VineSpring Team Spotlight | Parker

A successful business is made up of many moving parts. We are particularly proud of our growing development team at VineSpring. We have a dedicated team that is always working hard on making our platform the best solution for the industry. This week we are highlighting Parker, our beach-side developer who left journalism behind to challenge herself and chase her interest in coding.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT VINESPRING AND WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE COMPANY IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I’ve been at VineSpring for a little over a year-and-a-half, which, though it doesn’t sound like much, actually constitutes most of my professional career. VineSpring became my first employer shortly after I finished grad school, at which time the only thing I thought I wanted out of a company was the chance to join a team where we continually become more than the sum of our parts. I count myself extremely lucky that despite knowing nothing about the kind of environment in which I’d thrive, I still wound up in one where I do.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED AND WHAT DOES YOUR OFFICE LOOK LIKE?

I’m currently located in Santa Monica, CA and have traded living space for proximity to the beach. I live in a studio that’s about 250 sq ft. So, I don’t really have a dedicated office. I work wherever.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT VINESPRING?

I help turn our clients’ “It would be nice if x,” into “How did I manage before x, y, and z?” What that entails depends on the day. Sometimes it’s revising existing code to make the UI more intuitive or the system run faster. Sometimes it’s expanding functionality, others it’s repairing it, but it all comes down to doing my part to make sure that we’re delivering users a product they can effortlessly use and that we can be proud of.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORK-RELATED TASK AT VINESPRING?

Writing code, of course! I love making the VineSpring app do things it didn’t before.

AS A MEMBER OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AT VINESPRING, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST ASSET YOU BRING TO THE TABLE?

Probably my ability to learn both quickly and independently. Technology advances at a breakneck pace and being able to integrate new resources as they become available means being able to do cooler things more efficiently which is great for all parties involved.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT?

I’d been fascinated by computers and software since my family got our first computer when I was five or six, but was too intimidated to consider studying them until about 15 years later. I’d gotten my Bachelor’s in Journalism and, realizing I had no desire to set foot in a newsroom ever again, I figured it was worth it to work hard to be good at something that didn’t come naturally than to be bored plugging away at something that did.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL MOTTO?

“Don’t look down, don’t turn back, and don’t run away.”

WHAT IS THE CULTURE LIKE WORKING AT VINESPRING?

It’s best described as a culture built on sustainable growth for both the product and the developers. I’m probably the most junior member of the team, but I never feel as though I don’t have a voice or a say, and there are always people I can come to with questions or ideas, and I know they’ll be given due consideration. It’s a culture where both the product and the team making it are of equal importance, and I love that!

IS THERE ONE TECHNOLOGY THAT VINESPRING USES THAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST?

I think what excites me most is that we’re not married to any one technology. We adapt and evolve with the tech, so I get to constantly work with new resources, pick up new skills, and learn new things. It’s one of my favorite things about working here.