What’s It Like to Code an App in Top 10 Worldwide

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Over the years, at AXON Soft we developed custom software for many clients. Some of the software products we developed ranked in top 10 applications worldwide. Find out from two of our colleagues involved in the software development process:

  • what these apps do
  • how were they involved in the process
  • what it felt like to be part of a team that developed custom software recognized as a top app worldwide
  • changes in their career path

Both apps we talked about with our colleagues, Cristina and Ionel, were developed for clients based outside Romania.

Cristina – a valuable member of the team that developed a web application for Human Resources Planning

Cristina was part of the team that developed a web application that offers optimized solutions for Human Resource Planning. Main challenges for this project were:

  • the large number of employees the application must serve
  • the large number of constraints that needed to be considered
  • management of all aspects so that the web application delivers an optimal planning of human resources for the client, through different interfaces depending on the user’s role

Cristina, how long were you involved in developing this project?

I was part of the team for almost 4 years. I exited this project when my skills were needed on a new project.

What was your role during this time?

I worked as a fullstack developer, so both frontend and backend development. I discovered that I enjoy backend more, so I asked and received more such tasks.

What did you enjoy most about this project?

I have always enjoyed the atmosphere inside the team. From the start, I felt that I already had my place in the group and I think it is a big deal to manage to create such strong connections with your coworkers, that is, all the time we were willing to share the knowledge among us and to offer help when in need.

Speaking more about the project itself, there was great communication between the AXON Soft team and the team from the client side. We were always given an overview of what the application will deliver for the users and I really appreciated this, since it is very helpful to understand what needs to be done in the end.

Furthermore, I was able to continuously improve my professional skills and become confident that I could solve any task at hand. This growing stage was sustained by the freedom to make decisions, the constant feedback that I received and the fact that I was appreciated by my colleagues and my superiors alike. Additionally, I was trusted with complex tasks which challenged me to approach the problems differently, but also to get the grip over technologies that I have not encountered before.

 

Did you learn something new? Was this a project that helped you develop professionally?

Yes, for sure. I learned and applied new frameworks and technologies, I improved some of my soft skills like communication, mentoring other colleagues and my French 🙂. This project gave me the opportunity to challenge myself, to search and analyse approaches, not just execute to the best of my technical skills. I loved that.

When you learned that the web application you were working on ranked as a top 10 apps worldwide, how did this make you feel?

It was a bit overwhelming. In a good way. It was very satisfying, like a confirmation of a job well done. Also, the thought that I was involved in something useful, something that changes people’s lives for the better, something that’s not an abstract thing and people actually use the app contributed to my overall feeling of accomplishment.

Would you do this again?

Definitely.

Thank you, Cristina, for showing us the insights of being part of a team that develops custom software that matters!

Ionel – team leader for a TMS application

Ionel was team leader for the team of software developers that developed a custom Transport Management System application. Main challenges for this project were:

  • management of a hybrid team, with people located in different locations around the globe
  • upscaling the team
  • complexity of the app, integration of web app and mobile app

Ionel, how long were you involved in developing this project?

I worked as a software developer for two years in this project. When the project scaled up, I became team lead and kept on going for another four years.

What did you enjoy most about this project?

 I think that I most enjoyed the fact that I learned new things. First of all, I’m referring to soft skills – being a team leader comes with a whole new set of challenges and it felt great to be challenged like that, to learn so much about leadership from practice. Second, the technical skills: one of my professional goals is to become better at my job every day. And this project delivered the framework for me to grow from this point of view. Third, I learned French. At the beginning I was at “je me débrouille” level and got to the “je suis un mini maître” level. :) So, you could say I learned new languages from all points of view.

What were the most challenging parts of this project for you?

First, the language, for me. :) Second, working with algorithms, not just develop software. And third, the mentoring part for me, since I was a team lead.

When you learned that the web application you were working on ranked as a top 10 apps worldwide, how did this make you feel?

I was surprised. The good kind of surprise. I learned about this top 10 ranking from an email we got, if I remember correctly, and it was…wow! This is our work! Cool!

Other than this big achievement, what was the feedback throughout the project?

We constantly got feedback from the client side, since we had daily meetings. But thinking just at the six years we worked together, I can only assume they were happy with our work. J Besides, communication was always very transparent and although one cannot expect daily specific “good job, partner” or “you messed up” kind of feedback, overall the attitude of all the people involved in the project leads me to say we did good as a software developers team. And it matters. The attitude of those around you matter. I’m glad we were part of this project and teamed up with the people we did.

Ionel, would you do this again?

This TMS we worked on it’s an app that can deal with a huge amount of data. That’s not something you get to work with everyday. Plus, I love solving real life problems. It motivates me. So, these and the fact that in time we grew towards software architecture tasks makes me say yes, let’s do this again some time! :)  

Thank you, Ionel, for a wonderful conversation on things that matter beyond a good execution of tasks!

At AXON Soft, we are passionate about our work, we believe in innovation, and always looking to contribute through our services to a better future for our clients.

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