At 5 years old, Quinton Maki was already running laps around most kids his age—literally. Growing up in Southern California, he joined the Calabasas Cheetahs youth track team and spent nearly a decade chasing down finish lines. But somewhere between those sprints and long-distance drills, a deeper pattern took hold: the habit of discipline, the joy of incremental growth, and a mindset that would shape the rest of his life.
Today, Maki works as a Software Development Engineer II at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in San Francisco, helping build products at the edge of generative AI. His route to this role wasn’t traditional—no computer science degree, no early exposure to code. Instead, it was built on resilience, self-teaching, and the willingness to start over.
Running the Long Game
After high school, Maki began working in various roles, quietly learning valuable lessons about communication, problem-solving, and working with others. “I don’t focus much on that part of my life,” he says now, “but it shaped how I collaborate and support people. You learn to read what people need.”
In 2021, everything changed. He enrolled in Hack Reactor, a software engineering bootcamp known for its intensity. “It was the first time in a while I felt fully dialed in,” Maki recalls. He graduated at the top of his class, then stayed on as an instructor—something that felt like a natural extension of his earlier years coaching youth track.
That connection between mentorship and engineering hasn’t left him. At AWS, he now mentors more than a dozen other engineers. “Teaching has always helped me level up faster. It’s not just about what you know—it’s about helping someone else connect the dots.”
Discipline Over Hype
For Maki, success in tech isn’t about being flashy or being first. It’s about showing up, getting better, and building with intention. “There’s always something more to do and more to learn in this field,” he says. “Your success is defined by your ability to find the right things to lean into, the right amount of effort to put in, and the ability to recognize when your body or mind needs a break.”
That sense of balance is critical in a field that rewards obsession. Maki has seen burnout and imposter syndrome creep up on even the most talented engineers. His way of handling it? A regular personal check-in every few months: “Where am I now, where am I going, and who am I going with?” If two out of three answers feel right, he keeps going. If not, he reassesses.
“I had to learn how to stop internalizing every setback,” he says. “Self-doubt runs rampant in this field, but it’s usually temporary. You have to give it time to pass.”
Learning How to Fail
Maki’s job is steeped in trial and error. “The fun part about software engineering is that you can try and try again,” he says. “Once you get over the fear of failure, you realize that it’s one of the most important things on the path to growth.”
That mindset has paid off. At AWS, he was promoted quickly in his first role—one of the fastest promotions in his organization at the time. He now works on AWS App Studio and Quick Suite, two products that sit at the intersection of internal tools and emerging AI features. He’s candid about the fact that his path might not work for everyone. But for those willing to ask good questions and put ego aside, he believes rapid growth is possible.
“You can only get so far on your own,” he says. “Learning how to ask for help—and ask the right questions—completely changed the game for me.”
Weekends in the Mountains
Off the clock, Maki’s not writing code. He’s usually on a bus headed to Lake Tahoe, snowboard in tow. “I started boarding in 2023 and have been going almost every weekend in winter ever since,” he says. “It’s something that completely takes me out of my head.”
Before snowboarding, there was sailing. In 2022, he joined the Spinnaker Sailing group and spent a year learning the basics of wind, water, and teamwork. Both hobbies speak to a theme in his life: forward motion, learning by doing, and finding joy in the process.
“I like being in environments where I’m a beginner again,” he says. “That’s where the most growth happens.”
Not Chasing the Algorithm
Despite his career in tech, Maki isn’t chasing content trends or influencer clout. “I listen to Fireship, Primeagen, and Matt Pocock,” he says. “But I’m not really into the content creator scene.” Instead, he prefers podcasts about criminal cases and business dynamics—particularly Lemonade Stand, a show that blends entrepreneurship with underdog grit.
That choice reflects something bigger about how he moves: quietly, thoughtfully, and with an eye toward long-term impact. Whether he’s mentoring a junior dev, carving a fresh line down a snowy slope, or debugging a feature under deadline, Maki’s approach is the same.
You show up. You give it your best. You keep moving forward.
Interview with Quinton Maki
How did your background in coaching influence your work in tech?
Coaching kids in track taught me how to meet people where they are. Everyone learns differently, and that’s true whether you’re nine years old or writing JavaScript. It also gave me a lot of patience. In tech, I carry that into mentorship. I don’t just want to fix things—I want to help people understand why something works.
You were promoted fast at AWS. What drove that kind of growth?
I didn’t expect it, honestly. I just stayed focused on doing the work, asking questions, and helping where I could. I think what helped most was dropping the ego. Once I got comfortable saying, “I don’t know this, can you help?” I started improving fast. People notice when you’re willing to learn and help others grow too.
What’s been the hardest part of working in software?
Probably dealing with self-doubt. It comes in waves. You’ll have weeks where you’re on fire and weeks where nothing clicks. I’ve learned not to take those dips too seriously. If I feel stuck, I disconnect for a day or two. Usually, the fog clears on its own.
You didn’t take a traditional CS path. Ever feel behind?
At first, yeah. I didn’t go to college, so it felt like I had something to prove. But bootcamp gave me a solid foundation, and I realized quickly that curiosity matters more than credentials. If you can solve problems and keep growing, no one cares how you started.
What’s your way of checking if you’re still on the right path?
Every few months I ask myself: “Where am I now? Where am I going? Who am I going with?” If two out of three feel good, I’m in a good spot. It helps me not get lost in the day-to-day and reminds me that growth isn’t just vertical—it’s also about who you’re surrounded by.
What do you do outside of work to reset?
Snowboarding, mostly. I started in 2023 and go almost every weekend during the winter. Being on the mountain clears my head. Before that, I was sailing. I like learning new things where I have zero experience. It humbles me and helps keep work in perspective.
