It’s Just Code: Library Dismantling 101
Speaker
Ekaterina Korolkoviene
I’m a data engineer who builds tools, systems, and platforms — and enjoys watching them come alive brick by brick. I started as a data analyst, fell in love with Python, and gradually shifted from thinking in tools to thinking in systems and outcomes. I care deeply about automation, observability, and how all the moving parts fit together. Most of what I’ve learned comes from building things in production, fixing what didn’t work, and understanding code beyond the surface.
Abstract
At some point, every Python developer hits a library that no longer fits. The docs end, the abstraction leaks, and you’re stuck between “best practices” and shipping. This talk starts with a mistake: modifying a library’s source code and proudly posting about it. It worked - and it taught me a better way. This isn’t a tool talk. It’s about mindset. Libraries aren’t sacred. They’re code. Code you can read, understand, and extend. And learning to look inside is a skill, not a sin.
Description
At some point in every Python developer’s career, a library stops doing what you need. The documentation ends. The abstraction leaks. And suddenly you’re stuck between “best practices” and shipping something that actually works. This talk starts with a mistake. Early in my career, I modified the source code of an installed library to add missing functionality - and I even proudly posted about it. It worked. The app shipped. But the real lesson came later. This talk is not about tools, frameworks, or clever hacks. It’s about mindset. Python libraries are often treated as sacred black boxes: use the public API, follow the rules, don’t touch the internals. But libraries are just code - written by people, with trade-offs, assumptions, and limits. Code you can read. Code you can understand. Code you can learn from. Through two real stories - one messy, one more intentional - I’ll show how my approach evolved from touching source code under pressure to extending behavior by understanding how a library works internally. Not to glorify hacking, but to argue for curiosity, confidence, and ownership as core engineering skills. This talk explores what happens when you stop worshipping abstractions and start engaging with them. When reading source code becomes a tool, not a taboo. When “don’t touch internals” stops being a rule and becomes a conscious choice. If you’ve ever felt blocked by a library, unsure whether you’re “allowed” to look inside, or torn between correctness and reality - this talk is for you. Because in the end, it’s just code.