What is your role at Phonism?
Director of Engineering
How long have you been with Phonism?
8 years
What do you love most about what you do?
The fact that what we build at Phonism solves real problems for our customers; problems that have been neglected by the industry. I enjoy understanding the customers' problems and how we can apply our technology to the problem.
And I enjoy the autonomy I have to do my work.
What has been your most memorable project at Phonism, and what made it stand out?
Visual Device Manager - While a long-time coming, it lays a foundation for much richer user-experiences with reduced development time in the future.
How has your role evolved since you started with Phonism? (Optional)
I started part-time as a Software Engineer while working on my B.S. in Computer Engineering. As the demands of the business grew and changed I elected to take more responsibility and found myself taking on roles I never imagined when I was younger. I transformed from a shy and quiet engineer to being much more outgoing, customer facing, and dynamic engineer.
Can you share a success story where you helped solve a significant challenge for a customer or colleague? (Optional)
Startups always run into unexpected issues, especially around scaling. One very late night in particular stays in my head. Years ago when our product and infrastructure was less sophisticated, Steve and I were fighting database load issues all day... and night... leaving the office at 4 AM. Somehow we managed to quickly discover, learn, and utilize new technology that we still use and expand upon to this day.
Outside of work, what are your passions or hobbies?
I have a 1992 and a 2007 Mazda Miatas. I consider myself a "Miata tuner" in this respect. When I can I enjoy taking them to autocross, track days, or carving up the twisties in the smoky mountains; always learning how to be a better driver.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in the future of Phonism?
Applying the technology to more domains and exploring how we can leverage new technology trends to provide more value to ourselves and our customers.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received or a quote that you aspire to?
Unsure where I heard this but it sticks in my mind:
"There are two types of jobs. Those that you shower after work and those that you shower before work. The former makes you appreciate the later."
Tell us a surprising or a fun fact about you.
Some day I want to pursue the following in one way or another: standup comedy, electronic music production, manufacture motorsport-grade electronics for amateur racers, and... too many other things I cannot think of right now.
