This document is a quick way to
- introduce myself
- identify my thoughts and values
- set expectations on how you can depend on me as your co-worker
We will get to know each other much better in the coming months so hopefully this helps to speed up that process. This isn't a substitute for us actually getting to know each other and feedback is extremely encouraged.
Hi, I'm Osman.
I was born in Hong Kong and emigrated to Canada at the age of three. I went to University of Waterloo to get a degree in Electrical Engineering. Early in, I found that I enjoyed software development much more than power systems or circuits, so I graduated with an option in Computer Engineering as well.
After graduation, I joined a small startup in Waterloo to start the Analytics team. We were acquired by Blackberry within my first year of joining and I ended up on a slightly larger Analytics team building features that improved context for meetings, gave you suggestions when creating emails, etc. After a while, I found myself longing to work on larger projects and make a bigger impact within the organization. At the 3 year mark, I decided to once again jump into a small startup as their first developer. Over the next five years, I was given the opportunity help design a SaaS product that powers some of the largest e-commerce sites in the world and build a development team from the ground up.
Now for the "fun" stuff. I enjoy all racket sports and you will usually find me in a climbing gym at least once a week. When not being active, I love spending time with friends and family. My wife (Jenn) and I love travelling; trying new foods and restaurants (lots of them tend to be sushi); and we just got a puppy (Milo). I consider myself skewed towards introversion, so interactions with large crowds (5+ people) tend to tire me out. Small hangouts are more my thing.
My job boils down into a few core aspects:
- help you achieve your goals (team and career)
- provide and clarify context
- set expectations and measure us against them
- ensure a high standard of quality
Collaboration
Creating a space where everyone feels safe to speak up and voice their ideas is important to me. Collaboration has the tendency to produce much better products by tackling problems from many different angles. Even if we do not choose to build the absolute best idea due to some constraint (time, cost, etc) it is good to know what that looks like. We can then push towards that in increments (see Incremental Improvements below).
Positivity
It is my belief that most people are inherently good with positive intentions. I approach all interactions assuming you are one of those people and hope you will too.
Incremental Improvement
Nothing important was ever completed all at one go. I am a big believer that any positive change, no matter how tiny, is worthwhile. Small improvements are easier to digest, simpler to roll out, and have less risk. Efficiencies compound and we will get there faster than if we planned big transformations. This is probably why TDD and the Agile Method resonate so well with me.
Communication will be the cornerstone of our working relationship. While the bulk of our communications should be via Slack, I find that nothing beats face to face interactions. It
- helps build trust and credibility;
- minimizes mis-interpretation and mis-understanding;
- and allows you to read non-verbal cues
If we can't figure something out over Slack quickly, or either of us feels there is some ambiguity, I will always find time to have a quick face to face chat with you instead. On that note, I am available anytime for a quick chat. Feel free to send a calendar invite or just pop by my desk. While I respect the headphone rule, you may often find me with my headphones on. That does not mean I'm "in the zone", feel free to get my attention and we can talk.
Constant feedback is essential to growth and I appreciate any and all feedback. I will also strive to give direct feedback as soon as possible and in as clear a way as possible. Please do the same, if there is feedback to give me, don't wait until our 1:1s. I will also work with you to find solutions.
We will be scheduling 30 minutes weekly or biweekly for 1:1s. This is a time for us to talk about anything you like. Some examples are
- your career
- architecture or design
- team strategy and opportunities
I will usually be in the office between 9a and 5p. I have a habit of reading and working at night after dinner, so I may message you on Slack from time to time. Please feel free to ignore those until work hours. I will usually answer any Slack messages I see right away, I do not expect the same from others unless you are the DRI and it is urgent.