Breaking engineering stereotypes: Patrick, Fullstack Developer in Cardiff

About Patrick

It might not surprise you that I'm a gamer: video and board games are my passion. But when I'm not conforming to the typical engineering stereotypes, I also hike, do parkour, skydive and fly my racing drone (badly).

I’ve been with Backbase for almost a year. It feels like I’ve been here for ages but in a good way. We had a bunch of new colleagues join us here in Cardiff, many of whom I've helped get up to speed.

Tell us about your job. What do you do at Backbase?

Officially, I’m a Fullstack Developer in the Product Development department, but I wear a lot of different hats here: Fullstack Dev, System Owner, Mentor, Social Chapter Lead. It's a lot to juggle, but I enjoy the challenge.

I love coding because it gives me insight into a little bit of everything: Backend, Frontend, DevOps. There’s always a new challenge and something new to learn. Currently, I'm working towards my AWS certification, brushing up on my knowledge of Spring and writing some internal RXJS training materials.

On top of this, I really enjoy the Social Chapter responsibilities. I get to plan and organize team outings, game nights but also charitable initiatives so it’s both fun and rewarding.

If you could do another job for a day, what would that be and why?

Skydiving Instructor: You get to jump for free! 🪂🙃

What brought you to Backbase?

It was actually a former colleague, Andy. He was after some referral cash, so he sold it to me. 😁 Then, the gorgeous office space in Cardiff and the good work-play balance won me over.

I've worked in some interesting places and had a pretty good idea what I was looking for. Good work-life balance, nice perks, great drive, and a culture where developers are trusted to do their thing. I’m happy that I’ve found all of that at Backbase.

How does your work contribute to Backbase's mission to power the digital banking revolution?

I work in the Audit team with about five other colleagues of varying disciplines. The solution we’re working on enables financial institutions to log who did what and when. It ticks some important legal boxes but also puts us at the center of web and connected information. While Audit doesn't sound all that exciting, it comes with some interesting challenges and possibilities.

My team’s focus is on making our solution robust, valuable and easy-to-use... not just for our banking clients, but for the other teams who integrate with us.

What's unique about Backbase's engineering culture?

It's two things! Firstly, it’s the trust you get at the ground level. As an engineer, you’re given the space to voice your opinions and action improvements.

Secondly, it's a community. I game with, drink with and enjoy spending time with my colleagues.

These things aren't fully unique to Backbase, but it's rare to find both in the same place.

What do you think external folks would be surprised to learn about how we do things here?

I genuinely believe the pool table in the office makes me more productive. Taking a moment to get away from the desk, reset the brain and bounce ideas off a new opponent keeps me focused. It's also nice to know nobody's going to breathe down my neck for doing so. We're responsible, and respect goes both ways.

What advice would you give to someone interested in joining Backbase?

You need to be willing to work hard when you’re working. The pace is high here, but not unmanageable, so there's no crunch. Have a good work ethic and a true passion for your work. Egos are not welcome here. You need to be collaborative but also willing to find your own answers.