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    TCO16 Finalist Interviews

    Interview with bmerry

    bmerry is a TCO Finalist, named Bruce Merry and is coming from South Africa

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I’ve been competing in Topcoder since 2001, back when there was only the algorithm track.

    Why Topcoder?
    I’ve spent most of my life competing in programming contests, and I still enjoy it.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’ve won the Google Distributed Code Jam twice.

    Innovation.
    Innovation

    Inspiration.
    Inspiration

    Hope.
    Hope

    Challenging.
    Challenging

    Create.
    Create

    Favorite Food?
    Italian

    Favorite Color?
    Maroon

    Favorite Music?
    No single favourite

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Home

    Favorite Movie?
    Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Cape Town

    Interview with eatmore

    eatmore is a TCO Finalist, named Evgeny Kapun and is coming from Russia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I first heard about Topcoder at my alma mater, ITMO University. Since then, I tried many times to advance to TCO onsite round, and this is the second time I manage to do it.

    Why Topcoder?
    I compete because I like programming competitions. Also I like traveling, which I can do thanks to some competitions providing top participants with free travel to onsite finals.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I think that what I am most proud of is that I (as part of a team) won ACM ICPC finals - twice.

    Innovation.
    Nanotechnology

    Inspiration.
    Hmmm

    Hope.
    Dream

    Challenging.
    Interesting

    Create.
    Destroy

    Favorite Food?
    Watermelon

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    None

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Home

    Favorite Movie?
    Terminator 2

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Somewhere in Europe

    Interview with Enot

    Enot is a TCO Finalist, named Vladimir Smykalov and is coming from Russia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    My friends showed topcoder to me when I started studying at university. I didn’t liked it from the beginning (strange format, a little bit different tasks), but I was so wrong! Now I see that this platform is the best in the world.

    Why Topcoder?
    Oh, topcoder is so cool! It takes just 5-10 minutes to run final system testing for SRMs and that’s awesome! Problems are also cool here.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m just awesome.

    Innovation.
    idea

    Inspiration.
    nice mood

    Hope.
    ¯_(ツ)_/¯

    Challenging.
    hacking

    Create.
    banana

    Favorite Food?
    russian pancakes

    Favorite Color?
    red

    Favorite Music?
    rock, alternative

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    competitive programming, karting

    Favorite Movie?
    Star Trek, The Dark Knight

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Dubai

    Interview with ikatanic

    ikatanic is a TCO Finalist, named Ivan Katanic and is coming from Croatia

    Innovation.
    Idea.

    Inspiration.
    People.

    Hope.
    People.

    Challenging.
    Work.

    Create.
    Sell.

    Favorite Food?
    Sarma

    Favorite Color?
    Red

    Favorite Music?
    Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Hometown

    Favorite Movie?
    Blow

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Korea

    Interview with K.A.D.R

    K.A.D.R is a TCO Finalist, named Iaroslav Tverdokhlib and is coming from Ukraine

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I started participating in Topcoder Algorithm matches when I was in high school. Even though during my time at Topcoder I managed to hit “target” rating and retain it for some time, I never had luck with TCO onsites so this is going to be my first one.

    Why Topcoder?
    I like the format of Topcoder Algorithm competitions. After graduating from the university, I stopped participating in almost all regular contests but I’m still trying to compete in SRMs as they are conveniently short and usually feature interesting problems.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I have recently moved to Silicon Valley to work in a social network company everyone has heard of. When I just started I joined a team that was just a month old and I’m really excited to see what we’ve managed to build in the past 1.5 years.

    Innovation.
    Tesla

    Inspiration.
    Success

    Hope.
    Chance

    Challenging.
    Accepted

    Create.
    Paper

    Favorite Food?
    Napoleon cake

    Favorite Color?
    Violet

    Favorite Music?
    Pop rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    San Diego

    Favorite Movie?
    The Silence of the Lambs

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New Zealand

    Interview with Kankuro

    Kankuro is a TCO Finalist, named Vladislav Epifanov and is coming from Russia

    Innovation.
    Progress

    Inspiration.
    Discovering

    Hope.
    Expectations

    Challenging.
    Exciting

    Create.
    Code

    Favorite Food?
    Snacks

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    Good music

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Onsite of the programming competition

    Favorite Movie?
    Too many of them

    Interview with krijgertje

    krijgertje is a TCO Finalist, named Erik-Jan Krijgsman and is coming from Netherlands

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I don’t remember exactly how I first heard about Topcoder. It was somewhere in university, probably around an ACM ICPC qualification. I got really addicted to it, staying up late to compete. The hard work paid off, and I qualified for several onsite tournaments and even got a second place in Orlando. Then a couple of years I’ve done less competitive progamming for various reasons, but last year or so I’ve done more, and I am very exited to compete once again in a Topcoder finals.

    Why Topcoder?
    I love programming puzzles, love the thrill of the competition, love to compete against the best and love the athmosphere at a Topcoder onsite final.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’ve been playing a lot of bridge lately (one of the reasons I’ve done less competitive programming) and it is an amazing competitive game as well. I’ve managed to reach the highest national (dutch) competition.

    Innovation.
    testing out many things

    Inspiration.
    a mentor

    Hope.
    fear

    Challenging.
    interesting

    Create.
    something that works

    Favorite Food?
    Orzo

    Favorite Color?
    blue

    Favorite Music?
    u2

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    some place new

    Favorite Movie?
    shawshenks redemption

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    south america

    Is there something in particular you’d love your TCO16 finalist profile to share that I’ve not asked you? Feel free to write what you’d like it to say here.
    I’m looking forward to meet many people I know from ‘back in the days’, but also to meet new people and make new friends.

    Interview with Petr

    Petr is a TCO Finalist, named Petr Mitrichev and is coming from Russia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I’ve been competing in Algorithm since time immemorial, won TCO three times, and still every SRM and TCO round are exciting and interesting to compete in!

    Why Topcoder?
    I think Topcoder Algorithm competition has super convenient short format, and yet provides challenging problems that deliver great satisfaction when solved.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I make it a point to be honest with everybody, including when it goes against my personal interest.

    Innovation.
    Board game

    Inspiration.
    Morning

    Hope.
    Not a strategy

    Challenging.
    -25

    Create.
    Algorithm

    Favorite Food?
    Steak

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Mountains

    Favorite Movie?
    Heidi (2015)

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Copenhagen

    Interview with rng_58

    rng_58 is a TCO Finalist, named Makoto Soejima and is coming from Japan

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was an admin and chose problems for TCO 2012-2015. I won TCO 2010 and 2011.

    Why Topcoder?
    Recently there are various online competitions, but the quality of TC’s problems is one of the best.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m working in AtCoder now.

    Innovation.
    Word association game in questionnaire

    Inspiration.
    a (lexicographically the first word that comes to my mind)

    Hope.
    Hope

    Challenging.
    rng_58 unsuccessfully challenged snuke’s 1000-point problem.

    Create.
    eat

    Favorite Food?
    Frozen warabimochi

    Favorite Color?
    really? this color again? i have nothing against colors personally, but this one just stands out from the rest as unusually unnattractive. i almost feel sad for it, but it made the decision to be that color so it has to find a way to deal with it

    Favorite Music?
    howling of microphones

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    unvisited prefectures

    Favorite Movie?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubPeu3SzRVI

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Alaska

    Interview with scott_wu

    scott_wu is a TCO Finalist, named Scott Wu and is coming from United States

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I first heard about Topcoder from my brother in 2010. I’d just gotten started with the USA Computing Olympiad contests and was looking for resources for practice. Pretty soon, though, I started pursuing Topcoder for its own sake, and SRMs have become one of my favorite pastimes.

