What is Sky Stream about? What did you personally contribute to this project?
Sky Stream is a streaming service provided by Sky, offering customers access to platforms like Netflix and other streaming channels. I was part of the team responsible for building the customer acquisition flow.
What technologies or tools did you get to use during those projects? Anything you enjoyed working with?
During this project, I worked with various technologies such as React, NodeJS, Akamai, GraphQL, Contentstack, and Optimizely. I particularly enjoyed using Contentstack and Optimizely because they allowed for quick content changes and experimentation. Contentstack helped reduce overall system load time by around 20%, while Optimizely contributed to a 5% increase in sales, which translates to a significant amount for a large global firm.
Were there any interesting challenges you faced while working on those projects? How did you go about tackling them?
One of the interesting challenges we faced was dealing with outdated codebases. When we needed to interact with or modify these codebases, we ensured that we updated the documentation and informed the relevant teams. Sky had a well-structured setup with diverse, performance-driven teams, so most issues could be resolved through inter-team communication.
How was the experience of collaborating with your team members? Any memorable moments or lessons learned?
Collaboration within the team was enjoyable. We organized daily sessions where team members could ask questions and receive answers, fostering a supportive environment.
What were the outcomes or results of those projects? Anything you're particularly proud of or found surprising?
One memorable outcome was the localization we implemented, tailoring the system for specific regions in the UK and Ireland, which led to noticeable variations in sales performance.
When it comes to writing code, do you have any personal approaches or strategies you find effective?
In terms of coding, I believe in adhering to basic programming principles, such as using functions for building components. Good pair programming techniques and thorough documentation also significantly boosted our productivity by around 20%.
Can you think of a specific problem or task that was particularly challenging, and how you approached solving it?
A particularly challenging task was working with Grafana Analytics, due to my initial lack of experience with large infrastructure analytics. I overcame this by consulting knowledgeable colleagues and experimenting on my own until I successfully configured Grafana to integrate with our product.
Were you involved in any aspects of project planning or management? How did you handle deadlines and prioritize tasks?
I was also involved in project planning and management through our scrum planning and review meetings. We estimated the time required for technical features, planned deadlines, and communicated any necessary changes to our scrum master.
Looking back, what have you learned or gained from those experiences? Any skills or insights that have stuck with you?
Overall, I've learned the importance of effective teamwork and cross-team collaboration. While technical skills are crucial, much of the day-to-day operations in a tech firm revolve around people and communication.
Is there anything you'd do differently now, based on what you've learned from those projects? Any feedback or advice you've taken to heart?
If I could do anything differently, I would focus even more on honing my collaboration skills and understanding how to approach each team member to get the best out of everyone. I’d also spend more time learning different parts of the system, as this knowledge can be incredibly useful for future works.
