Estimated read time: 3 minutes, 15 seconds

FastSpring’s Employee Spotlight is a Q&A series that features the hardworking, intelligent, and fun people that make FastSpring great. Get to know the fantastic team behind the ecommerce platform!

What is your current role at FastSpring?

I am currently a Software Engineer at FastSpring. I work with my fellow developers on new features, fix any issues that come up on the platform, and I specifically work on the checkout experience for consumers around the world. I’ve been in this role for just over a year, and I really enjoy how dynamic this role has been so far.

Has it been challenging to perform your role during this remote work time due to COVID-19?

On a day-to-day basis, it can be more challenging to not be able to chat with my team members right next to me. However, I think from an operational standpoint, there hasn’t been much change. I’ve been very impressed with how the company has adapted so well to working from home. It has made the transition so much easier.

What did you do before FastSpring/How did you get to where you are today?

I was working on the engineering team at a real estate management company that was much larger than FastSpring. I realized I was interested in joining a company like FastSpring that had a smaller company feel to it.

What inspired you to join FastSpring specifically?

I love that on a smaller team, it’s easier to convey my ideas and collaborate with everyone. That environment really motivated me to want to be a part of the engineering team. I also really like being a part of multiple steps in the innovation process, and I enjoy the way our teams are organized.

What made you passionate about joining the Engineering world?

Back when MySpace was really big, you could edit your own profile and HTML. I really enjoyed customizing my own profile, and that’s what drew me into wanting to learn more about how coding and how software development works.

What does a typical day look like for you at FastSpring?

It always starts with coffee. Then I dive into emails and get ready for our morning meeting we have every day with our teams. After that, it’s all about establishing where we are in a project and making sure we’re moving along at the pace we would like to be for an upcoming product release. Depending on where we are in a project, what my day looks like can widely vary which is what I enjoy about being on this team.

Describe a favorite memory of your time at FastSpring.

I really enjoyed Summer Solstice last year. Summer Solstice is an annual tradition in Santa Barbara to kick off the summer season with a parade and a bunch of live performances. It was fun to just bond with the team out on the patio and spend some time together.

What are your favorite hobbies and activities outside of work?

I play the piano and chess a lot. I actually play chess with one of our Engineering Managers, Venu Chilikuri. He created a Slack channel for all the chess enthusiasts at the company. It has been a great way for us to stay connected as a team while we are all working remotely.

What is a fun fact most people may not know about you?

I’m also always looking for new recipes and new things to try in the kitchen. Since it’s a little difficult to find all the ingredients you would normally want in the store, it’s been fun to try and throw things together to see if they work. I think my favorite recipe is the lasagna I make. When I was little I used to cook in the kitchen with my mom and she taught me her lasagna recipe.