I write code, build interfaces,
and figure out how things work.
AI is part of how I build.
Before I started at the Informatikmittelschule, an IT-focused Swiss high school, I had never really programmed. I played games and used software, and at some point I wanted to know what was going on behind all of it. That is why I chose this school.
My first programs were not very good. But seeing a console window do exactly what I told it to do was something I liked right away. Since then I also write code in my free time.
When I build something, I break the problem into small parts first. AI often helps me with the implementation, and by now I know how to use it well. I still read and understand the code myself, because otherwise I would not learn anything from it.
That is how a CSV parser, a terminal Pong clone, a hackathon app for Axpo and LinkUp came about, a networking platform we built at BadenHackt 2026. Every project taught me something that is not in any tutorial.
"I learn the most when I build something myself. Breaking it, fixing it, and understanding how it really works."
Hybrid event networking — QR code connections, AI icebreakers, smart matching, live admin dashboard. Built as a team of three, with the OpenAI API wired in for the matching logic.
A map tool for Heimatschutz Aargau. It shows building applications on sites worth protecting, so they can file an objection. Built as a team; we competed against other groups and did not win.
A rebuild of the Osu! interface in the browser, with nothing but HTML and CSS. Good practice for layouts and for getting details right.
Pong in a console window, written in C#. This is where I first had to think about a game loop, collisions and timing.
A command-line tool to parse messy CSV files into structured diagram data. Taught me a lot about file handling in .NET.
Built an app for Axpo under strict hackathon time pressure. Designed and shipped end-to-end as a team of three — from problem brief to working product.
Wrote real code for the first time. A lot went wrong at the beginning, but that is exactly what made me curious about how software is built.
Realized that programming is 80% debugging. Started building actual tools, took part in my first hackathon, and learned how to use AI in a sensible way without losing track of my own code.
Competed at BadenHackt 2026 and shipped LinkUp, an AI-powered networking app. Now looking for an apprenticeship, internship or junior role where I can learn from people who know more than I do.
If you have an open spot on your team, or just want to talk about code and where AI fits into it, I'd like to hear from you. I'm available for apprenticeships, internships and junior positions from 2026.
hello@maxmij.ch