    Why Topcoder?
    It’s been an amazing hobby over the years — Topcoder’s pushed me to challenge myself, introduced me to people around the world, and gotten me in top shape for interviews and contests.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Learning a ton in my first year of school

    Innovation.
    Technology

    Inspiration.
    Motivation

    Hope.
    Desire

    Challenging.
    Creative

    Create.
    Believe

    Favorite Food?
    Sushi

    Favorite Color?
    Purple

    Favorite Music?
    Broadway

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    NYC

    Favorite Movie?
    Imitation Game

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Japan or Korea

    Interview with tourist

    tourist is a TCO Finalist, named Gennady Korotkevich and is coming from Belarus

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder back when I was 11 from a friend of mine. At that time I used Pascal as my primary language, but I had to learn C++ to take part in Topcoder SRMs — it was fun! I’d always dreamed of coming to the TCO final round, but only managed to come in 2013 for the first time, and now it’s my 4th TCO in a row.

    Why Topcoder?
    For me Topcoder is a great source of interesting problems and endless competition. I’ve been here for more than 10 years already, and there’s absolutely no reason to give up – I’m still enjoying every single bit of Topcoder!

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Being able to fight till the very end.

    Innovation.
    excites

    Inspiration.
    people

    Hope.
    nope

    Challenging.
    competition

    Create.
    think

    Favorite Food?
    pancakes

    Favorite Color?
    blue

    Favorite Music?
    alternative

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    sports & fresh air

    Favorite Movie?
    none

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    In the USA – Florida; outside the USA – Australia!

    Interview with Um_nik

    Um_nik is a TCO Finalist, named Alex Danilyuk and is coming from Russia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was training for the ACM ICPC and heard that Topcoder is the classic platform with regular competitions.

    Why Topcoder?
    Because I can. Why would I refuse another chance to improve my skills?

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Winner of NEERC and 8th place at ACM ICPC World Finals

    Innovation.
    Nanotechnologies

    Inspiration.
    Love

    Hope.
    Interstellar

    Challenging.
    Phase

    Create.
    Compete

    Favorite Food?
    Spaghetti

    Favorite Color?
    cyan

    Favorite Music?
    Hip-Hop

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    The sea

    Favorite Movie?
    WALL-E

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    in Russia because I’m afraid of doing visa

    Interview with xudyh

    xudyh is a TCO Finalist, named Yuhao Du and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was introduced to Topcoder by my classmate Tao’an Huang. I compete in algorithms. I perform well in algorithm competitions, and won a trip to onsite finals. It makes me excited.

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder is a famous website for algorithm competing. I compete for joy in solving problems.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m a student in IIIS, Tsinghua University. I’m proud of making many friends in the algorithm competition. Many of them become my classmates, and we study together.

    Innovation.
    Creation

    Inspiration.
    Sleeping

    Hope.
    Reality

    Challenging.
    Excited

    Create.
    Generate

    Favorite Food?
    Sea Food

    Favorite Color?
    White

    Favorite Music?
    Stefanie Sun

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Taiwan

    Favorite Movie?
    5 Centimeters per Second

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    North Pole

    Interview with birdofpreyru

    birdofpreyru is a TCO Finalist, named Dr. Sergey Pogodin and is coming from Spain

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I first learned about Topcoder about one year ago while preparing for a job interview at Google, but I have not competed until this past spring. The DNA Sequencing Marathon Match attracted my attention, both by its potential scientific impact, and by the prize pool. It was fun, but a lot of effort, and in the last days of the match I was kicked out of the prize zone. A bit disappointed, I attempted to compete in Development challenges and this was a blast! Even though I had to learn a lot of technologies, new to me, right away, I’ve managed to participate in 22 challenges within several months, winning 11 of them, and taking second place in another 6. Not to mention the victory in the Bonus round of TCO16. (so pity that I have missed the regular rounds :)

    Why Topcoder?
    Because it is fun, challenging, and brings money.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I got Master degree in Physics, PhD in Chemical Engineering, and I am self-trained software developer. I love to travel and to try new things.

    Innovation.
    SpaceX

    Inspiration.
    Music

    Hope.
    Never dies

    Challenging.
    Interesting

    Create.
    Then improve.

    Favorite Food?
    Steak, rare done

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Folk

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    A new place each time

    Favorite Movie?
    Terminator II

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Budapest

    Interview with cjalmeida

    cjalmeida is a TCO Finalist, named Cloves Almeida and is coming from Brazil

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder early 2015 while improving my skills for a career transition into a more technical role. Topcoder was great in that I was exposed to a large number of useful technologies and was able to learn a lot.

    I also had the opportunity to participate in challenges sponsored by important names in the industry. Winning a NASA or IBM sponsored challenge gives you some good bragging rights!

    Primarily I compete in development competitions (code or assembly).

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder has, by far, the best platform for development-style competitions. I compete mostly to learn so I tend to pick challenges where I add something new to my “toolbox”.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Just a few years ago, I had some major career setbacks. It was particularly scary because I’d just married and had to endure it while starting a new home and family.

    Despite our country being in the worst recession since 1920’s I was able to overcome the situation get myself into a new position better than where I was before.

    Innovation.
    Progress

    Inspiration.
    Progress

    Hope.
    Greatness

    Challenging.
    Fun

    Create.
    Quality

    Favorite Food?
    I like cooking, so I like trying new stuff.

    Favorite Color?
    Don’t have one

    Favorite Music?
    90s and early classics (yes, I’m getting old)

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Anywhere with a good history and food.

    Favorite Movie?
    A bunch, but let’s pick “City of God” :)

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Most likely Barcelona, ES.

    Interview with kinfkong

    kinfkong is a TCO Finalist, named Jinggang Wang and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder when I studied at University.

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder is a good place to learn new technologies.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    What I am proud of is that I have a cute daughter.

    Innovation.
    Work

    Inspiration.
    Creation

    Hope.
    Luck

    Challenging.
    Win

    Create.
    God

    Favorite Food?
    meat

    Favorite Color?
    black

    Favorite Music?
    Cantonese Songs

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Guangzhou

    Favorite Movie?
    Shawshank Redemtion

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Switzerland

    Interview with MonicaMuranyi

    MonicaMuranyi is a TCO Finalist, named Monica Muranyi and is coming from Romania

    Why Topcoder?
    I love competitions that involve logical thinking. Competing in topcoder development contests is also my full time job although I usually take long breaks between a few months of competing to learn new things or travel.

    What challenge(s) or project(s) put you on top for winning in a TCO stage?
    Java Web App for Health Clinic Booking Engine, IBM – DES Web Specialists, Hercules Javascript XRE Receiver

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I feel good about being able to have a minimalist lifestyle. This allows me to be focused on just a few things that matter the most to me, like studying, traveling with friends, and competing.

    Innovation.
    clean

    Inspiration.
    blue

    Hope.
    white

    Challenging.
    purple

    Create.
    yelow

    Favorite Food?
    Duck with mango sauce

    Favorite Color?
    Indigo

    Favorite Music?
    Classic rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Croatia

    Favorite Movie?
    Gravity

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Vienna

    Interview with NightWolf

    NightWolf is a TCO Finalist, named Igor Goroshko and is coming from Ukraine

    What is your Topcoder story?
    In 2008 one of my friends suggested I participate in SRM challenges, and it was a great experience! A few years later I decided to try to compete in development challenges, and I was surprised with the great organization of various types of challenges. When I was an inexperienced developer, the most important was the ability to view winning submissions and get thorough feedback from reviewers. It helped a lot in becoming a better developer!

