# Julian Köpke (@j4nk.dev)

Profile: https://sifa.id/p/j4nk.dev
Headline:  Systems Architect | Delivering Secure Platforms & Distributed Systems
Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Website: https://j4nk.dev/

## About

I help organizations achieve rapid product innovation without drowning in technical debt or compromising on security. I'm passionate about fostering a culture of ownership, pragmatic engineering and disciplined practices to achieve sustainable reliability and team success.

## Career

- **Software Engineer at Denpaflux** (Nov 2023 - Present)
  Munich, Bavaria, DE · Hybrid
  Pioneered an AI-integrated platform for PCB design review and EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) analysis. Orchestrated the technical lifecycle from PCB analysis and rendering to CI/CD pipelines, cloud infrastructure and ML operations.
- **Independent Photographer at JK.photos** (Jul 2026 - Present)
  Self-employed · Hybrid
  Specializing in documentary, event, and portrait photography. Focused on authentic, unposed moments and discrete coverage.
- **Lead Engineer at Foxinsights** (Jan 2018 - Oct 2023)
  Munich, Bavaria, DE · Hybrid
  Architected a cloud and mobile application for IoT sensor fleet management of >100k devices. Established the technical foundation and engineering culture. As Lead: talent management, hiring, ISO27001 compliance, and security education.
- **Software Architect at Jambit** (Jan 2013 - Dec 2017)
  Munich, Bavaria, DE · On-site
  IT consultant and developer in R&D, working on innovative projects in automotive and banking. Customers: BMW Forschung und Technik, Audi Business Innovation, Daimler AG, Fiducia IT AG.
- **IT Helpdesk at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München** (Oct 2007 - Sep 2012)
  Part-time · Munich, Bavaria, DE · On-site
  Technical support for students and staff of the Department of Media and Communication; maintained pool computers, web and licence servers, software rollouts.

## Talks & sessions

### [ A Rebel’s Guide to Digital Independence ](https://sifa.id/p/j4nk.dev/talk/a-rebel-s-guide-to-digital-independence-3mxa53jevtk2q)
_20 min · developers, decision makers_
Cory Doctorow calls it Enshittification: the systematic demolition of platforms that exploit users and the businesses depending on them, until nobody is happy. Now the same corporations are training AI on our data and selling the results back to us.

We should stop playing along.

This talk is about taking back control: of our data, the protocols and the infrastructure we depend on. We'll go from the theory to concrete steps you can take: owning your data, choosing open protocols, self-hosting and building software that benefits society instead of shareholders.
- Goatmire Elixir · Oct 2026 · Varberg, Halland, Sweden · Presenter · In person
### [The BEAM-Rust Sandwich](https://sifa.id/p/j4nk.dev/talk/the-beam-rust-sandwich-3mu2oxdjfcr2v)
_35 min · developers_
The BEAM is the perfect tool for building distributed systems that are resilient, maintainable and fun to implement. However, there are certain areas where the BEAM lacks, like computation heavy and graphically intensive applications.

In this talk I will demonstrate why Rust is a great match to fill those gaps. You will learn how to build a Phoenix LiveView application that is extended with Rust, in the browser using WebAssembly, and in the backend using Rustler NIFs. Whether you're planning to build a browser game with 3d graphics, a weather simulation or just want to calculate the last digit of Pi, there is no excuse not to run the BEAM anymore.
- Elixir Munich Meetup · Mar 2026 · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Presenter · In person
- CodeBEAM Europe · Nov 2025 · Berlin, State of Berlin, Germany · Presenter · In person

## Publications

- Publishing to the Atmosphere — j4nk.dev (Sep 2026) https://j4nk.dev/2026-09-24/atmosphere
- Living on the Edge — j4nk.dev (Jun 2026) https://j4nk.dev/2026-06-03/living-on-the-edge
- OOP considered harmful — j4nk.dev (Jun 2025) https://j4nk.dev/2025-06-28/oop-considered-harmful
- Recruiting as a startup — j4nk.dev (Mar 2025) https://j4nk.dev/2025-03-23/startup-recruiting
- My Coding Journey — j4nk.dev (Jan 2025) https://j4nk.dev/2025-01-19/my-coding-journey
- Start learning a new programming language, today — j4nk.dev (Nov 2024) https://j4nk.dev/2024-11-30/learn-a-language
- How I wasted a decade of my career with OOP — j4nk.dev (Nov 2024) https://j4nk.dev/2024-11-03/wasted-a-decade
- Pervasive Ad hoc Location Sharing To Enhance Dynamic Group Tours — 1st International Conference on Advances in Information Mining and Management (IMMM 2011) (2011) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236130768_Pervasive_Ad_hoc_Location_Sharing_To_Enhance_Dynamic_Group_Tours

## Skills

### Technical
- Active Directory
- Android Development
- Apache Kafka
- Augmented Reality
- CI/CD
- Computer Vision
- CSS
- Databases
- Docker
- Elixir
- Flutter
- Functional Programming
- Git
- HTML
- Internet of Things
- Java
- JavaScript
- Kotlin
- Linux
- PostgreSQL
- Rust
- Scala
- Software Engineering
- Spring Framework
- Tailwind CSS
- Web Development
- WebAssembly
- Windows Administration
- LDAP
### Business
- Agile Methodologies
- Blogging
- IT Consulting
### Creative
- Darktable
- Photography
- Prototyping
- UX Design
### Interpersonal
- Technical Leadership
### Security
- Cybersecurity
- Technical Support

## Credentials

- Professional Scrum Master I — Scrum.org (Dec 2016) https://www.scrum.org/certificates/218820

## Education

- **Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München** — Diplom, Informatik (Computer Science) (Master) (Oct 2006 - Sep 2012)
  \- Grade: Sehr gut (1.1 - equivalent to High Distinction)
  \- Minor Subject: Psychologie (Psychology)
  \- Thesis: Konzeption einer Plattform zur Realisierung von anonymen ortsbasierten Diensten (Design of a platform for anonymous location-based services)

## Languages

- German (native)
- English (full professional)
- Swedish (limited working)

## Links

- JK.photos (German): https://jk.photos/
- j4nk.dev blog: https://j4nk.dev/