From Cairo to the Czech Republic: Moustafa Aboelnaga’s Journey to Becoming a Global Tech Leader

How curiosity, resilience, and empathy brought one engineer from coding in Egypt to leading international teams at SolarWinds.

Most software engineering careers follow a fairly linear path: you start as a junior developer or intern at a small tech company and gradually advance step by step. Moustafa Aboelnaga’s story is, however, very different from that. It was a long way from coding in Egypt to leading international teams at SolarWinds, and he proves that global ambition can take you anywhere. He began building his reputation at just 13, winning a local school competition, and today the global tech community recognizes him as a skilled technologist and a thoughtful leader in observability and monitoring solutions.

Outside his corporate accomplishments, Moustafa dedicates significant time to mentorship through ADP List and local educational initiatives. He is helping professionals at different stages of their careers grow and succeed. He is also deeply committed to projects with real-world impact, including AI research in cancer detection. Moustafa is passionate about using technology to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

When it comes to effective leadership, Moustafa believes that empathy, clear structure, and a commitment to continuous learning matter most. These principles have guided him throughout his career and continue to be his compass.

In this exclusive TechBullion interview, Moustafa shares his insights on leadership, innovation strategies, and the essential elements of building successful teams in today’s increasingly connected world.

You began coding at a very young age and even won some local programming competitions in Egypt. Could you tell us what first drew you to computer science, and how those early experiences impact your approach to software engineering?

Well, my father introduced me to programming so to say. He got me my first computer and it came with a set of software CDs. And by the time I turned 13, I had already been building websites. They were mostly vBulletin-based forums. I was also fascinated by self-guided video tutorials that existed at that time and they inspired me to create my first simple online quiz and exam platforms. One of those projects even won a local school competition. I was thrilled, because back then it was just a hobby for me. That early recognition really fueled my passion for software development. And I try to do the same for other people, recognize their potential and encourage further development. I think this is why my mentorship programs are so important to me. I feel like I’m giving back.

Your journey started with small web projects even before you started university and later you found yourself in large-scale engineering management roles. Can you say that those lessons from early days still guide your decisions today?

Absolutely. Those early days taught me some of the most valuable lessons I still carry with me. Back then, I didn’t have many people to turn to for help or guidance. I had my curiosity and basically persistence to figure things out myself. I’d spend hours experimenting  – breaking things, fixing them, and learning through trial and error. When you have that kind of independence, your problem-solving skills really skyrocket.

I still draw on that same mindset, and as a leader, I encourage my teams to do the same: stay curious, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to fail because you will come back stronger. Every big achievement starts with small experiments, resourcefulness, and a genuine passion for building things.

Many successful engineers recall a turning point in their early careers, a moment that set their trajectory. Did you have such a moment, and if so, what was it?

The real turning point came when I took a management role for the first time. Suddenly, I wasn’t just responsible for my own work – I was leading a large team and helping others succeed. Nowadays there are usually programmes and training in place to prepare you for the new role. When I took it, it was pretty much overnight. But I couldn’t be more grateful to my manager that placed so much trust in me. They gave me space to make decisions, to learn, and even to make mistakes, which built my confidence as a leader. That experience completely changed how I saw my career. It taught me that leadership isn’t about control – it’s about trust and empowerment. It’s about creating an environment where people can do their best work. I strive to be a leader like that.

What motivates you personally, especially after achieving so much so early in your career?

Two things, really: growth and impact. I’m driven by seeing people I’ve worked with succeed and knowing the systems we build make a real difference, be it a global impact or some minor improvement. Because as I said all great achievements start with small experiments. I love solving complex problems and learning something new every day. And honestly, there’s nothing more motivating than finally fixing a bug that’s been haunting you all night. That “it works!” moment never gets old.

Observability and SRE are the most rapidly evolving fields. How do you see these disciplines transforming over the next five years, and what excites you most about where the industry is heading?

I see AI and machine learning becoming deeply integrated into operations. This is not just a trend, they are fundamental tools that enable systems to self-detect anomalies, automate remediation, and continuously improve reliability. What’s happening is that the focus is shifting beyond simple uptime metrics toward user experience and business impact tying technical health directly to real-world outcomes.

Platform observability will unify data across distributed systems, giving teams a single source of truth and faster insights. SRE will be becoming more developer-centric too, embedding reliability practices directly into the software development lifecycle.

What excites me most is how this evolution will elevate engineering teams. Instead of spending time firefighting, they’ll be finally focusing on innovation, performance optimization, and creating genuine value for users. That’s where the real magic happens in my opinion.

Your research in AI-based cancer detection shows your curiosity extends beyond your day job. What drives your interest in such scientific fields, and how do you see the intersection between AI and software engineering evolving?

I went into AI-based cancer detection research because I was curious about how technology can address real-world healthcare challenges. AI becomes truly powerful when it’s paired with solid engineering principles. The algorithms are only as good as the systems that support them.

The future lies at this intersection, where software engineers become enablers of AI applications. We’re building the infrastructure that makes life-changing technology possible. Whether it’s healthcare, climate science, or any other field that affects people everywhere in the world, I believe the engineering discipline can and must be the bridge between research and real-world impact. We have the skills and the means to make meaningful contributions that go far beyond business metrics.

Looking forward, what’s your ultimate professional mission? Do you see yourself continuing in corporate leadership or eventually founding something of your own?

My mission is to keep building and scaling impactful engineering teams that create technology with real purpose. I see myself continuing in corporate leadership, where I can influence culture, strategy, and innovation at scale. I like to think that I never know which person I helped develop and nurture will be the one to come up with the next brilliant idea capable of making the world a better place. I understand that it might sound like a cliche but this is my mindset. If the opportunity arises I might consider doing something on my own. For now, it’s more likely that one of my mentees will reach out when they start a business, and I will be advising them.

Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to young engineers reading this, what would it be?

Stay curious and stay humble. Don’t rush it! Focus on learning, building, and understanding the “why” behind what you do. The best engineers are the ones who keep asking questions, keep experimenting, and help others grow along the way. Success will follow if you treat every challenge as a chance to learn.