    Why Topcoder?
    I like competing at Topcoder because I can choose the projects I’m interested in and the time that is most comfortable to me. It also forces me to deliver the best quality I can.
    Since March 2016 I decided to leave my full-time job to have more free time. And another benefit that Topcoder provides is the ability to work remotely. Finally, Topcoder pays well when you work hard. :)

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I was born in Kyrgyzstan, it is very beautiful country with lots of great mountains and hospitable people! Then in 2008, when I was 20, I moved to Ukraine and got my first full-time .NET developer job.

    My hobbies are various activities such as karting, tennis, gym, etc. I’m one of the members of Ukrainian karting team “Kozaks”, and usually once a year we compete in international 24-hours endurance challenges.
    Probably one of my achievements is bronze medal in IOI 2005 (Poland).

    Innovation.
    Formula-1

    Inspiration.
    Family

    Hope.
    Peace

    Challenging.
    Life

    Create.
    Future

    Favorite Food?
    sushi

    Favorite Color?
    White

    Favorite Music?
    Epic

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    I haven’t been there yet :)

    Favorite Movie?
    Eight Below

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Silicon Valley

    Interview with seriyvolk83

    seriyvolk83 is a TCO Finalist, named Alexander Volkov and is coming from Russia

    Why Topcoder?
    I’m a part of Topcoder community because it follows one of my principles - work hard and you will be rewarded.

    What challenge(s) or project(s) put you on top for winning in a TCO stage?
    I think there were three series of challenges that helped me - USA Diving Team, Interlochen Media and Anheuser-Busch.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    An interesting fact about me: I was very good in playing on bayan (accordion) when I was 10-15 years old. That’s why I type code very quickly now.

    Innovation.
    Apple

    Inspiration.
    Prize

    Hope.
    Kids

    Challenging.
    Skills

    Create.
    development

    Favorite Food?
    Anything cooked by my wife… and Caffe Latte

    Favorite Color?
    Orange

    Favorite Music?
    Deep House or Classical Music… it depends

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Spain beaches

    Favorite Movie?
    Fight Club

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Maldives

    Interview with Sky_

    Sky_ is a TCO Finalist, named Łukasz Sentkiewicz and is coming from Poland

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I came to topcoder 4 years ago and I compete in development tracks.

    Why Topcoder?
    For prize money.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I have 2 cats.

    Favorite Food?
    steaks

    Favorite Color?
    white

    Favorite Music?
    speedcore

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    none

    Favorite Movie?
    none

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with spanhawk

    spanhawk is a TCO Finalist, named Ritesh Sangwan and is coming from India

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I came to know about Topcoder 2 years back from a blog post. I compete in Development Track challenges. This year will be my first visit to TCO finals.

    Why Topcoder?
    For prize money and to learn new things.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Apart from programming I love to ride. I was a participant in Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey 2016

    Innovation.
    Topcoder

    Inspiration.
    Prize Money

    Hope.
    Tomorrow

    Challenging.
    To win

    Create.
    coding

    Favorite Food?
    Paneer

    Favorite Color?
    White

    Favorite Music?
    jiyein kyun (Papon)

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Himalayas

    Favorite Movie?
    The Dark Knight

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New Delhi

    Interview with Standlove

    Standlove is a TCO Finalist, named Jin, GuanZhuo and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I started to compete at Topcoder since 2004, and have been through lots of changes at Topcoder. I even got disappointed several times during those ‘dark days’. In 2014, I stopped competing and joined a startup company, but I’m really not a ‘company guy’, so I’m back again.

    Why Topcoder?
    I enjoy working at home, and I can always find time for my family even I’m busy.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I had baby boy last year, he is achieving all those little things every day.

    Innovation.
    marvel cosmo

    Inspiration.
    yoda

    Hope.
    jedi

    Challenging.
    Darth Vader

    Create.
    Luke

    Favorite Food?
    Dry Beef

    Favorite Color?
    White

    Favorite Music?
    Try Everything

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    SanYa in China

    Favorite Movie?
    Spider Man

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with vvvpig

    vvvpig is a TCO Finalist, named vvvpig and is coming from China

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder provides good chances to compete and win prizes. It will also shows me how the latest IT techinologies work with real life business.

    What challenge(s) or project(s) put you on top for winning in a TCO stage?
    SunShot and IBM - SIBM projects.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I usually like to watch TV shows during my free time.

    Innovation.
    USA

    Inspiration.
    Edison

    Hope.
    Life

    Challenging.
    winner

    Create.
    life

    Favorite Food?
    noodle

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    God is girl

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beijing

    Favorite Movie?
    I,Robot

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    Collect suggestions from all participants and try to solve the top 10 ones.

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Antarctica

    Interview with ananthhh

    ananthhh is a TCO Finalist, named Muruganantham Elango and is coming from India

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I started competing in 2014.
    Worked on wide variety of projects in different domains like TopCoder’s Web-Arena, EMC’s SRT and LightSpeed, Project Mom And Pop, SunShot and many more.
    My first trip abroad - TCO15, Indianapolis. Memorable and Awesome experience.
    Totally a great 2 years with TopCoder.

    Why Topcoder?
    TCO, Prize Money and flexibility to work anywhere at my own schedule.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I was Captain of my College Chess team.

    Innovation.
    Internet

    Inspiration.
    Life

    Hope.
    New Year

    Challenging.
    Art

    Create.
    Ideas

    Favorite Food?
    Fried Ice cream

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    ARR Songs

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Hill Stations

    Favorite Movie?
    Inside Out

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Vegas

    Interview with callmekatootie

    callmekatootie is a TCO Finalist, named Mithun Kamath and is coming from India

    Why Topcoder?
    I have taken up Topcoder full time - I compete for money, bragging rights. and peace of mind

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I sponsored my parents’ trip to USA and Japan for sightseeing. Seeing them happy and content made me feel likewise.

    Innovation.
    Google

    Inspiration.
    People

    Hope.
    Dream

    Challenging.
    topcoder

    Create.
    stuff

    Favorite Food?
    Anything that mum cooks

    Favorite Color?
    blue

    Favorite Music?
    Bollywood

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Kerela

    Favorite Movie?
    Anything with Adam Sandler in it

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    If anyone writes something in the forums, they have to write in sentences in multiples of two and the even sentences should rhyme with their odd pair.

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Of course, in my own country, India and in Bangalore

    Interview with gondzo

    gondzo is a TCO Finalist, named Samir Gondzetovic and is coming from Bosnia and Hercegovina

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder in high school, joined in college for algorithm contests, started with development challenges after college and I’m still here, 3 years later :)

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder challenges are a great fit for part time work, and the prizes are good.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Scuba diving and Amateur (HAM) radio

    Innovation.
    Hard

    Inspiration.
    Divine

    Hope.
    Good

    Challenging.
    Interesting

    Create.
    Build

    Favorite Food?
    veal steak

    Favorite Color?
    blue

    Favorite Music?
    none

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    none

    Favorite Movie?
    Se7en

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Galapagos

    Interview with lbotsch

    lbotsch is a TCO Finalist, named Lukas Botsch and is coming from Germany

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was looking for programming challenges and found topcoder by chance. I started with the first challenge that looked interesting to me, it was a F2F challenge and I won. From there on, I was hooked

    Why Topcoder?
    I like the challenge. I love to learn new things and to find creative solutions to a problem, in a way that is not expected. I remember one challenge, where I was supposed to use a platform API in a way that was not intended. That was really fun.

