Software engineer and writer Joel Spolsky has said that “good software, like wine, takes time.” Of course, he is correct. But there is another factor as well; you also need good Software Developers! And here at Devolutions, we are proud to have some of the best and brightest Software Developers, including the newest member of our team: Samuel Bergeron-Drouin.
I recently had the chance to chat with Samuel to learn more about his experience, his role here at Devolutions, and his hobbies. Here is a look at our conversation:
Can you tell me a bit about your background?
Ever since I was in elementary school, I have been very interested in computer science. In addition to playing games, I toyed with 3D modeling in Blender, and I learned C++ and Flash after buying Macromedia Flash MX 2004 For Dummies and C++ For Dummies at a book fair.
In high school, I got heavily involved in music. But when I had to make a career choice going into college, it seemed pretty obvious to me that going into computer science and keeping music as a hobby was a more sensible choice than the other way around. And so I pursued my diploma in computer science.
During my first year at college, I started working as a data entry clerk. After the first few months, as I was already getting proficient in software and web development, I transitioned to being a developer. After graduating, I had various roles in software and web development, and now here I am at Devolutions!
What would you say is your biggest achievement?
The professional achievement that I’m most proud of is working as a web developer just after my first semester of college. I had to learn a lot in a short period of time and was able to acquire a great deal of knowledge and skills while studying at the same time.
What was it about Devolutions that made you want to work here?
I heard many good things about Devolutions from my brother, who did an internship here in the past. As someone who is really into performance optimization and real-time networking, I was very interested and impressed by the fact that there was a local business that had a remote software solution similar to TeamViewer. I also really liked that the company had an arcade room and pool table!
However, I think that for me, the deciding factor was the superior and modern technology stack that is used here. I’ve been interested in the Rust language for quite a while, so having the opportunity to work with it was a fantastic selling point!
What would you say are your top two strengths at work?
First, I’m very thorough. I love to learn in depth and understand how everything is tied together instead of just on the surface. This tends to give me an edge at finding and fixing more obscure bugs, since I more deeply understand how everything works.
Second, I’m very mindful of the user experience. I’m highly critical when it comes to the usability and performance of software and tools that I personally use. I understand how important it is, and make sure that everything I write is at a very high standard. I’m sure a lot of our IT pros appreciate that as much as I do!
What tasks do you carry out in your job, and what are some of the tools you use?
I primarily work on our Oauth2 server, which is written in Rust, and its associated front-end page in Angular. I occasionally work on other back-end pieces in Asp.NET or .NET Core. I use CLion for Rust and Webstorm or Visual Studio Code for the rest. I do a bit of everything, from writing new features to patching bugs to optimizing parts.
What is your impression of working here?
I love it! Everyone works hard, and at the same time everyone is friendly. The office is very nice, and the location is so convenient. I also like the tons of little goodies, like the candy dispensers, pool table, video game consoles, and kitchens with snacks. It makes the office a very enjoyable work environment.
Of course, for the past year or so, I’ve been working at home due to COVID. And while it’s nice to avoid a commute, I really miss going to the office and seeing everyone. I do think that we managed to transition quite well to working remotely, given the limitations.
What goals would you like to achieve at Devolutions?
I really love learning new technologies, and so I hope to touch a bit of every technology that we use in the workplace!
On a personal note, what are some of your hobbies and interests?
On top of loving to code on small personal projects, I am heavily into video games and music. I enjoy fighting games and rhythm games, because similar to playing a real instrument — which I do too — it’s something that allows me to acquire skills and aptitudes, which are kept in my mind and not just statistics on a character sheet or save file. It’s a personal progression that feels satisfying and rewarding, and the acquired aptitudes often translate to other things in life!
Please share a few words with our community of IT pros:
Thank you for appreciating the products that we make! You’re the reason we are in business, and we work hard to make genuinely good products that you will enjoy.