Mikhail Korolev: How to Hack the Job Market & Get Into VIP Rooms

Links

- CodeCrafters: https://codecrafters.io

- Kyle Simpson (You Don't Know JS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEMG7Oxuan8

- Josh Goldberg (CFP Advice): https://www.joshuakgoldberg.com/blog/how-i-apply-to-conferences/

- JSHeroes CFP Guide: https://jsheroes.io/ (See blog section)

- CFP.watch (by Roudy): https://cfp.watch

- confs.tech (mentioned at ~00:34): https://confs.tech

- Guillermo Rauch Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6NzkPBjwpwLmhIntEUB95x?si=51ac6de6d8fa4f8e

- Santosh Yadav Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7HIl3zqyDd3cZDmJLzKR58

- Jeff Escalante Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf2E3dWfK3k

- System Design in 15 Minutes (Hello Interview): https://www.hellointerview.com/learn/system-design/in-a-hurry/introduction

- Mikhail Korolev (X/Twitter): https://x.com/mkrl__

- Mikhail on GitHub: https://github.com/mkrl

- Mikhail on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkrl/

- Mikhail on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mkrl.xyz

Summary

I sat down with Mikhail "Misha" Korolev to discuss a reality many engineers face but rarely talk about: how to get into rooms where you technically "don't belong." We explored his journey from being unemployed after Toptal to networking his way into VIP dinners and eventually landing a role at Tekmetric. We dug deep into the "Pac-Man Rule" for networking, why I believe you shouldn't pursue DevRel jobs at companies with unfinished products, and the specific "cheat codes" Misha used to bypass standard interview gates—including how he used ChatGPT to speed-run a LeetCode assessment. If you're currently navigating the job market or trying to pivot from engineering to public speaking, this conversation is a masterclass in making your own luck.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro & Sponsors

00:02:45 The "VIP Dinner" Strategy

00:06:00 How to Enter Rooms You "Don't Belong" In

00:12:20 The Pac-Man Rule for Networking

00:15:00 Dealing with Competitive Networking (The MKBHD Effect)

00:20:00 Why You Shouldn't Idolize Tech Celebrities

00:28:00 How to Start Speaking at Conferences (CFP Hacks)

00:35:00 Live Coding vs. Pre-recorded Demos

00:43:00 The Truth About DevRel vs. Engineering

00:58:00 Misha's Accidental Path to Engineering (Quake & Turbo Pascal)

01:07:30 Job Hunting in a Brutal Market

01:13:30 Using ChatGPT to Pass LeetCode Interviews

01:20:00 Getting Referrals (The Supabase Story)

01:27:00 Closing Advice: Just Go

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