    Innovation.
    creativity

    Inspiration.
    freedom

    Hope.
    engine

    Challenging.
    motivation

    Create.
    learn

    Favorite Food?
    everything tasty

    Favorite Color?
    red

    Favorite Music?
    rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    the world

    Favorite Movie?
    the matrix

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    on the moon

    Is there something in particular you’d love your TCO16 finalist profile to share that I’ve not asked you? Feel free to write what you’d like it to say here.
    I am very excited to come to the TCO16 finals in Washington DC :)

    Interview with morehappiness

    morehappiness is a TCO Finalist, named Zhijie Liu and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard Topcoder from a website named CSDN. I mostly compete assembly competitions and F2F competitions.

    Why Topcoder?
    I can work freely.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    My little son won a prize for the first time.

    Innovation.
    Technology

    Inspiration.
    Reading

    Hope.
    Winning

    Challenging.
    Persistence

    Create.
    Game

    Favorite Food?
    Beef

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    Tomorrow will be better

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Zhangjiajie

    Favorite Movie?
    Forrest Gump

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Qingdao

    Interview with smtryingcode

    smtryingcode is a TCO Finalist, named Shreemudra Satapathy and is coming from India

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder is a place where I can learn and work. It gives me confidence plus flexibility to work anywhere and anytime.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I like to travel and I always do the work I like. I am happy with my life and I am proud of it.

    Innovation.
    Topcoder

    Inspiration.
    TCO Finalists

    Hope.
    Become TCO champion

    Challenging.
    Other Competitors

    Create.
    good UI UX

    Favorite Food?
    Rice and Fish Curry

    Favorite Color?
    white

    Favorite Music?
    Bollywood Music

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Goa

    Favorite Movie?
    Blood Diamond

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    USA

    Interview with CatalinT

    CatalinT is a TCO Finalist, named Catalin-Stefan Tiseanu and is coming from Romania

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I’m a Topcoder member since 2004. I managed to become red in the algorithm track and qualify for the Google Code Jam final in 2006 (which was held through Topcoder), and since then Topcoder always had a warm place in my heart.

    The first time I seriously competed in the marathon TCO was in 2014 (in terms of spending days and nights in a row coding). I managed to qualify for the TCO 2015 Marathon final, where I placed 4th onsite.

    In 2016, the competition for qualifying for the final got even more intense, with 2 direct spots per qualifier round. I managed to place first in the last qualifier round, thereby securing my participation this year.

    I’m really excited to be competing again this year, and I hope to (significantly :P) beat my placement from last year!

    Why Topcoder?
    I like TopCoder because I get to compete with the best in the world. I started in the Algorithms track, and transitioned gradually to the Marathon and Machine learning contests.
    I like the latter for the added skills they brought. Competing for 2 weeks in a Marathon/Machine learning contest requires a lot of non-CS skills: stamina, motivation, confidence, willingness to keep trying new ideas even if the previous 20 failed, etc.
    Additionally, there is also a healthy component of real world engineering skills: making sure you have no bugs, optimizing your code to the bone and also designing your code such that it will not become a total spaghetti mess in 2 weeks :)

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m really proud of all the things I got to experimence until now, be it varied work projects, travel all over the world, friendships across lots of cultures and supporting my girlfriend in her quest to become a computer scientist.

    Innovation.
    Technology

    Inspiration.
    Performance

    Hope.
    Strength

    Challenging.
    Exciting

    Create.
    Start-up

    Favorite Food?
    Sushi

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Depp house

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    A tropical island

    Favorite Movie?
    Gattaca

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with eldidou

    eldidou is a TCO Finalist, named Stéphane Le Roy and is coming from France

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I started to compete at Topcoder for the TCO13 and manage to qualify for the finals since then. I didn’t do well in the finals the previous years but this time I will do better !

    Why Topcoder?
    Having fun, meeting people from around the world, winning trips to the us, learning new things.

    Innovation.
    Creation

    Inspiration.
    Expiration

    Hope.
    A New Hope

    Challenging.
    Being here

    Create.
    Innovate

    Favorite Food?
    Kig ha farz

    Favorite Color?
    yellowish blue

    Favorite Music?
    Dschinghis Khan - Moskau

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Tuamotu

    Favorite Movie?
    Kung Fury

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    Trial by combat instead of system tests.

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Anywhere? On the ISS.

    Interview with imazato

    imazato is a TCO Finalist, named Kenichi Imazato and is coming from Japan

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I started competing in Topcoder Marathon contests in 2009. And I competed in TCO Marathon Match in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015. But I could not advance to Final. (I stoped competing after graduating from university. So there are blank years. I restarted in 2013.) This year, I advanced to TCO Final and I’m so excited. I hope I can do well in TCO Final.

    Why Topcoder?
    I compete in Topcoder just for fun.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I have run a marathon under 3 hours before.

    Innovation.
    destruction

    Inspiration.
    light bulb

    Hope.
    space

    Challenging.
    overcome

    Create.
    God

    Favorite Food?
    rice

    Favorite Color?
    red

    Favorite Music?
    none

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    my home

    Favorite Movie?
    Back to the Future

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Moon

    Interview with marek.cygan

    marek.cygan is a TCO Finalist, named Marek Cygan and is coming from Poland

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I have heard about Topcoder when Tomek Czajka (tomek) won TCO in 2003. For several years I have competed in the algorithms track, but about 2 years ago I switched to the marathon track. This will be my 10-th Topcoder onsite event (9-th TCO).

    Why Topcoder?
    I am here to learn and to have fun, moreover I like the competitive aspect of contests.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I am happily married and have 8-months old daughter.

    Innovation.
    Idea

    Inspiration.
    Life

    Hope.
    optimism

    Challenging.
    interesting

    Create.
    Code

    Favorite Food?
    Meat

    Favorite Color?
    None

    Favorite Music?
    Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Close to water, forest and mountains.

    Favorite Movie?
    The Shawshank Redemption

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New Zealand

    Interview with nhzp339

    nhzp339 is a TCO Finalist, named Xiaoshi Lu and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I read a thread from the forum of ZheJiang University at the end of 2004, which featureed Standlove’s story at Topcoder. From then on I’ve competed in Topcoder in many tracks. Recently I still compete but mostly only in Marathon. This will be my 8th Marathon final onsite.

    Why Topcoder?
    You can always learn many things from competing with others, and try your best to do a certain task contains a lot of joy.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    In 2002 I got 100,000 yuan(about $15,000) by guessing matches results of World Cup South Korea/Japan.

    Innovation.
    Imagination

    Inspiration.
    Intuition

    Hope.
    Wishes

    Challenging.
    Competition

    Create.
    Creature

    Favorite Food?
    Pan cake

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Butterfly’s Love

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Taipei

    Favorite Movie?
    The Shawshank Redemption

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with nika

    nika is a TCO Finalist, named Nicholas Jimsheleishvili and is coming from Georgia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was TCO Algorithm finalist a few times and after spectating Marathon finals I got really interested and decided to take it more seriously. In 2014 I managed to advance to my first Marathon finals. This year online rounds were much harder but got lucky and will be competing in my second Marathon finals.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I work in silicon valley with a company which was a very small startup sponsoring TCO in 2011 when I met them. It is exciting to see the company grow so fast since then.

