Tanaka Mafico

Tanaka Mafico

Founder and CEO of Devana

About

I am the founder of Devana, an AI-powered mock interview platform for software engineers preparing for technical interviews. I am responsible for the full scope of the business, including product development, content strategy, and growth. The idea for Devana originated from personal experience: I could reliably solve technical problems on my own, but consistently struggled to perform when required to explain my reasoning live, under observation. That gap between solitary competence and live performance became the foundation for how I designed the product and approached distribution. I am currently focused on growing Devana through organic, content-led distribution, and on converting our early user base into paying customers.

Badges

Tastemaker
Tastemaker
Gone streaking
Gone streaking

Maker History

  • Devana
    DevanaAI technical mock interviews for software engineers
    Sep 2026
  • 🎉
    Joined Product HuntJanuary 29th, 2026

Forums

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29d ago

4 YOE at Amazon, 500+ LeetCode solved... and I still got rejected

Hey everyone

A couple of months ago i was in a sticky situation. I am a fullstack dev with 4 YOE at amazon. I recently figured out that my communication during interviews sucked despite having solved over 500 leetcode problems. Finding solid mock interview partners at odd hours was a hassle, and standard platforms only test your code, not how you talk through it.
So my friend and I spent the last few months building a tool to solve this exact gap: Devana. It s built for practicing realistic mocks with an AI interviewer so you can refine your communication before doing the real thing.
Here is what we built into it:
Interactive AI Mocks: Practice talking through your approach, edge cases, and time complexity out loud with an AI before/while writing code.
Paste Any Custom Problem: Found a tricky LeetCode problem or company-specific tagged question? You can paste in your own coding problems and have the AI run a mock session on them.
Detailed Progress & Communication Feedback: Deep breakdowns after every session on where your code, logic, or verbal explanations dropped.
Huge Problem Bank: 1000s of built-in DSA questions ready to go.
Why build this over using existing stuff? Platforms like Pramp or interviewing .io require matching schedules, dealing with awkward ghosting, or paying huge fees. Grinding LeetCode alone doesn't train your talking skills. Devana gives you on demand, zero judgment mock practice 24/7, with full freedom to test yourself on any problem you want. If anyone is interested, check it out at Devana .

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1mo ago

Devana - AI technical mock interviews for software engineers

Devana is an AI interviewer for technical rounds. It conducts live voice interviews with a real code editor, asks follow-up questions based on your approach, and prompts you when you go quiet for too long. Most interview failures aren't about problem-solving ability; they happen because candidates have never practiced explaining their reasoning out loud under observation. Devana was built to close that gap, with coding, system design, and behavioral formats supported.
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