I’ve known for a while that I never wanted to be pigeon-holed as a developer. Regardless of my 5+ years in school as a computer science major, I knew that I wanted to do much more than just development. Before I landed in the computer science field, I wanted to go to film school, but I realized that was also far too specific of a career for me to enjoy for a long period of time. Like a film director, I wanted to be a part of every level of the production, but the futurist in me wants the freedom to produce whatever technology will guide social progress.
When I started my internship at Stuzo, I was still in a state of limbo as far as career goals went, but luckily the freedom of expression at Stuzo is very alive and has helped progress my understanding of self and society. The love of advancing technology and embracing change at Stuzo perfectly matched my early-adopting spirit. Tech such as AI, virtual reality, IoT, mobile apps and others all entered projects’ conversation while I was employed. Everyone on the team can see the future of technology and cheers it on with the motto “go nerds!”
As a junior project manager, I got to interact with all parts of the production. I was the assistant director to the masterful director Gunter Pfau. I would listen to the advice he would give and pass it on to the engineers, and UI and UX designers in Ukraine.
One would think working in an international company with developers and designers across the world would be difficult. It is certainly a challenge and was an aspect of the job I didn’t think I was ready for. The drastic time difference required me to be on the ball communicating with our Ukrainian employees. The Ukrainians however are incredibly accommodating and talented, working weird hours and responding very quickly to any request you throw at them.
At times, my coworkers would come to me with requests or to hear my opinion on design and functionality. This immediately gave me confidence to work with everyone in the company. As much as I loved working with developers in Ukraine, I am equally fond of the other genius assistant directors here in the States.
Like a beautifully crafted film, great attention is paid to the details. We all understand that details trump, and an item being shifted by even a pixel throws off the balance on the big screen and small. Sometimes, the producer of the project doesn’t agree, but that is where the magic of the assistant director comes into play. You can see the gears turning as project managers swiftly think up solutions to present to clients.
The world is a better place for having Stuzo making innovative technology for it. Stuzo is helping build connections between individuals as well as between businesses and consumers. That in my mind is one of the most important things in life. It is the underlying theme of all art, especially within filmmaking. It is what allows people to learn about others and gain knowledge of the world around them. A well designed system is one that promotes users to think about what they are using and why it is important, and Stuzo encourages this thought process through five key values:
- Details Trump
- Speed Wins
- Solutions First
- Embrace Change
- Go Nerds!