    Innovation.
    Idea

    Inspiration.
    Target

    Hope.
    Future

    Challenging.
    Competition

    Create.
    Work

    Favorite Food?
    Steak

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    Pop

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Miami beach

    Favorite Movie?
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    Every time your code doesn’t compile you have to do a push up

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with Psyho

    Psyho is a TCO Finalist, named Przemysław Dębiak and is coming from Poland

    What is your Topcoder story?
    http://m.natemat.pl/bf0c2cb841d88364973ba78444da710d,640,0,0,0.jpg

    Why Topcoder?
    https://cdn.meme.am/instances/56662860.jpg

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    http://i.imgur.com/QQxfH6S.jpg

    Innovation.
    Innovation

    Inspiration.
    Inspiration

    Hope.
    Hope

    Challenging.
    Challenging

    Create.
    Create

    Favorite Food?
    http://prawns.dinehere.us/itemimmgs/992953_2_2_RibeyeSteak_1248870088.jpg

    Favorite Color?
    https://www.google.pl/search?q=orange+color

    Favorite Music?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqiePnTXpNE

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    http://127.0.0.1/

    Favorite Movie?
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/FullMoon2010.jpg

    Is there something in particular you’d love your TCO16 finalist profile to share that I’ve not asked you? Feel free to write what you’d like it to say here.
    http://goo.gl/euHSDS

    Interview with wleite

    wleite is a TCO Finalist, named Wladimir Leite and is coming from Brazil

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I am veteran in Topcoder Marathon, started long time ago, back in 2003 competing in the Algorithm track. This will be my 8th TCO onsite participation (1 Algorithm and 6 Marathons so far), hope I can come back home with the championship this time!

    Why Topcoder?
    I am a really Topcoder enthusiast, I’ve learned a lot through all these years, and still feels there is a lot to be learned. Also I like competitions in general, as way to stay motivated and always try to improve our skills.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    We have two small kids (ages 2 and 4), and although raising kids is much harder than solving TC problems, me and my wife are very proud of them.

    Innovation.
    Future

    Inspiration.
    My parents

    Hope.
    My kids

    Challenging.
    Fuel

    Create.
    Inovate

    Favorite Food?
    Shrimp

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Classic Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beach

    Favorite Movie?
    A.I. Artificial Intelligence

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New York, Las Vegas or Orlando

    Interview with abedavera

    abedavera is a TCO Finalist, named Junius Albertho and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I know TC from my junior in university, Izhari Ishak Aksa. I compete in UI Design. TCCC & TCO Champ

    Why Topcoder?
    To challenge myself.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Mountain biking alone in the forest.

    Innovation.
    human future

    Inspiration.
    gift

    Hope.
    patience

    Challenging.
    brave

    Create.
    vision

    Favorite Food?
    Burger King

    Favorite Color?
    Black

    Favorite Music?
    Pop

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beach

    Favorite Movie?
    Transformer

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with Artevisual

    Artevisual is a TCO Finalist, named Linda Inciarte and is coming from Venezuela

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I knew about Topcoder from a group of friends that have been part of the community for a long time. I decided to try and the experience was extraordinary, I really like the dynamics of the community and the diversity of projects and clients for whom I have the opportunity to design.

    Why Topcoder?
    What I love more about Topcoder is that allows me to keep growing, challenging myself and experimenting with new graphic styles and trends. And of course, the great community.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I love walking and being in the park.

    Innovation.
    Creativity

    Inspiration.
    Tranquility

    Hope.
    Life

    Challenging.
    Mind

    Create.
    Freedom

    Favorite Food?
    Chocolate

    Favorite Color?
    All

    Favorite Music?
    I like a bit of everything.

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    The beach

    Favorite Movie?
    Across the Universe

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hmmm!

    Interview with cendhika

    cendhika is a TCO Finalist, named Kharisma Cendhika Putra and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    My first Topcoder experience was in 2015 when I attend TCO15 Design Final in Yogyakarta, Indonesia as a spectator. I was very impressed by the competition model and the challenge. I was more excited because as spectator we had chance to win cash by participating live Rapid UX Challenge. It was my first experience pushing my design skill to understand the brief and complete a screen in just one hour. I won almost all the Rapid UX Challenges and that day was a blast! I was dreaming someday I will be participating as finalist in the real challenge, the TCO Design Final.

    In TCO16 Indonesia Regional Design Event, suprisingly, Topcoder give 2 tickets for TCO16 Design Final in Washington DC. I was super excited and now still can’t belive my dream last year, with the ticket to the final already in my hand.

    Why Topcoder?
    First, I love the competition atmosphere.It pushes me harder and helps train me to be better. Second, Topcoder was different. It offer designer chance to put them self in solving complex design problem. Putting ourself into another design level. The price was much rewarding. It so much motivating. The satisfaction was more than just winning a contest. Apart from being a winner or not, every single challenge creates a nice story.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I love everything about visuals. Besides design, I also love to draw, photograph and filming anything! Photography brings myself to explore new places and meet new people. Having pair of eyes to see, hand to create and heart to feel are things I most proud of.

    Innovation.
    Future

    Inspiration.
    Heart

    Hope.
    Love

    Challenging.
    Struggle

    Create.
    Innovation

    Favorite Food?
    Sate Ayam

    Favorite Color?
    Purple

    Favorite Music?
    Progressive Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Mountain

    Favorite Movie?
    Captain America : Civil War

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Paris

    Is there something in particular you’d love your TCO16 finalist profile to share that I’ve not asked you? Feel free to write what you’d like it to say here.
    I am new in this community. And I feel so excited but also bit nervous about the competition. By the time I joining the group I feel this community was more than I was thinking. Everyone was so supporting and nice! I was much inspired by other finalist. And I really glad to be here! Thanks Topcoder.

    Interview with DaraK

    DaraK is a TCO Finalist, named Daniela Pratia and is coming from Romania

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was introduced to Topcoder in 2010 by a friend. I compete on Design and Information Arhitecture track lately. While I was just a beginner in design when I joined, I grew up a lot all these years and made some great friends along the way.

    Why Topcoder?
    Because of the freedom to work while travelling, the ability to chose the projects to work on from many interesting ones, big clients and prizes.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I am proud of my ambition to learn and my analytical skills: after entering an university I didn’t like, I ended up finishing on top of the year and getting a scholarship in Germany.

    Innovation.
    TopCoder

    Inspiration.
    Nature

    Hope.
    Work

    Challenging.
    Life

    Create.
    Solve

    Favorite Food?
    Creamy Mushroom Soup

    Favorite Color?
    Red

    Favorite Music?
    Psytrance

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Austrian Alps

    Favorite Movie?
    The Terminal

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Japan

    Interview with iamtong

    iamtong is a TCO Finalist, named Teeraporn Sriponpak and is coming from Thailand

    What is your Topcoder story?
    This is my 7th year at Topcoder, I randomly found Studio banner while browsing the internet, and It brought me here. My 1st month was incredible, I won a couple challenges and won Studio cup of that month, My biggest success would be winning TCO12 on studio/ design track.

    What challenge(s) or project(s) put you on top for winning in a TCO stage?
    I would say Interlochen Media – iOS Screen Design Challenge played the part, at first this challenge was cancelled by the client, but the admin fought for us to get client picked winners since we delivered what they asked for. By winning this one it took me to be #1 of period 3

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m a father of 2 girls, they are amazing, and I am pretty amazed at myself and my wife as parents. It’s not an easy job but I think we’ve been doing great on raising them.

