What is the most interesting challenge you competed on at Topcoder and why?
Mercury Challenge.

What is your most memorable Topcoder challenge and why?
PINS Master because there was more than 3TB of data.

What do you do when not working?
My favorite hobby is clay shooting. I also like to spend time with my family and ride a bicycle.

Where do you work? Tell us about your space(s).
Sometimes I work from home, sometimes from the library, and sometimes from other places like a cafe.

If you could give your past self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t care about problems, just continue in the same way.

What kind of music do you listen to while working on your solutions?
I prefer symphonic metal, but I also listen to rock or classical music.

What is the dream project you want to build, design, or solve for?
Something that would increase the average happiness in the world.

What’s the best tip or piece of advice you can share with other members at Topcoder?
You should start with fast simple solutions. Sometimes such solutions work better than more complicated ones, and if not you’ll have a good starting point.

What does Topcoder mean to you?
I’m really happy that I found it.

How does it feel to be a first time TCO Finalist?
Awesome.

What are you most looking forward to at your first-ever TCO Finals?
To meet interesting people.

Did you strive to make it TCO this year and if so, why does it matter to you?
Actually no, it was surprise for me. I started thinking about TCO too late, so I thought that I would try next year.