Working at Watermelon is like building a house
Thomas Leek
| 3 min
Soon after Agni, a Front End Developer, moved from Groningen to Utrecht, he got a call from our Head of People, Lisanne. She asked if he’d come to Watermelon for an interview. A year later, Agni’s happily working as one of the team. The always-positive Agni enjoys collaborating with the Melons. This article shares his story of the things that make being a Front End Developer at Watermelon so enjoyable.
Continuously improving the platform
“I had my first interview with Lisanne and the other Frontend Developer, Thierry. The conversation went well, and soon afterwards I was invited for a second round with Alexander (CEO of Watermelon) and Mario, a Back End Developer. I was pretty nervous! An interview with the big boss and a senior developer…it was an exciting moment! But luckily everything went well, and we learned quickly that we were a good match. When I think back to what the platform was like a year ago, it wasn’t bad, but there were for sure a few bugs in the system. My goal for my time at Watermelon is to continuously improve the system, perfecting the things that can be built better, and creating new things that get people excited.”
What has changed in the last year at Watermelon, according to Agni? “There are many new people, some people have left and some people have come back. But the good vibes have always been the same.”
More than a number
What makes Watermelon special? According to Agni, it’s the people: “The folks who work here are close, which is easier because it’s not a massive company. Before this I worked at a big fintech firm where people on my own team didn’t know my name. You feel like a number. But here everyone knows each other well and enjoys working together, even hanging out after work.” The fact that the collaboration is strong is not only good for the team, it’s good for the product: “We’re a really strong Development team. We have to be, because we’re always collaborating on the same projects. The roles and goals need to be clear. If there’s a change needed, or a new feature being discussed, the Front End and Back End developers need to brainstorm the possibilities and decide together on the best approach.”
It’s like building a house
What does an average workday look like for Agni? “I start every day with a coffee! Once I’ve had my first cup, then we start with the daily Development team meeting. We discuss what work we’ve delivered, and what needs to get done today. This way we’re all rowing in the same direction and each person knows what they need to do.” As a Front End Developer, Agni’s days typically involve bringing ideas to live. “It’s almost like building a house. I want the person living there to tell me later that it’s a great house. It’s really rewarding work with very clear results.”
Besides building new features, Agni is always busy improving the product. “I regularly critically examine our platform and make small ‘Quality of Life’ improvements to make the platform that much better for our customers.” When we ask Agni what he’s looking forward to the most, he doesn’t need long to think. “The coming months will be exciting. We’re about to release our third version of our platform. This gave us the chance to start from scratch and improve those small errors but also add new features. Our team is really looking forward to the launch!”
Are you the missing Melon?
Do you want to be like the other Melons and start each workday with a smile? Are you looking for a new opportunity at a young, ambitious company? Take a look at our open roles, and perhaps you’ll find your dream job!
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