    Innovation.
    Mobile

    Inspiration.
    Pinterest

    Hope.
    Tomorrow

    Challenging.
    Fun

    Create.
    New

    Favorite Food?
    Thai Dishes

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    90’s

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beach

    Favorite Movie?
    Big Fish

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with kharm

    kharm is a TCO Finalist, named Panji Kharisma and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I started Topcoder in the Algorithm track as High school student. Thankfully, I tried to compete in the Studio and it worked for me. My best accomplishments in TC are winning Studio Cup in late 2014 and becoming a third place winner in TCO Studio 2015.

    Why Topcoder?
    I like the freedom, experience, community, competitive environment and the rewards of course.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Well, I think I haven’t really make a big impact in someone’s life today. Maybe just a little help to people near me. Hopefully, I could make a better life for a lot of people one day :)

    Innovation.
    Topcoder

    Inspiration.
    Jesus

    Hope.
    Love

    Challenging.
    Topcoder Studio

    Create.
    Start up

    Favorite Food?
    Spagethi

    Favorite Color?
    Client Request

    Favorite Music?
    In Christ Alone - Lou Fellingham

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Bed

    Favorite Movie?
    LOTR

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Venezia

    Interview with Nicokontes

    Nicokontes is a TCO Finalist, named Nico Fertandy and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I accidentally found Topcoder while reading an a Quora answer. The first time I joined Topcoder, I knew nothing about UI/UX Design. With a fixed mindset to believe “fake it till you make it”, has had a large effect on my performance & results.

    With some help & guidance from folks like (Copilots) Dedy, Fajar and Master Yoki (designer), now I’m really having fun at Topcoder.

    Why Topcoder?
    It’s fun & addictive. It’s not like any other crowdsourcing contest. At Topcoder, I don’t really feel like I compete with other designers. It feels more like we play together, communicate, and collaborate working on client’s projects.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Two times I dropped out of college and I resigned from my last job to chase my passion in UI/UX design at Topcoder.

    Innovation.
    breakthroughs

    Inspiration.
    Ideas

    Hope.
    belief

    Challenging.
    Fascinating

    Create.
    play

    Favorite Food?
    Indonesian Noodles

    Favorite Color?
    Red

    Favorite Music?
    Yiruma

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Singapore

    Favorite Movie?
    Hello Ghost (2010 - korean movie)

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Seoul, South Korea

    Interview with Ravijune

    Ravijune is a TCO Finalist, named K Ravi Kumar and is coming from India

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder from one of my good friends and I tried to participate in most of the challenges from then on. I still love reading the specs even when I don’t participate in a challenge.

    Why Topcoder?
    Because Topcoder’s fun and challenging at the same time . Thanks to the LUX challenges which helped me learn from the winning designs and other cool designers.

    Innovation.
    Idea

    Inspiration.
    Behance

    Hope.
    Green

    Challenging.
    Design

    Create.
    Design

    Favorite Food?
    South Indian

    Favorite Color?
    Black

    Favorite Music?
    Old

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beach or any place with lush green

    Favorite Movie?
    PK

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Norway

    Is there something in particular you’d love your TCO16 finalist profile to share that I’ve not asked you? Feel free to write what you’d like it to say here.
    Topcoder’s the best thing that has ever happened in my life. It sure has played a major role in fulfilling my personal goals. <3

    Interview with tewibowo

    tewibowo is a TCO Finalist, named tewibowo and is coming from indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I was introduced to topcoder by my good friend kharm. He told me how Topcoder works, how to get the payment, etc.
    At first, I thought this is a good chance to learn more about UI/UX design.

    But after I won first place on my first project ‘SunShot - RE-volv - Responsive Website Design Challenge’ I join the challenges regularly when it’s possible.

    Why Topcoder?
    In topcoder I learned alot of new things, how the community works also what international client’s wants in the UI/UX design industry. I compete to enhance my design skills and to be more competitive but also for the prize that is still worth it for now.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I usually spend my Tuesday nights as a class facilitator in the community of leaders class. I do it because I love to meet new people with many different backgrounds, and we share stories with each other while also supporting each other.

    Innovation.
    Light

    Inspiration.
    A Leader

    Hope.
    Jesus!

    Challenging.
    Quiting

    Create.
    Design

    Favorite Food?
    Hamburger

    Favorite Color?
    Black

    Favorite Music?
    Cold Play, Maroon 5

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Bali!

    Favorite Movie?
    All Good Movies

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New Zealand

    Interview with universo

    universo is a TCO Finalist, named Steven and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    The first time I knew about Topcoder Design Studio is from my brother. By joining and becoming a Topcoder member, he told me that it would become one of the greatest opportunities for me to improve my UI/UX design skill and also earn a lot of money. I can’t remember exactly what my first project was in Topcoder, but I just remember when I got my first winning placement in IBM challenge — 1st place in IBM Catalyst web design challenge. It motivated me a lot until now!

    Why Topcoder?
    I totally enjoy every challenge in Topcoder, especially Website & Widget/mobile screen challenges. It’s become my pleasure to try something different in every challange and every design category to improve my skill, plus a lot of prizes are waiting.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I am a person who has a big dream to travel around the world. The first place that I want to visit if i have a chance to travel outside my country is New York!

    Innovation.
    Something new

    Inspiration.
    Role model

    Hope.
    Dream

    Challenging.
    Fight

    Create.
    Do the best

    Favorite Food?
    Sushi

    Favorite Color?
    Orange

    Favorite Music?
    Pop

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Bali

    Favorite Movie?
    Maleficent

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    USA

    Interview with yiming

    yiming is a TCO Finalist, named Yiming Liao and is coming from China

    Why Topcoder?
    There are a lot of great clients and interesting projects in Topcoder. And I have passion and desire to compete.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I love reading, music, and gardening. I have a small garden and have planted many fruit trees and roses.

    Innovation.
    Tesla

    Inspiration.
    Bulb

    Hope.
    Sprout

    Challenging.
    Arena

    Create.
    Plant

    Favorite Food?
    Roasted Goose

    Favorite Color?
    #2196F3

    Favorite Music?
    Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Rome, Italy

    Favorite Movie?
    The Terminal (2004)

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    Fix all system bugs

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hallstatt, Austria

    Interview with yoki

    yoki is a TCO Finalist, named Yoki Tyas Riesmana and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I learned about TC Studio in 2008 from my friends. Money was the main reason why I started to join studio challenges in the end of 2011. I knew totally “zero” about designs, but my friends Basuki & Ajie teach me. I found my passion more in designs since I started to choose TC as my full job.

    TCO16 will be my 5th TCO. My highest achievement was 2nd place in TCO12, my first TCO.

    Why Topcoder?
    Professionalism, Prizes, & Family.
    Working on projects from big companies are exciting, I can learn and push my limits to get better result.
    TC is one big family, as we compete with other competitors we also make new friends around the world.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Being a husband & a father

    Innovation.
    Freedom

    Inspiration.
    Creative

    Hope.
    Win

    Challenging.
    Winning

    Create.
    Unique

    Favorite Food?
    Kupang Lontong

    Favorite Color?
    Blue Sky

    Favorite Music?
    Foo Fighters

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beach

    Favorite Movie?
    The Simpsons

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Japan

    Interview with besabestin

    besabestin is a TCO Finalist, named Bisrat Tekle Aweno and is coming from Ethiopia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I came to topcoder from the Google Code Jam. I wanted to practice algorithm problems and I stayed for the money. I have been competing in UI prototype competitions and I so far have 16 wins in that track.

