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View Full Version : My first month at Hex-Rays


Daniel Pistelli
February 7th, 2010, 14:17
It is not a technical post, but I think I should put it here, because after all I read the Hex-Rays hiring announcement on the blogs of this forum.

At the beginning of September I started looking for a job. I actually wanted a job to work from remote. Despite the fact that I got several offers, all of them required relocation. So in the end I saw the Hex-Rays hiring announcement on Woodmann and sent out my résumé. From all the relocations, Belgium was the nearest and best connected one and of course it's a very good job.

The first month at Hex-Rays has been tough on all fronts. Mainly because of the relocation and getting used to work in an office. Now work is proceeding well, but the rest is still difficult. Having one day of sun here in Belgium would help, by the way.

Musil wrote in his life's work that modern man is spending his life always increasing his level of expertise, remaining with a millimeter of specialistic knowledge which only few people in the world could really understand. The others, talking about his millimeter would only say stupid things and he himself can't move from his own millimeter without running into the same problem.
I think I found my millimeter in the IT world. However, I can't stand still on it. I always keep moving with exasperated restlessness.

I have written in the last 2 years at least 5 programs of bigger size which are almost complete, but as I'm now working at Hex-Rays they will have to wait. When I was writing mostly software on my own I did it almost entirely to be active in something. Now that I'm working on IDA every day I feel that my need of being active is fulfilled and I don't feel the need to write more code when I'm at home. Instead, I feel the need of art.

Why haven't I tried producing art instead of programming already? Because I have always been capable of judging my own work objectively and I know when the time is not right.

What's the difference between programming and art? Both need experience. The difference is that one can build one's technical experience alone in one's room, without the help of events, social interaction, etc. In a technical field it is possible to make the time needed for experience advance faster. Viceversa, in one's reflections about life one has to actually follow the time of his own life.

I feel that something is changing about that.

Darkelf
February 7th, 2010, 14:29
Congrats, Daniel.
This is for sure a pretty interesting job.
Although I fear there will be no further "free" version of IDA, now that you are working on it.
But nevertheless, enjoy your work there. I'm really envious of you

edit: Yes, I know it's an imported blog, but Daniel will be around here anyway.

disavowed
February 7th, 2010, 17:43
Congrats on the new job, Daniel. They're lucky to have you!

Goveynetcom
February 8th, 2010, 03:13
Nice to hear. Congratulations. I'm sure we would all love to work there. At least you can find a job let alone such an exciting one. I have been having trouble find one, but still very cool. Enjoy your stay there, I'm sure you'll become even more engrossed in the beast that is RCE. Keep us updated as new things go on...

Daniel Pistelli
February 8th, 2010, 10:59
Thanks to all!

Darkelf: it's not an imported blog, I actually posted it here =)

disavowed: I think so too.
Just kidding, of course. =)

Woodmann
February 8th, 2010, 18:22
And to think most people dont believe me when I tell them that RCE skills do help to get a good job....

You work at Hex-Rays .

Woodmann

dELTA
February 8th, 2010, 22:55
Congrats again Daniel, I've been planning to nag you about making this announcement soon.

disavowed
February 9th, 2010, 01:54
Well now there are at least *2* people on this forum that have legitimate versions of IDA / Hex-Rays

Daniel Pistelli
February 9th, 2010, 03:53
Thanks!

Woodmann: the problem with RCE skills & job is that usually either you have a deep knowledge or it is difficult to get a job. Consider how many shitty doctors have a job in the world. This is because of the request size, which is very big for doctors, very little for reversers. And in the end, I got this particular job much more for my coding experience than my reversing one. In fact, nothing about reversing or little was asked me during the interview.
If one is looking for a job in the security industry, one will notice that there aren't so much choices. I also got 2 offers from Microsoft (relocation ireland or redmond), but was not interested in writing protections.

Btw, Hex-Rays was the only (apart from MS) company which offered me a job as a developer. All the others focused only on my rce experience.

Woodmann
February 9th, 2010, 19:58
So were you a coder who came to RCE or the other way around?

Woodmann

Daniel Pistelli
February 10th, 2010, 14:00
I'm a coder which came to RCE thanks to a friend of mine. I started programming at 14 and I got into the RCE world at 15.
Having said that, it has to be noted that Hex-Rays is the only company which offered me a job as developer in the security/RCE industry (except Microsoft, but I'm not interested in developing protections). All other offers were RCE oriented.
Which is interesting, because I'm fundamentally a developer and it seems that most companies didn't notice. Not that I'm unable to work as a reverser, but it's interesting.

GEEK
February 15th, 2010, 08:16
Congrats Daniel!

you deserve to be there and i totally agree with your opinion. reversing jobs are very few and there are tons of developer positions all around the world.
I think you made a wise choice

Relocating is always a difficult thing but you will get used to the surroundings in no time

keep us updated on IDA's progress