mkodo 1 year on

They say time flies when you are having fun; as my 1-year anniversary of joining mkodo draws near, I thought it would be nice to reflect on the experience so far.

What first struck me about mkodo was the interview process; it is more robust than that of previous employers, with several stages including practical exercises. As my main face to face interview approached I was feeling a little nervous. Upon arrival however, I was made to feel relaxed and very welcome. A big surprise came when I answered the question “have you done TDD?”. Answering “No”, the response was “we appreciate your honesty, don’t worry we’ll show you”. We did a kata-style TDD exercise which we must have enjoyed as the afternoon overran! I like the interview style; it’s structured to gently explore the candidate’s talent, while having fun along the way.

My first day soon arrived and I was made to feel very welcome; the difference in the culture to that of larger, more corporate organisations was clear. Being a little older than many of the ‘mkodians’ I feared I may not fit in. I couldn’t have been more wrong; the people are indeed very friendly and throughout the day would check to see that I was OK. I duly accepted the offer of after work drinks for some great banter, and very little talking ‘shop’.

I was surprised to be offered work with the iOS team, given I’d no prior experience in Swift. I was soon provided with a solid training plan comprising of reading, watching videos, coding exercises and pairing. I really enjoyed the pair programming; a great way to learn and meet the team.

I’ve so far worked on 3 iOS projects, gaining good experience on most layers of the apps. I’ve learnt so much and I owe a lot of this to the support of my colleagues. I’ve been bowled over at how supportive the mkodo culture is. I’m now fortunate to be able to pass on some of this knowledge to others. What really stands out is mkodo’s clean code culture. TDD and other ‘clean’ practices are commonplace and actively encouraged. It’s refreshing to see such tools taken beyond the text book.

Daily life at mkodo is far from dull. mkodo has a talented team who are encouraged to grow; there is often someone giving a tech. talk or attending a meet-up. mkodo welcomes a diverse culture and recognises that everyone has something to add. We work together, as a team rather than in traditional silos. I work alongside QA, BAs and PMs meaning I spend less time chasing people and more time building cool stuff. It’s not all about work though, mkodians are a social bunch and events such as badminton, rock-climbing, karting or just good old-fashioned drinks are common.

Covid-19 means life is very different but mkodo continues to care for the team. Regular check-ins, targeted support and Friday (virtual) social drinks all play their part. Working from home is a challenge for some, but the mkodo team spirit is still very strong. This is perhaps driven by the promise of a big mkodo party when we arrive at the new normal.