusted!
This Saturday, from 10 to 15h, the office turned into an arena. Everyone showed up focused, rested, and ready to serve. ⚡

We kicked off with two group stages, and the best from each battled their way through the quarter-finals and semis. The match for 3rd place was a tough one and a great watch, but the final topped it all. Truly the best of the best: forehands flying, backhands snapping, and years of dedication to the craft on full display.

In the end, Nebojsha took the crown, using all his experience to edge out Aleksandar in the final. Well deserved, champ! 🏆

We rounded it all off the only right way, (with pizza)🍕
The trophy's claimed... for now. Challengers, start training. 😉

16/07/2026

Teodor Angeleski led this week’s session: Intro to Web, for our new interns. 🌐 He walked through how a request actually travels from browser to server and back — DNS resolution, URL anatomy, the HTTP request/response cycle, and the different verbs (including a nice breakdown of QUERY as the best of both GET and POST).

He backed it up with live demos too, spinning up a local Flask server and showing the network requests in real time so the concepts weren’t just theory. 💻

Great mix of fundamentals and hands-on demonstration, delivered with energy that kept the room engaged from DNS lookups all the way to rendering. Solid foundation for the interns as they start building.

Thanks, Teodor! 👏