Developer application
I would like to build for DonutSMP.
I'm Maximilian Hinz, 18, and I have been writing code since I was 13. I build games and open-source software, I lead the cybersecurity department of a four-company group, and I am starting at Harvard University this year. This page is my application to the DonutSMP developer team.
- Experience
- 5–6 yrsCoding since age 13
- Professional
- 3 yrsIn an operating company group
- School
- 1.0Best grade in the German system
- Next
- HarvardHUIT, incoming student
Fastest way to reach me: Discord virusjay, or jonas@mallek.de.
The application
Why I am reaching out directly
I would like to become part of the DonutSMP staff team, specifically the developer team. I imagine the regular application page is already overwhelmed with submissions, so I wanted to reach out directly and ask whether a personal conversation or a more individual application would be possible.
I also know that experience outside of Minecraft does not automatically make someone the right developer for a Minecraft server. That is exactly why I would rather show you what I can do than argue about it on paper — a task, a conversation or a trial period, whatever fits your process best.
Everything below is the long version of that: where I have worked, what I actually do, and how to reach me.
I have also sent this application by email. If you are from the DonutSMP team and would like to talk, the quickest route is Discord: virusjay (ID 628395112547876896).
About
Five years of building things
I started programming at 13. What began as curiosity became the thing I spend most of my time on: game development, open-source contributions and, for the past three years, security work for real companies.
Across that time I have worked in several areas of software development and taken part in a number of open-source projects. I like the parts of this job that most people skip — reading other people's code, understanding a system before changing it, and shipping something that still works six months later.
I finished school with a 1.0, the best grade the German system awards, and I will be starting at Harvard University (HUIT) this year.
Experience
Where I have worked
Three years of practical work alongside school — not internships, but ongoing responsibility inside an operating business.
-
Current
Head of Cybersecurity
Family company group — four companies, around 60 employees each
I lead the cybersecurity department across the group. The work covers website security and encryption, alongside internal projects I cannot describe in detail here for confidentiality reasons. I am happy to talk about the general approach in a conversation.
- Web security
- Encryption
- Team lead
- Internal tooling
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Past 3 years
Practical work across the group
Four companies, around 60 employees each
Before taking over the security department I worked on a range of projects across the group's companies. Working in a real business — with real deadlines, real users and real consequences when something breaks — taught me more than any tutorial.
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Ongoing
Open-source contributor
Multiple public projects
I have contributed to several open-source projects over the years. Public code means public review, and that has shaped how I write software more than anything else.
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Since age 13
Game developer
Personal and collaborative projects
Game development is where I started and what I keep coming back to: gameplay systems, server-side logic and the tooling around them — the closest thing to what a server like DonutSMP needs day to day.
Work
What I actually do
-
Cybersecurity
Website security, encryption and hardening — currently as department lead across four companies. Security works as a habit during development, not as a checklist at the end.
-
Game development
Gameplay systems, server-side logic and the tooling that keeps a live game running. The area I have been in longest and enjoy most.
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Open source
Contributing to public projects: reading unfamiliar codebases, writing changes other people have to maintain, and taking review seriously.
-
Certifications
Several completed certifications and courses alongside school, including an IBM job-related certificate.
Education
School, and what comes next
-
Incoming
Harvard University — HUIT
Starting my studies this year.
-
Recently
High school diploma, grade 1.0
Graduated with a 1.0, the best grade awarded in the German system.
-
Alongside school
Certifications and courses
Multiple completed certifications and courses, including an IBM job-related certificate.
Contact
Get in touch
The quickest way to reach me is Discord. Email works just as well — I read everything.
- Discord
- virusjay
- Discord ID
- 628395112547876896
- jonas@mallek.de