About me

Hello! I'm Roland Stojkoski (commonly known as Roly). I'm a Systems Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services (AWS). My career is driven by a deep curiosity about how systems function, from high-level abstractions down to the hardware layers.

My Journey

I was born in 1997 and spent my early life and high school years in the coastal city of Pula, Croatia. In 2016, seeking new learning opportunities, I moved to Dublin, Ireland, where I attended Griffith College and graduated with a degree in software development.

During college, I landed an internship at AWS in 2019, which solidified my interest in cloud computing, automation, and large-scale infrastructure. After graduation in 2020, I joined AWS full-time as a Systems Development Engineer I, and was promoted to Systems Development Engineer II in 2022. In 2025, my cloud engineering journey led me to move from Ireland to the United States, where I currently live and work.

Down to the Hardware Layer

We live in a fascinating era of engineering. Modern AI systems have become incredible force multipliers, automating code generation and solving complex problems in seconds. I fully embrace AI tools in my daily workflow, but I believe that tools should never replace fundamental understanding.

Abstractions are useful, but they leak. To build truly resilient, performant systems, we must understand what happens underneath: how high-level code compiles into machine instructions, how network packets route across routing tables, and how data writes to physical silicon. My passion lies in digging as deep as possible down to the hardware layer to demystify complex systems.

Open Source & Pragmatism

I believe that open-source software is a phenomenal benefit for humanity. It democratizes access to knowledge, speeds up innovation, and allows engineers worldwide to learn from real-world implementations.

However, I also maintain a pragmatic view of software development. While open source is ideal where possible, keeping certain systems closed-source—such as core security layers, compliance-sensitive architectures, or proprietary engines—is sometimes necessary and reasonable. A hybrid approach allows businesses to maintain safety and fund ongoing research while still contributing value back to the open community.

Sustainability & Free Software

Education and technology should be accessible. I believe it is critical to keep the barrier of entry extremely low, providing free access to core platforms, basic features, and learning resources so that anyone—regardless of background—can begin building.

At the same time, developing software, managing databases, and keeping server infrastructure alive is expensive. To keep projects sustainable, it is completely reasonable to require payment for advanced, enterprise, or resource-heavy features. This ensures that the developers and builders who keep the infrastructure running are fairly compensated for their labor, creating a sustainable software cycle.

Take a look at my timeline to see what I can bring to the table. Let's change the world, by committing to the code!