I got my start in software at a local tech startup where I got taken on as a junior developer. Over more than ten years, I worked my way up to senior developer, Director of Operations, and finally Chief Technology Officer by continually learning, growing, seeking greater impact and accepting greater responsibility. I joined Magic in November 2022 eager to take on new challenges and make use of all the skills and experience I had gained up to that point.
Cracking the Success Code
Magic’s engineering team has been great to work with, filled with smart and welcoming people who are never to busy to answer a question or lend a hand. Thanks to them, I was able to ramp up and quickly begin contributing as an individual developer.
Istvan and Nic in particular, the leaders of the engineering team, inspire me with their down-to-earth, pragmatic competence, and their openness to new ideas and suggestions. Without their encouragement and support, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to manage a new team of junior engineers — who, I’m happy and proud to say, have become full-fledged, contributing members of the team in their own right!
The Chill and Thrill Vibe
Magic in my experience has a casual and informal workplace culture which makes it easy to work comfortably with others. At the same time, there’s a gratifying sense of trust in each other, that we’re all serious about fulfilling our responsibilities and not letting each other down. This leads to a feeling of freedom and autonomy which I really value, and without which I don’t think I can really thrive at work.
Talk the Magic Talk
The first long-term project that I became a part of was building the new billing system. The billing team is very cross-functional, with stakeholders from finance, operations, and product always being closely involved. Despite our varied backgrounds and points of view, we are all able to collaborate well via regular meetings and ongoing discussion threads in order to tackle the complex challenges involved in building, deploying, and maintaining a new billing system.
I find that regular one-on-one meetings with my manager really help set the tone for open and transparent communication, because I am able to discuss whatever is on my mind, give and receive feedback, and feel that my suggestions and contributions matter and are appreciated. As a manager myself, I try hard to foster the same atmosphere of openness when I have one-on-one meetings with my own direct reports.
Beyond the Grind in a Realistic Approach
Magic has a fully-remote and asynchronous work culture, which makes it easier to be more flexible with my schedule when needed. In the engineering team it doesn’t feel like it’s about putting in a certain fixed number of hours every day, but rather we have the freedom to be productive and accomplish our tasks and goals in whatever way works best for each of us, personally. In fact when I was first starting out at Magic, some of the more senior engineers would even reach out and gently discourage me from putting in any unnecessary overtime!
In my experience we are generally pretty realistic about the amount of work assigned to and expected from each engineer. I have a tendency to push myself hard, especially when I care about my job and my team, and it helps a lot to have a team that knows it’s not sustainable to push too hard for too long because that risks burnout through overwork.
Managers and peers alike have also always been kind and understanding whenever unavoidable personal emergencies arise that take time and attention from work.
My experience so far at Magic has been amazing because I’ve gotten to work with competent people in an open, relaxed yet serious and driven way, while having my contributions appreciated and my career growth supported and encouraged. For new employees, my advice would be to become comfortable with independence and autonomy, and never to hesitate to reach out and seek help from colleagues if you need it!