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder represents a passionate environment for me. It creates character in a person from working harder and trying to accomplish all tasks within a time frame. The experience is immense.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I discovered what a pleasure running is just last year. And in the course of 1 year I have improved my time by 10 minutes. Now I can run 5kms in 18 minutes. I have a plan to improve it to 16 or 17 minutes and run in my city this year. Let’s keep running!!

    Innovation.
    passion

    Inspiration.
    books

    Hope.
    peace

    Challenging.
    win

    Create.
    Simple

    Favorite Food?
    Ethiopian Chicken

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Hip hop

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Ethiopian mountains - Haven’t travelled much though. Only some Europe and Ethiopia.

    Favorite Movie?
    The lord of the rings

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Can’t think of any

    Interview with dileepa

    dileepa is a TCO Finalist, named Dileepa Balasuriya and is coming from Sri Lanka

    Why Topcoder?
    I have the passion to compete and Topcoder gives higher value to that. Also I win most of the them.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m a non IT Engineer and national level volleyball player.

    Innovation.
    UI framworks

    Inspiration.
    money

    Hope.
    Leave computer. :)

    Challenging.
    competitors

    Create.
    challenging UIs

    Favorite Food?
    fruits

    Favorite Color?
    green

    Favorite Music?
    classic

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Nuwaraeliya

    Favorite Movie?
    Fast and furious

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    add 1 day for every project :D

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    USA

    Interview with hi4sandy

    hi4sandy is a TCO Finalist, named Sandeep Yadav and is coming from India

    What is your Topcoder story?
    While competing in a college contest I came to know about Topcoder & after that I started competing on Topcoder.
    Mostly I compete in the UI track.

    I won the online rounds & became the TCO finalist in 2014 & 2015. This year also got a change to compete in TCO UI track onsite finals.

    Why Topcoder?
    To win the TCO onsite finals and also to learn & earn.

    Competing in Topcoder challenges gives the freedom to work from anywhere, anytime & provide lot of opportunities to learn new things in a professional way. Also the reviewers feedback provides essential details need to focus on.

    Innovation.
    Simplicity

    Inspiration.
    Mother

    Hope.
    Only thing that keeps me going.

    Challenging.
    Transending

    Create.
    Folder name I use to store TC development work.

    Favorite Food?
    Panner Butter Masala

    Favorite Color?
    Sky Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi…

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Leh, India

    Favorite Movie?
    Interstellar

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    Will change the rewarding system & will automate some of the scorecard sections.

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with leo.ananth

    leo.ananth is a TCO Finalist, named Leo Ananth and is coming from India

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about topcoder from my brother selvaa89 . I compete in UI prototype track. Got qualified for TCO15.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I am working in Singapore for a bank and I am the youngest in the team.

    Innovation.
    Topcoder

    Inspiration.
    Money

    Hope.
    Knowledge

    Challenging.
    TCO

    Create.
    happiness

    Favorite Food?
    Chicken Biriyani

    Favorite Color?
    Yellow

    Favorite Music?
    A.R.Rahman

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Cricket

    Favorite Movie?
    Batman begins

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    I would double the prize money.

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    London

    Interview with moulyg

    moulyg is a TCO Finalist, named Mouly Gunarathne and is coming from Sri Lanka

    Innovation.
    Apple

    Inspiration.
    Idea

    Hope.
    Tomorrow

    Challenging.
    Winning

    Create.
    Life

    Favorite Food?
    Cashew nuts

    Favorite Color?
    Green

    Favorite Music?
    Classical

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Nuwara eliya

    Favorite Movie?
    Jurassic World

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New York

    Interview with nghi85

    nghi85 is a TCO Finalist, named Tran Viet Nhan Nghi and is coming from Vietnam

    Why Topcoder?
    I am a freelancer so I have the income from participating in Topcoder challenge. Moreover, I can also improve my programming skill by learning from code of other highly skilled competitors.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    Outside Topcoder, I like to play sports and listen to music.

    Innovation.
    Innovation

    Inspiration.
    I

    Hope.
    Believe

    Challenging.
    Hard

    Create.
    Make

    Favorite Food?
    Pizza

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    EDM

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Phu Quoc beach

    Favorite Movie?
    Iron Man

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Vietnam

    Is there something in particular you’d love your TCO16 finalist profile to share that I’ve not asked you? Feel free to write what you’d like it to say here.
    This will be my first time in USA for really interesting TCO16 event. I’m eager to compete in UI Prototype Onsite Final.

    Interview with nomo_kazza

    nomo_kazza is a TCO Finalist, named SOLOMON KASSAYE and is coming from ETHIOPIA

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I got Topcoder while I was in search of a programming practicing site in 2009.
    When I joined TC, I started to participate in java Component Development track to improve my experience, but unfortunately I could not win any challenges since the competition is very tough.

    Then after six year since joining TC, I started to participate in the UI prototype track and then I won my first project. Now I’m full time TC member.

    Why Topcoder?
    Two things, experience and money.

    Innovation.
    new

    Inspiration.
    enjoy

    Hope.
    living

    Challenging.
    hard

    Create.
    new

    Favorite Food?
    traditional food(doro wet)

    Favorite Color?
    orange

    Favorite Music?
    slow

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    no

    Favorite Movie?
    breaking bad

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    I’d increase the timeline of the project.

    Interview with soso0574

    soso0574 is a TCO Finalist, named Shen Jianchang and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder from ACM competitions. I work on UI Prototype challenges.
    I have learned much from Topcoder about coding and also English.

    Why Topcoder?
    I like the way of coding on Topcoder and can learn a lot from Techies.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I have worked on Topcoder last for about 7 years and I am happy to work on TC. I have a twin sisters and they are very naughty. I am enjoying my life.

    Innovation.
    AngularJS

    Inspiration.
    Art

    Hope.
    Furture

    Challenging.
    Life

    Create.
    Life

    Favorite Food?
    French fries

    Favorite Color?
    Black

    Favorite Music?
    Hotel California

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    West Lake

    Favorite Movie?
    2012

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Seattle

    Interview with thomaskranitsas

    thomaskranitsas is a TCO Finalist, named Thomas Kranitsas and is coming from Greece

    What is your Topcoder story?
    About 11 months ago I was competing in algorithmic competitions on various web platforms but I was looking for something more than that. Then I found Topcoder and I was immediatelly thrilled with the way TC challenges work. I stoped competing in algorithms and started working on challenges in various tracks, mainly CODE, F2F, UI PROTOTYPE. After persistent work I achieved to became a reviewer.

    Why Topcoder?
    Because Topoder gives the freedom to choose when I will compete and in what technologies I will compete.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    In my free time I play the guitar, I do paragliding and I do workouts in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

    Innovation.
    Google

    Inspiration.
    Future

    Hope.
    My family

    Challenging.
    Challenge Accepted!

