People ask me this all the time:
“How do you balance being a DJ and a software engineer?”
Short answer: I don’t separate them.
Long answer? That’s what this blog is for.
Two Worlds, Same Brain
By day, I’m a software engineer. I live in pull requests, system design docs, vector databases, and the eternal “why is this working locally but not in prod?” not me sha. 👀
By night (and some weekends, and some very late weekdays), I’m a DJ. Crates become playlists, bugs become transitions, and deployments feel a lot like dropping the beat at the right moment. - thank you AI for this analogy
At first glance, tech and DJing look like two completely different worlds. One is logical, structured, and precise. The other is creative, expressive, and driven by feeling.
But the truth is—they run on the same core skills. DJ originally was an escap for me, i was struggling with software one time, burnouts? whatever it was, i needed a break. then i engaged in something else i loved, music. so i picked up DJ’ing back again.
Music Is My Runtime Environment
Before I write a single line of code, i open Spotify (sometimes i need pure silence 😂).
Sometimes it’s hip‑hop. Sometimes it’s afrohouse and dance music. Sometimes it’s afrobeats. I pick a playlist almost at random and let it decide the vibe of the session.
Music puts me in flow.
I used to lean heavily into afrobeats tracks. Then overtime i transitioned into dance music. the melodies hit differently. Songs like Uvalo proved to me that emotion doesn’t need translation.
PA: i’m still an afrobeats head at heart. but i’m an Open format DJ now. so i mix everything. 🙏🏾
DJ Brain = Engineer Brain
DJing taught me skills I didn’t expect to use at work:
- Reading the room → Reading requirements
- Timing a drop → Shipping a feature
- Recovering from a bad transition → Hotfixing in production
When you DJ, you’re constantly debugging in real time. If a transition feels off, you don’t panic—you adapt. Same thing in tech. Systems break. APIs fail. You stay calm and keep the set going.
something about Taste
My taste is all over the place—and I love it that way.
One moment I’m deep into afrobeats artists like Davido, Wizkid, or BNXN, getting lost in storytelling and melody. The next moment, I’m locked in with J. Cole, letting introspective bars play in the background sometimes i just vibe to his music without even coding. it’s therapeutic.
and this
And then there’s Gunna—smooth, melodic, effortless. That kind of energy is perfect for late‑night coding sessions when you’re tired but still pushing.
Different genres for different states of mind.
Just like different tools for different problems.
How I Actually Balance It
Here’s the practical part people expect:
- I time‑block my life (yes, even practice sessions)
- I treat DJing like a craft, not just a hobby
- I protect my energy—burnout kills both creativity and productivity
But the real secret?
I don’t chase balance.
I chase alignment.
Some weeks are heavier on tech. Some weeks are all music. Both feed each other. DJing keeps me creative. Engineering keeps me disciplined.
my best crowd, hands down
the funniest part of this whole dj x tech story?
my best crowd wasn’t even a set i headlined.
it was the davido 5IVE tour in abuja this december.
thousands of people. pure chaos. pure joy.
everybody singing lyrics at the top of their lungs, phones up, no hesitation, no overthinking. just vibes.
standing there, i remember thinking:
this is what good software feels like.
when everything works. when users don’t notice the complexity. when they’re just… happy.
that crowd reminded me why i love music. and honestly, why i love building things too.
how i actually balance it (for real)
here’s the calm truth:
- i plan, but i don’t over-plan
- i treat djing like a real craft, not a side quest and i’m not even treating it hard enough
- i ship code, then i go touch grass
some weeks i’m deep in pull requests and AI systems.
other weeks i’m chasing transitions, playlists, and moments.
both feed each other. when one gets loud, the other keeps me grounded.
Final notes (pun intended)
i’m not half a dj and half a software engineer. matter of fact, i’m more of a software engineer who djs on the side.
i’m just someone who likes rhythm in code, in music, in life.
afrohouse songs when i need focus. j. cole when i need perspective.
gunna when i need to glide through the night.
all we’re really doing is trying to make people feel something.
beats or bugs. same goal.
— Maxtro