Staff Spotlight – Matias Molleja Ramirez

 

 

In our latest Staff Spotlight post, we’re thrilled to showcase Matias, our seasoned Frontend Developer at Sparta. Join us as we delve into Matias’s remarkable journey, which began almost from the very start of Sparta, shaping the user experience of our cutting-edge web application. Discover his insights, experiences, and the innovative projects he’s been instrumental in. Keep reading for an in-depth look into Matias’s story and his invaluable contributions to our team!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE COMPANY?

I joined the company three and a half years ago, almost a few months after it was created.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR ROLE

Our app is organized into several different verticals. In my team, we primarily focus on developing new verticals. My primary area of expertise lies in the frontend part of the web application, where I am responsible for building the user interface and designing local behaviour. Additionally, I also contribute to backend tasks, especially in projects that are Typescript-based.

Furthermore, given my tenure since the inception of our first vertical, part of my role involves supporting and sharing knowledge with less experienced team members. I take pride in helping others understand our product and contribute effectively.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY?/CAN YOU GIVE ME A RUNDOWN OF YOUR CAREER PATH UP UNTIL THIS POINT?

I spent a significant portion of my career developing software for the photo printing and electric engineering industries. Over time, I’ve held various roles, ranging from very specific positions to full-stack roles where I handled nearly all aspects of application development.

Before joining Sparta, my focus was on Microsoft languages and frameworks. My typical day involved working with C# and the .NET framework. I contributed to several desktop applications, starting with WinForms, then transitioning to WPF, and finally working on a couple of polished Electron apps.

An exciting opportunity arose when I received an offer to create a new desktop version of the web app from scratch at Sparta. Although I completed this task within a few months, the company eventually decided to allocate their limited resources exclusively to the web app.

The founders were incredibly supportive during this transition, and I seamlessly joined the web team. Leveraging my prior experience with JavaScript and Angular, adapting to React was a smooth process.

Initially, moving to Sparta felt like a risky step. After spending many years at my previous company, joining a six-month-old start-up was a bold move. However, after learning about the project and engaging in interviews with the founders, it became a no-brainer. Today, I can confidently say that joining Sparta has been the best decision of my career.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF WORKING AT SPARTA?

My favourite aspect of working at our company is collaborating with exceptional individuals both professionally and personally. From the outset, our primary hiring rule was to never bring on board anyone who could be toxic to the team, regardless of their technical capabilities. I believe we did it pretty well in that area.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

In general, I take pride in my ability to adapt to different roles and quickly learn new tools and languages.

WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING PROJECT YOU’VE WORKED ON HERE AT SPARTA?

Over the past year or so, we’ve been developing new verticals based on a completely new architecture. This innovative structure involves splitting the application code into decoupled yet collaborating projects. The result? Significantly improved code maintainability. It has become clear that this approach is the right path for future verticals.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE OUR COMPANY CULTURE?

The principle of ‘Freedom and Responsibility’ has been one of our core mantras since the very beginning. Our company is incredibly supportive, candid, and encouraging when it comes to our internal team members. Simultaneously, we maintain an extremely ambitious outlook when looking at the future goals of the company.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SETS OUR COMPANY APART FROM OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY

I believe our company stands out due to management’s deep understanding of our customers’ needs. Many of our managers have prior experience working in the same market we target, which gives them valuable insights. This alignment between management and customer requirements is crucial for building a successful product.

WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

Prioritise the user and the product. Avoid getting distracted by the allure of shiny new tools, techniques, or frameworks. Instead, focus on understanding the core needs and delivering value. Remember that these tools can always change and can always be learned as needed.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS/YEARS?

In addition to continuing my daily coding practice, I aspire to expand my role as a mentor and team helper within the company. On a broader scale, I am committed to contributing to our company’s mission of becoming the premier intelligence and forecasting provider in the Commodities market.

CAN YOU SHARE A PARTICULAR SKILL OR EXPERTISE YOU’VE DEVELOPED IN THIS ROLE THAT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO ACQUIRE?

Prior to joining Sparta, I never anticipated gaining the knowledge I have now of the fintech sector in general and the Commodities market in particular.

WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?

“Ain’t got No – I got Life” from Nina Simone.

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, ARE YOU CURRENTLY BINGE-WATCHING OR READING?

I am currently finishing the last book of the ‘Harry Hole’ novels by Jo Nesbø.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOUR JOB?

My job is not writing code, It’s about solving customer’s needs, it’s about helping in building a tool that our customers can’t imagine living without.

HOW HAS YOUR ROLE EVOLVED SINCE YOU’VE BEEN HERE?

When I initially joined, my responsibility was to build the desktop version of the Sparta tool.

However, our focus soon shifted to the web app, and I transitioned to the web team. My prior experience with web technologies involved full-stack development, primarily using .NET on the backend and Angular on the frontend. That made adapting to React a swift process for me.

Additionally, over the past year, I’ve delved into backend development, utilising TypeScript. Given my tenure at the company, I’ve assumed a relevant role within my team as I serve as the go-to person for topics that require knowledge spanning both technical and product aspects of the application.

WHAT’S THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

Teamwork and having good people around you always triumph over an individual ‘rockstar’ mentality.

WHAT’S ON THING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT

One thing that people might not know is that I have a pretty decent collection of old European and American comics. (Manga isn’t allowed in there!)

IF YOU HAD THREE WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

Witness my little daughter grow into a happy woman.

Maintain the same curiosity I have now about everything.

Enjoy a long and healthy life.

WHAT’S ONE THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST

Perhaps it sounds a bit whimsical, but I would like to have some open-source project together with my daughter. She’s currently 9 years old, so I’ll patiently wait for the right time.

Matias Molleja Ramirez our Frontend Developer here at Sparta and can be contacted at matias@spartacommodities.com

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Sparta is a live, market intelligence and forecasting platform that enables oil traders, refiners, banks, hedge funds and wholesalers to have access to real-time and global actionable insights to capture market opportunities before others.

To find out how Sparta can allow you to make smarter trading decisions, faster, contact us for a demonstration at sales@spartacommodites.com