Working in “Z” Years
The New Year always provides a good time for reflection. One thing that I am often asked by candidates during interviews is some form of the same question about working at Zoosk. Usually, it’s something along the lines of “what makes Zoosk different from other companies you have worked for?” In the past, I would talk about the smart people I work with each day or the excitement of building a consumer web product that is used by millions of people. But lately I describe something more basic, more ingrained in the culture. There is an intensity at Zoosk that I haven’t experienced at other companies. It feels like a strong impatience and a push to continually make things better. In terms of product development, this usually manifests as a rapid rate of change, delivering new features and technical capabilities in quick succession. Our product decision making is very empirical, usually leveraging some form of A/B testing to gauge user acceptance of new ideas. The general thinking is that if we can experiment our way to the best products, then completing those experiments as quickly as possible is critical.
This drive for change causes our engineers to be continually moving through development projects. They will work on one feature in a two week sprint, launch it, and then move on to the next one. This allows them to be exposed to a number of technologies and frameworks within our infrastructure very quickly. Their technical skill set grows rapidly and within a short time are often making significant contributions to the code base. In many cases, individual engineers are the primary maintainers of major software systems and product features.
From a professional development point of view, I think this intensity makes Zoosk engineers enter into some sort of accelerated time warp, where they grow their skill set more quickly than their peers at other, usually larger, companies. An easy way to describe this phenomenon is by using the analogy of dog years. They say that one dog year is equal to about 7 human years. Applied to Zoosk, I think that one year as an engineer at Zoosk is equal to about 4 years at another technology company. This assertion has been loosely supported through information gathered in interviews. I will often ask a senior engineer who spent several years at company Y to describe for me their accomplishments at that company. Usually, they name one or two large projects, with some general maintenance work. Then, I will look at their resume again and note that they spent 4 years at company Y. I think to myself – “Wow, that’s what you accomplished in 4 years. The average Zoosk engineer would blow through those projects in a year or less.” Similarly, when Zoosk engineers conduct interviews, this multiplier kicks in. A Zoosk engineer 2-3 years out of college can give a “seasoned” engineer with 8-10 years of experience at other companies a tough interview.
When filling leadership positions within the engineering group, this same accelerated growth effect applies as well. Many of our team managers were promoted from within the organization. Usually, they had held no prior engineering management roles before joining Zoosk or were recruited right out of college. However, through the intensity of the Zoosk experience and a willingness to take ownership over outcomes, they demonstrated basic leadership skills. We then put them in a formal leadership position, gave frequent coaching and let them learn quickly through real-world application. Within 6-12 months, these individuals become very competent leaders that I would match against long-time managers at bigger companies. They are practiced problem solvers who know how to direct their teams to get projects done. And because of the Zoosk time warp, they can hone their leadership skills very quickly.
The environment of constant change at Zoosk isn’t for everyone and certainly brings its share of stress and discomfort. But, for those willing to put in the effort, I think the Zoosk experience is invaluable for professional development. If you would like to start working in “Z” years, we are hiring. Check out our Careers page for open positions.
