Driving Innovation and Elevating People with Python at EPAM Colombia

Driving Innovation and Elevating People with Python at EPAM Colombia

Since starting his tech career over seven years ago, Luis Valderrama, Lead Software Engineer at EPAM Colombia, has focused on more than just writing code — he prioritizes architecture, design and elevating his teammates. Now, as Development Team Lead for one of EPAM’s most important projects, he brings that philosophy not just to his work, but also to the way he mentors and trains the next generation of Python experts.

Python: Easy to Learn, Hard to Master

For engineers, there’s a wide variety of options when it comes to specialization. For Luis, Python stood out early on. Since his school days, he has found a certain beauty in the code, which has made it easy for him to read and understand. What’s exciting is that this programming language is now a cornerstone of AI technology, quickly expanding Luis’ scope and allowing him to continue working with it throughout his career.

“I think Python is a language that’s easy to read, and yet has a wide range of possibilities to do plenty of things, which makes it an ideal technology to work with,” he states.  However, this simplicity does not mean there haven’t been hurdles. “Projects are very different from each other. Since Python is used for so many things, you need to be open to switching between environments and domains and always stay up to date with innovations in the field. It’s a language that moves very quickly; everything changes very quickly.”  

Professional Growth and the Impact of Mentorship

Luis has worked for several companies, but at EPAM, he found a structure that actively supports career progression. “Here, your growth only depends on you,” he says. “You choose when to complete assessments, and the results reflect your skills. Plus, a Talent Partner guides you through the process.” EPAM’s Talent Partner Program pairs employees with experienced mentors to navigate their career paths, set goals and identify growth opportunities. 

And at EPAM, growth comes not just from having tools and processes. It also arrives through a variety of projects. For example, Luis began maintaining a legacy solution for a client. It was a known quantity that required maintenance. He then moved to something more challenging, where innovation and growth had to be constant, requiring a completely new way of working and new skills to keep up with the client’s needs. Luis saw the direct impact of his work. When the client liked what he created, his team grew from four people to 25. 

This growth became an opportunity for him to lead through mentorship. He helped EPAM’s junior members and guided them toward their goals. Now, he feels an added sense of accomplishment, not only in his own professional growth, but in the professional evolution of the people he mentors and supports. Not only did this opportunity lead him to become one of the first people to join EPAM’s Talent Partner Program, but it also gave him the chance to support the next generation of developers, as he was supported at the beginning of his career.

“My philosophy is to help people by challenging them. I’m not the kind of leader who tells people how to do things,” says Luis. “I like to hear their opinions, points of view and how they want to solve challenges as a team. This way, they can learn to lead, do a technical design and work without a guide.” 

Luis teaches leadership through his own leadership style. His method highlights the importance of helping your team members be more than just followers, but also helping them level up their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to become leaders in their own right. 

Besides a clear path for professional growth, Luis values the balance that EPAM provides, since it allows him to do the things he loves, like spending time with his dog.

Career Advice: Foundations for Career Success

“I think it’s essential for people to have a clear understanding of the software development process and know how to write code from scratch,” shares Luis. “It’s vital for people to have this foundation to work with AI successfully.” 

In his opinion, the exciting new technologies in the market are not a replacement for the basics. A strong foundation ensures LLMs create quality code and meet client needs. Basic skills also ensure an engineer can fix things when they break.

“People also need to be open to other people’s experiences,” he adds. For him, being willing to learn from mentors and those around you, keeping an open mind to new ideas or ways of working, and knowing when to ask for help is essential to developing the skills engineers need to thrive in today’s highly competitive market. He appreciates that this is a two-way street, where people in senior roles should also learn from those in junior positions. 

Ready to build your Python career and mentor the next generation of tech talent? Explore open roles at EPAM today.