A New Journey — Reflections from my first six months with Voxy

A figure stands atop a cliff surveying the landscape. A reimagining of the painting Wanderer above the Sea of Fog created by Caspar David Friedrich

I can remember that night in June, before my first day at Voxy, being aware that this next chapter of my career was going to be unlike anything I had experienced before. Despite knowing that, it still didn’t prepare me for how routinely I would be inspired and challenged to grow as a technologist since that evening.

It wasn’t just intuition that led me to believe that something unique lay ahead. I had my expectations challenged throughout each stage of the hiring process. Voxy’s approach to conducting interviews centers around a series of sessions where there are opportunities to talk with the entire engineering team. This structure of engagement offered opportunities to talk openly about the team’s values and culture, which emphasized trust and open communication. When I was unsure of how to write a section of code during the interview I was able to express that gap in understanding and collaborate with different engineers to explore new ideas during the challenge. Being encouraged to incorporate the learning process throughout the interview was a refreshing experience that felt more in alignment with my unconventional background in technology and my previous experiences in software development.

Prior to pursuing engineering, I had gone to school for art and had created a handful of short films. My background in the arts and interest in New Media films led me to try learning to code. I discovered a new passion within the rigid syntax and fluid forms of abstract thought that quickly formed as I pushed myself to build more complex systems. My pursuit of knowledge led me to an intensive programming boot camp which opened opportunities to work with organizations that ranged from international enterprises to much smaller sectors of business. However, in the stress of the global pandemic, I saw a decline in open communication and support for most of the teams I was collaborating with. I struggled to stay optimistic about my work and the confidence that had driven me forward seemed to crumble under the increasing stress. In these uncertain times, it became more and more important to me to find an environment where communication and collaboration were intentionally supported and cultivated across the team.

Since joining Voxy I have been able to pair with engineers across the team to help implement changes that have clear benefits and impacts to the platform. There is agreement across the engineering team that we have a responsibility to not just implement changes to the Voxy platform, but to partner with teams across the organization to help design the product as it grows. In my time since joining Voxy, I’ve seen innovative ideas form from both organic collaboration across teams as well as in events woven into each sprint.

Through regularly occurring Research & Development Days I’ve been able to explore various projects that are self-chosen by the engineering team. These projects are often opportunities to explore new technologies and blend an exploratory and experimental approach to challenges in our platform. In addition to dedicated time for research and exploration, there are team agreements that are regularly examined and revised by the engineering team that have helped me to know my expectations as a team member and empowers me to best support other engineers on the team in their own process and growth.

All of these experiences have helped me to find new ways to approach my own development process and rekindle the confidence that had begun to falter in my previous development position. In the time that has passed since joining I still routinely encounter the unexpected and find myself challenged to grow my skills and knowledge, but the affirmation that has come alongside those experiences means the world to me. I feel overjoyed having received so much encouragement since joining to explore unconventional ideas that add value to the platform, the team, and the culture here at Voxy.