A: As a CTO and technical founder, I’ve used various Google Cloud services, including Cloud Run, Cloud Build, Cloud Storage, Google Maps Geocoding API, Kubernetes Engine, and Secret Manager.

At my startup Monday Hero, we’re building a solution that converts Figma design to code and generates Flutter widgets from design. I’m using Google tools related to Flutter almost every day. Dartpad.dev is always open and pinned on my browser. I find Flutter docs very clear and concise.

I also usually explore other Google tools in personal projects. For example, I’ve used ML Kit and Firebase for one of my hobby projects to recognize texts in images.

A: My favorite tool so far is Google’s open-source framework Flutter. It’s very straightforward to create mobile, web, and desktop applications from a single codebase. The coolest part of Flutter is that applications written on Flutter are natively compiled. Creating natively working applications is very important for user experience. Before using Flutter, I built applications for both iOS and Android natively, but being able to build a mobile application for both platforms at least 30% faster is a game changer. Flutter is a life-saver for startups that want to create mobile solutions.

Considering new technologies like Flutter, the community around that specific technology is essential to adopting and improving the technology with honest feedback. I think the huge and welcoming community was one of the most important reasons to adopt and start using Flutter for my new projects. I want to thank the community builder and program managers for building the Flutter community worldwide.

A: After learning about ML Kit capabilities at Google IO 2018, I implemented ML Kit’s Text Recognition API on one of my iOS applications. It was surprisingly easy to build the solution, and the confidence rate was very high. Later that day, I also wrote a blog post for the Google Developer Community about the project and how smooth the integration was.

Knowing how to use technology to build creative solutions and what is possible with this kind of tech is a powerful skill. In the startup’s early days, my cofounder and I attended a hackathon, and we won first place with the project in which we used ML Kit and Firebase. One of the project’s key features was detecting the indicator number on the counter, which is used for utility usage via ML Kit’s text recognition and alerting the user when there is water leakage.

A: Improve analytical and problem-solving skills early in your developer journey, and continuously invest in these skills!

A good developer should be able to identify and solve problems. Problem-solving is about using logic and imagination to analyze a situation and then develop smart solutions to that problem. Follow the tech leaders and influencers in your area of interest and learn something new every day!