At Siili's Oulu office, Anna Tiala and Olavi Mäcklin both hold the position of Fullstack Team Lead, a role that combines hands-on coding with team leadership responsibilities. They both returned to Siili after gaining broader industry experiences, now enriching the Siili community with insights gathered along the way.
For both Anna and Olavi, taking on a leadership role at Siili was a natural next step in their careers, though their paths were different.
Anna had been part of Siili’s "Master & Kisälli" program early in her career, a mentorship initiative that pairs experienced developers with juniors. Now, stepping into a team lead role, she sees leadership as an opportunity to create the same supportive environment she benefited from.
She now leads a team of full-stack developers in a consulting role, ensuring they have the right support for their projects. With recent organizational changes at Siili, her role also involves adapting to new team structures and fostering collaboration.
Olavi, on the other hand, spent several years as an entrepreneur before returning to Siili. “I had my own company with a couple of co-founders. We started in 2019, and after four years, we made an exit. That experience gave me valuable team-leading experience because, as an entrepreneur, you have to manage a lot of things.” After spending nine months at another company, he returned to Siili when the opportunity to lead a team presented itself.
Olavi's previous venture, a software consultancy, provided him with deep insights into people management. "Leadership is about empathy—being genuinely interested in people, listening actively, and asking questions that help you understand their perspectives," Olavi reflects. "The culture here, caring about people and the opportunity to bring my own ideas into the organization, is what brought me back," says Olavi.
"Returning to Siili is about commitment to growth—not just my own, but helping everyone in our community grow," Anna adds.
What it means to lead at Siili
For Anna, balancing technical work with leadership responsibilities is key. “We have great developers here, and our job as team leads is to create an environment where they can thrive. That means listening, supporting, and making sure everyone feels valued.” She emphasizes the importance of knowledge sharing and ensuring that team members feel empowered to develop their careers.
Anna also carries a unique perspective as a woman in tech. “It’s important to have diverse voices in leadership. When I was earlier in my career, seeing strong female developers and leaders helped me feel like I belonged. Now, I want to be that example for others.”
Olavi shares a similar philosophy but draws on his entrepreneurial experience to shape his leadership style. “In consulting, the rule of thumb is that about 20% of my time is for team leadership, and the rest is hands-on development work. But really, being a team lead is about making sure my team members have everything they need to develop in their careers.”
Olavi also values psychological safety, ensuring that employees feel included and heard. “Siili’s culture encourages people to bring their own ideas. That’s what makes it special.”
AI and the future of full-stack development
Both Anna and Olavi recognize that full-stack development is evolving rapidly, particularly with the rise of AI.
Anna sees AI as an opportunity rather than a threat: “AI can take away some of the repetitive, manual work and allow us to focus on problem-solving. It’s a tool that, when used well, makes us better developers.” She believes that developers should embrace AI tools to stay competitive, focusing on higher-level problem-solving skills, as AI can handle routine tasks.
Olavi agrees but also sees a challenge here: “AI is great at generating code, but you still need to understand how everything fits together. If I were a junior developer today, I’d focus on learning the fundamentals—how things work in the background. That way, AI becomes a helpful tool, not a crutch.”
Having used AI tools like GitHub Copilot, Olavi acknowledges their value but warns that they require precise prompting and strong problem-solving skills. “AI can lead you down the wrong path if you don’t know how to frame the right questions.”
Both believe that human connection and collaboration will continue to be essential. “Machines can’t work with people—people work with people,” Olavi states. “AI will shape how we develop software, but the real value will still come from teams working together, sharing ideas, and solving problems creatively.”
So, why Siili?
Olavi and Anna represent two powerful examples of how Siili nurtures leadership through a supportive community and progressive leadership practices. Their stories underline a clear message: leadership is about people first, supported by a culture that continually evolves and welcomes innovation.
"Our role is to ensure everyone has the tools and environment to flourish," Olavi emphasizes. This mutual commitment to nurturing both technological expertise and personal development makes Siili not just a workplace, but a vibrant community where developers, particularly those focused on fullstack roles, can thrive.
Anna echoes this sentiment. “Siili has always supported continuous learning and career development. I’ve experienced it firsthand, and now, as a team lead, I get to help others grow. That’s what makes this place so great.”
With leaders like Anna and Olavi, Siili Oulu continues to be a hub for top full-stack talent—a place where developers not only write great code but also build lasting careers in an environment of support and innovation.
