Lead Software Engineer Reflects on 10 Years at Mediafly

This month marks my ten year anniversary with Mediafly. To celebrate, I’ve taken some time to reflect on how I got to where I am today and what Mediafly means to me. It’s been a wild ride. Let’s start at the beginning. Before joining Mediafly in 2008, I was studying computer art and digital media technology at Columbia College. I had taken some programming classes earlier in my education, which helped me perform well. My teacher at the time owned his own video game development company and asked if I’d like to work for him. This wasn’t really the career I had in mind, but I took a leap of faith and began programming professionally. Although I didn’t know it at the time, this job introduced me to someone who would become my friend and mentor – David Rodrigue.

As my interest in programming peaked, I saw an opportunity to combine my new skill set with my passion for travel and adventure. I traveled from coast-to-coast in the United States, hopped over to London, and ended up in India. Intrigued by the engineering work the United States was outsourcing to India, Bangalore became my home base.

As my time in India came to an end, Carson Conant, CEO and Founder of Mediafly, reached out to me. As it turns out, he was in contact with the teacher I worked for previously. He had an open role at Mediafly that sounded like a great opportunity. As a part of the interview process, I was asked to put together a mobile version of a project they were working on. Keep in mind, this was pre-iPhone days, so I had my work cut out for me.

Carson played an integral role in influencing me to join the Mediafly team. The space is interesting enough, but Carson is just so passionate about the company and its mission. Ten years ago, Mediafly was focused on a podcast product, and since then we’ve undergone a few pivots to land where we are today. From podcasting for consumers to repurposing our platform for enterprise-level content management to honing in on sales enablement technology, the strides we’ve made have helped me shape my career.

Through this change and growth, I’ve learned a lot. At Mediafly, you may get brought onto the team for one thing, but there is always an opportunity to make yourself valuable in other ways. We’re such an open company that if you recognize a business need, you’re not going to step on anyone’s toes to go after it and get it done. I remember Carson saying, “Bring them on the bus, we’ll find a seat for them later.” If we like someone and their background, and they’re a great culture fit, we’ll find a place for them to fit in.
And so we did. Several years after joining Mediafly, I referred David Rodrigue to Mediafly, as he was my mentor from my first programming job. He was someone I always knew in the back of my mind I wanted to work with again, and Mediafly presented the perfect opportunity.

I started out as employee #6 in a small office in Chicago. The group felt like family; we worked long hours and had the true personality of a startup. Since then, our team has grown to over 50 employees. We hire well, and the culture-first mentality has allowed our growth to feel like we’re building an extended family.

After ten years at Mediafly, I have a lot of skin in the game. Everything I do on a daily basis makes a difference. Being part of a smaller organization allows me opportunities to connect with customers and gather their feedback on the things I’m building. To me, these usability sessions blow me away, not only by how our customers know the product so well but by how much I continue to learn and grow from their guidance.

My advice for someone starting out their career, regardless of trade, is to take on a willingness to learn. Don’t get comfortable with the status quo. Expect to be a learner for life. Find others to collaborate with to continue to motivate yourself and learn new skills. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, or find a mentor. There is a lot you can absorb from the people around you.

Reflecting on these ten years, people always ask what’s made me stay at Mediafly for so long. The answer is simple: Leadership. I love working for Carson and John Evarts, Mediafly’s COO/CFO, in particular. It’s their goal to make Mediafly every employee’s dream job. They really care about their employees’ professional development and personal gratification. From day one, it’s been their #1 priority, and it shows.

Another reason I enjoy working at Mediafly is because of the great team I get to collaborate with every day. We challenge each other, without ego, and in turn, it makes us better at what we do. Positive communication and feedback motivate us to generate our best possible work for each other and for this company. Together, we make each other much stronger as developers.

Ten years ago, I couldn’t have dreamed I would be where I am today. I am grateful my professor recognized my talent and proficiency before I did. She introduced me to Carson, and I have so much loyalty to him for giving me the opportunity to join his business venture. His vision and leadership make me incredibly fortunate to be part of the Mediafly DNA, and I’m excited to continue down this path.