Portrait of Stefan Michalet: Stefan Michalet, Lead Developer at Wikit

At Wikit, we know that technological innovation comes first and foremost from the talent that makes it possible. Our employees are at the heart of our success, and we're proud to highlight those who drive our solution forward on a daily basis. Today, meet Stefan Michalet, Lead Developer at Wikit, who shares with us his career path, his strategic role and his vision of generative AI.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career?

My name is Stefan, I'm 33 and I'm the Lead Developer on the Wikit technical team.

I studied at the Claude Bernard University in Lyon 1, where I did a bachelor's degree in math/info followed by a master's degree in information and web technologies in 2014.

I then worked on internships, fixed-term contracts and permanent contracts at Worldline, a leading service company in payment and banking transactions in Europe.

At Worldline, I started working as a developer for SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine) in the GIS (Geographic Information System) department. The aim was to provide a "google map"-style service that would take the data collected by SHOM and make it publicly visible on an interactive map (data.shom.fr if the site still exists).

Then, still at Worldline, I worked as a developer in a payment service to help banks migrate to the new European PSD2 standard. This standard obliges banks in the European Union to open up their APIs to third-party applications. The product sold enabled banks to standardize more easily in the face of these challenges.

In 2020, I joined Wikit for a new adventure as Lead Developer.

How long have you been working at Wikit and what are your main day-to-day responsibilities?

I've been working at Wikit since 2020, since the first day of COVID confinement! My main missions today are a mix between a Lead Developer and an Architect with the following tasks:

• Guaranteeing code quality and harmonizing developments, while proposing tools dedicated to the developer (CI, CD, Gitlab, etc.). This also means helping the technical team with any blockages.
• Guaranteeing the solution's technical architecture
• Manage with the Product and Scrum Master the planning of Sprints for specifications and prioritization of technical tasks
• Develop features and help with the most robust bugs.

I also sit on the Wikit board, where we discuss the company's strategic choices.

How would you describe your role in the Wikit solution?

Although I also develop functionalities in the solution, I'm more "behind the scenes", taking part in planning, tool development and technical specification. I have to be available when one of the tools has a problem.

I stand back from the Wikit solution when I'm involved in architectural decisions.

What do you like best about Wikit?

What I like most about Wikit is the freedom and flexibility it gives employees. Whether in terms of development, choice of tools (PCs, software) or day-to-day operations (telecommuting, days off, etc.).

There's also a willingness to listen to all employees, and we're not caught up in the weight of hierarchy. This makes internal decision-making more human and understandable.

It's a big change from what I've experienced in a company the size of Worldline!

How do you see generative AI and chatbots evolving over the next few years, and where does Wikit fit in?

Even though generative AI is getting a lot of media coverage, as I talk about what I do on a daily basis, I realize that it's misunderstood. Either because it's seen as magical, with a great underestimation of the complexity of AI, or because people tend not to check what it generates, or because it's not known at all.

So there's a real educational task involved in explaining this technology to the general public and to businesses, while at the same time being responsive to the rapid changes we see on the market.

Je pense que c’est là que Wikit doit avoir sa place. Pour apporter de la stabilité chez nos clients dans un écosystème en pleine effervescence avec des acteurs nombreux, tout en proposant des fonctionnalités stratégiques autour des grands modèle de langage : gestion de conversation ludique, intégration au SI de l’entreprise, garde-fou, protection des données personnelles, etc.

If you had to describe the atmosphere at Wikit in three words, which would you choose?

Fun, uninhibited and close-knit.

Can you reveal something about yourself that's not in your CV?

I'm very efficient at night!

If you could have one superpower for a day, which would you choose and why?

I'm a sports fanatic, so clearly on a day with a final, I'd choose a score for my favorite team (Who said France or Olympique Lyonnais?).

Don't miss our next resources