From Outsider to Insider
I’m sure that some of you would really like to know what is happening behind the scenes at PlanetRomeo, what developers think, create and code. What surprises (hopefully good) do they have in the future for us? Well, I was one of the lucky guys to join the team of developers. And when I say lucky, you should believe me because they are sooo picky!
First of all, I should tell you that I was really dissatisfied with the website. There were the same 5-10 year old graphics and the same old technologies; the new features that I would love to have like real time chat, webcams, videos in profile and so much more were completely missing. Yes I wanted change; I always want a better product so, I wondered, why these guys are not doing it?
So I sent them a letter! It was a “not so polite” letter expressing all my frustrations and anger and explaining how they should do this and that. Of course, I thought I am a brilliant guy and they will be amazed and overwhelmed by all my radical ideas! Ah, poor country boy! I was biting the tiger without knowing it! But they were nice and decided to give me a chance to prove what am I capable of doing.
After entering into contact with the team I realized how complex and how big this platform in all its faces: the browser-based website, the touch version, and both apps, IOS and Android. I also saw the effort the team has to do to implement every change.
Soon after I started working here I realized they are five times smarter than me (please don’t let them know that!), they know better all the features to be implemented, think in more details than I could ever imagine and plan everything in a better way I could think of. Now was the time to close my big mouth! And to start learning, to make mistakes, to fix them, to make new ones, to ask stupid questions, to participate in a technical discussion while understanding 1%, and to go home with a big pumpkin head and next day to start over.
Switching from my own web design business in Romania, where gay guys are living in a dystopia, is more like switching from hell to heaven. When the manager asked me in the interview “Do you see yourself working here?“ there could be only one answer from my side: Definitely! And it was not only about all the hotties working here!
The only thing I still have to learn is the patience to bring all the amazing things to life. And that takes time; sometimes A LOT. But I also hope you have the patience to see what’s coming. See you soon with fresh news from an insider newbie. If you’d like to know more, just subscribe to our blog.
Cheers!
Florin – Product Owner