From creating new and exciting features, to fixing bugs, a day in the life of a Rewarded Play developer is never boring (despite what stereotypes might say). Since developers make up nearly 40 percent of our team here at Influence Mobile - we thought it was about time we give you a closer look at the crucial role they play.
Follow along as we interview one of our lead developers, Daniel Shelton, who continues to be a key player in building and maintaining our app.
Tell us what a typical morning looks like for you.
“I typically start a pot of coffee, feed my cats, and then dive right into my morning work routine, which pretty much consists of looking through emails and making sure the app is running smoothly. I do some daily checks and then head over to see if any users are reporting any funkyness on the Google Play store. With over 5 million installs and over one hundred thousand reviews, it has proven to be a great resource for catching bugs early on.”
Is the majority of your day filled with meetings? Coding?
“If no problems come up on my radar that need to be resolved quickly, I carry on with the remainder of my day, which tends to be an even split of meetings and coding. Developer stand-ups and product meetings are pretty typical to keep everyone aware of the team’s progress and to discuss what’s coming down the pipeline. I do avoid blocking big sections of time on my calendar to code, because I like to make myself available for anyone who needs anything. I like to think this helps keep the machine well-oiled!”
When there is a bug or break in the app – what is the process for finding and correcting it?
“Problem solving at Influence Mobile is definitely a team sport. Once it is clear that there is a break causing our users issues, we sound the alarm to the entire team so that we are able to pinpoint it as quickly as possible. As far as finding a solution, it looks different for every problem that arises - sometimes we are able to resolve issues within moments, other times there are third parties involved and the timeframe is simply out of my control. What I will say is that it is always a top priority to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.”
How do you like working remotely? Are you still able to build relationships with your co-workers?
“I absolutely love it. I can never see myself going back into any office after this. Not only is it better for the environment, but it allows me to spend more time with my family and pets. I will say that I am an extrovert, so I do enjoy the meetings that are placed into the flow of my day.”
“For the employees who are located in Washington, we make time to meet up in the office occasionally to catch up and see each other face-to-face, which is always a lot of fun. We also have a ‘Social Team’ that's sole purpose is to plan fun and engaging virtual activities that will help keep our team close. From playing a round of Among Us together to taking a virtual mixology class - there is no shortage of laughs on the fourth Friday of the month.”
How are new features for Rewarded Play imagined?
“Ideas are encouraged from every single member of the team. While our CEO is definitely the brain behind the operation for a lot of new features, the developers also play a large role. We especially love when we receive feature recommendations from our users. After all, that is who we’re striving to please.”
What has been one of your biggest challenges over the past four years you’ve worked here?
“Over the last four years, our company has experienced tremendous growth. We’ve gone from eight employees to over 30 in a short period of time, which required me to learn how to delegate and become more confident in my leadership role. At first, this was challenging because I was used to being handed a feature idea and essentially doing the whole project. I’d say my biggest challenge was simply adjusting to this change and achieving that balance of scheduling, leading my team, and working on my own individual projects.”
We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the life of a Rewarded Play developer. Are you curious about another member of the Influence Mobile team? Email us at [email protected] and let us know who you'd like to see featured next. Until next time!