Welcome to September’s developer blog. Every month, we share the latest updates on what our developers have been working on at Mintos. We delve into improvements, feature developments, and share the innovative solutions powering our platform.
This month, we spoke to one of our Software Engineers on the IT team, who started at Mintos 4 years ago as a Junior front-end developer. We talked about his journey as a developer, his productivity tips, and an upcoming project he’s been loving.
How did you become a developer?
I didn’t know I wanted to be a developer until I was sort of forced into it. My higher education is in sound because I wanted to work in the theater. I went to school in the UK to be a sound engineer. The additional courses offered algorithmic composition, and I decided to try it. At first, I had a very stereotypical view of programmers, and I didn’t want to fall into that stereotype. I thought they were all antisocial and had terrible backs. However, once I tried the algorithmic composition course, I really enjoyed it. My stereotype about programmers broke once I started this course. I continued working in theater and programming as a hobby. I learned more, got better, and continued to enjoy it. I eventually improved my skills enough to transition into being a developer full-time.
What is your favorite part about working at Mintos?
I started at Mintos about 4 years ago. My favorite part is the open-mindedness here. It’s easy to have discussions about which tools to use and which improvements we need. We constantly communicate and bicker positively about how things should be. It’s a pleasant and very nurturing environment, which can be hard to find.
What do you enjoy about programming?
To me, programming is the perfect brain exercise because it’s so cognitively stimulating. The biggest problem I have is the more statutory lifestyle. We have standing desks in the office, which helps a lot, but I’m used to manual labor. My previous job at the theater was physically demanding. In contrast, this is more mentally demanding.
What is the first programming language you learned?
SuperCollider is the name of the sound programming language that I learned in my course, but almost no one’s heard of it. JavaScript was the first language I worked with in the field. These two are very different languages and don’t have a lot of similarities, so it was a bit of a learning curve to learn JavaScript.
Do you have any strategies to become more productive?
I’ve tried a bunch of strategies. I think having someone to hold you accountable works well for me, as well as having a schedule of things I need to get done. I’ve tried the Pomodoro Technique, which is a time management method based on 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by 5-minute breaks. However, this technique interferes with the “flow state,” or allowing me to involve myself fully in my work. If I work on a project that I enjoy, it’s easy for me to be very productive.
What do you like about working as a developer?
The AI era has begun, and the basics of AI are in IT. By working in this field, I feel like I have a great appreciation of AI and the background to be able to understand it. I’ve always been interested in technology and the future of tech, so I like being in the middle of it.
How do you stay up to date in the industry?
I don’t, it’s impossible. There’s a term for this called “JavaScript fatigue.” The field is so dynamic that it’s impossible to keep up with. If you do keep up with it, you won’t have time for anything else. It’s sort of like a black hole. I keep up with the basics by watching YouTube and reading blogs that talk about the newest advancements, but I’ll never be able to keep up with everything, and that’s okay.
What was your favorite project?
The design system 2.0 is my favorite project, and I’m currently working on it now. The design system involves the rules of what our website should look like (color, font, etc.). This system needs to be updated in order to integrate all the new projects coming to Mintos. This project is still in the works, but it’s been exciting for me because it’s a lot of new technology and unknowns, which I love.