    Create.
    Code

    Favorite Food?
    Souvlaki & Greek salad

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Classic Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Any Greek island

    Favorite Movie?
    Any action movies

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    San Francisco

    Interview with elkhawajah

    elkhawajah is a Trip Winner, named Ahmad Aklhawaja and is coming from Jordan

    What is your Topcoder story?
    ah … this is 10 years a story! I started competing in SRMs when I was in university, then I started to do development challenges. Then I moved on to become a full time copilot.
    My accomplishments: I was two times coder of the month, won multiple TCO trips in the past :)

    Why Topcoder?
    I don’t compete but I do copiloting, mainly to help clients to build great apps and products.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I am proud of many things that I can’t even remember anything at this point JK … I really cannot think of anything specific except that I am just satisfied and happy in my life.

    Innovation.
    apple

    Inspiration.
    Gary Vee

    Hope.
    Faith in Allah

    Challenging.
    My Dreams

    Create.
    Robot

    Favorite Food?
    Mansaf

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Arabic

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Hawaii

    Favorite Movie?
    The Social Network

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawaii

    Interview with f0rc0d3r

    f0rc0d3r is a Trip Winner, named Silvana Vacchina and is coming from Spain

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I first heard about Tocoder from a NASA request about a project to search for asteroids. Since then I’ve been growing with this platform and I’ve seen how this has changed, I’ve participated in some very interesting projects and I’ve met interesting people :)

    Why Topcoder?
    I compete because I focus better and I’m a better worker under pressure… in common jobs I feel a little bored and only one job makes me feel the same so having the chance to work for different projects makes me feel interested in what I’m doing having to schedule time as better as possible and having to think in different things at the same time.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I love to live next to the sea and I enjoy playing music very much. I’ve been singing for several years in a chorus and I’ve been playing a couple of years with a metal band. I also love to have spent some months working in a space center participating in launching missions because I love everything related with space (who has never dreamed of being an astronaut?..)

    Innovation.
    progress

    Inspiration.
    White

    Hope.
    space

    Challenging.
    strength

    Create.
    empty

    Favorite Food?
    Spaguetti

    Favorite Color?
    Black

    Favorite Music?
    Metal, Classical, Oldies…

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Caribean islands (or any island)

    Favorite Movie?
    The Hunt for Red October

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Hawai (or some place next to the sea… California for example)

    Interview with FireIce

    FireIce is a Trip Winner, named Guiqiang Zhang and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I heard about Topcoder far way back when Google used Topcoder Algorithm Platform to hold Google Code Jam for recruiting talented people. So I have been on Topcoder more than 10 years. I’ve been competing in different tracks for many years (see my profile). And for recent years, I have been a copilot for managing projects and make it success both for clients and competitors.

    Why Topcoder?
    Self-Improvement, Freedom, Community

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I prefer simple life in peace. besides working, I like watching NBA and playing basketball, watching Movies and TV shows.

    Innovation.
    Google

    Inspiration.
    Nature

    Hope.
    Don’t Giveup

    Challenging.
    Data

    Create.
    Personality

    Favorite Food?
    Chinese Food

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    N/A

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Beach

    Favorite Movie?
    Indendency Day

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Las Vagas, Orlando

    Interview with Ghostar

    Ghostar is a Trip Winner, named Justin Gasper and is coming from Australia

    Why Topcoder?
    I’ve been doing Topcoder competitions, reviewing, and copiloting projects for more than 10 years now. At this point I don’t think I could do much else without a lot of effort, so inertia definitely plays a big part of why I’m still with Topcoder. I rarely “compete” anymore, but being a copilot allows me to work how I like to work, and on projects that are interesting and challenging.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I once set a record in a Tasmanian bakery for eating a cupcake in 13 seconds without using my hands.

    Innovation.
    Tesla

    Inspiration.
    Artistic

    Hope.
    Peace

    Challenging.
    This word association game.

    Create.
    Studio

    Favorite Food?
    Donuts

    Favorite Color?
    Blue

    Favorite Music?
    Indie

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Hawaii

    Favorite Movie?
    Grosse Pointe Blank

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    TCO coordinator gets a $1,000,000 bonus and a live-in nanny

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New York

    Interview with N1k1tung

    N1k1tung is a Trip Winner, named Nikita Rodin and is coming from Belarus

    What is your Topcoder story?
    Joined back in HS for the data science track. Two years ago decided to try the development track after receiving email about the Swift program and I saw a lot of iOS challenges. I’ve been actively participating since then.

    Why Topcoder?
    Mainly an income source, but there’s more to it: competition is way more entertaining then regular approach, though might be frustrating at times

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I try to contain my pride =)

    Innovation.
    Revolution

    Inspiration.
    Observation

    Hope.
    Believe

    Challenging.
    Interesting

    Create.
    Make

    Favorite Food?
    Cheese

    Favorite Color?
    Red

    Favorite Music?
    Vocaloid

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Don’t like staying at one place on vacation

    Favorite Movie?
    Code Geass

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    My home city

    Interview with picachui

    picachui is a Trip Winner, named Sathya Jayabal and is coming from India

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I first learned about Topcoder from my brother in law in 2009. I got to learn about Wireframing and continue to compete in the IA track.

    Why Topcoder?
    Topcoder gives you a chance to compete with people from all over the world. When you win, you get the feeling that you are the best in the world. TCO is also a big part of why I compete in Topcoder. I just love the chance to travel and meet everyone and watch the finals.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I guess my cooking. I like to recreate dishes that I have tasted in restaurants.

    Innovation.
    something new

    Inspiration.
    ideas

    Hope.
    never lose it

    Challenging.
    topcoder

    Create.
    pride

    Favorite Food?
    Biriyani

    Favorite Color?
    Red

    Favorite Music?
    Light Music

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    New York

    Favorite Movie?
    LOTR

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    New York

    Interview with selvia_ettine

    selvia_ettine is a Trip Winner, named Selvia Ettine and is coming from Indonesia

    What is your Topcoder story?
    I just realized that I’ve been competing at Topcoder for about 7 years now! It’s amazing how time flies when you’re having fun. I have been (and still am) competing in the Information Architecture track.

    Why Topcoder?
    I really enjoy the competition aspect of Topcoder challenges. It motivates me to keep honing my skills and deliver the best results that I can produce.

    Innovation.
    Future

    Inspiration.
    Art

    Hope.
    Light

    Challenging.
    Space

    Create.
    Life

    Favorite Food?
    Pasta

    Favorite Color?
    White

    Favorite Music?
    Alternative Rock

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Home :D

    Favorite Movie?
    Cloud Atlas

    If you were in charge of Topcoder for the day, what rule would you institute?
    Bonus T-shirts for everyone!

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    On board the ISS (International Space Station)

    Interview with Wendell

    Wendell is a Trip Winner, named Qun Huang and is coming from China

    What is your Topcoder story?
    Having worked on topcoder for over 10 years, I’ve tried several different tracks. I started with component development and component design, tried some SRM challenges, then did some contract work for topcoder (much like the assembly competitions). In the past few years I competed in architecture track and now I’m a full time copilot.

    Why Topcoder?
    I like the freedom, I can choose what to work on and I get to learn new things and meet new coders all the time.

    Tell us about something in your life, outside of Topcoder, that you are most proud of.
    I’m finally my daughter’s favorite! :-)

    Innovation.
    Google

    Inspiration.
    Reading

    Hope.
    Kids

    Challenging.
    Success

    Create.
    Universe

    Favorite Food?
    Hot food!

    Favorite Color?
    Light green

    Favorite Music?
    Pop

    Favorite Vacation Spot?
    Maldives

    Favorite Movie?
    I don’t have one.

    If you could have the TCO finals anywhere, where would you have them?
    Las Vegas, Zurich, Maldives