Sarah MeiMay 2, 2023
Hello friends! If you want to join a small, startup-y development team 🚀, have a material impact on a profitable, growing business 🔥, and work for me 😅, please read on! 🧵
Show threadSarah Mei

I’m currently hiring a Staff-level software developer for my team at BackerKit. I’d be delighted to talk about it with you or anyone you know who might be a fit.

I’m looking for someone who has:

- Deep experience in Ruby and Rails
- A history of pair programming - and is excited to use it every day to teach & learn
- Expertise in automated testing and test driven development

Here’s the full listing: https://jobs.lever.co/backerkit/04342de5-5a39-4e56-938c-54198b21f059?lever-source=careers-page

BackerKit - Staff Software Developer

BackerKit enables thousands of creators worldwide to focus on doing what they love. For over a decade, our software has been the premier platform for crowdfunding backer management. And last year, we launched our own crowdfunding platform, making us for the first time a true one-stop shop! All of our offerings have a single goal: to empower crowdfunding creators to manage their creative endeavors with confidence. We’re a profitable, self-funded start-up of around 50 people with a diverse, close-knit team that prizes creativity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn. We have a small-yet-effective US-distributed engineering team. We are looking for a Staff level software developer (an individual contributor) to take us to the next level. Perhaps that is you! Our tech stack BackerKit is a Ruby on Rails “majestic monolith” deployed on Heroku. The codebase has been around since 2012, so it has seen some things. Despite that, it is generally well-factored and well-tested - we’ve been

May 2, 2023 at 5:27pmWeb
Show threadSarah MeiMay 2, 2023

BackerKit is a small 50ish person company whose charter is to improve the lives of creative people, and help them focus more on doing what they love.

Personally I feel good about contributing to this - it’s meaningful for people in ways that some of my past jobs have not been.

Show threadSarah MeiMay 2, 2023

I also like that BackerKit prioritizes work/life balance. You don’t need a reason to take time off. We don’t work long hours or weekends (modulo pager duty which does not happen often).

The codebase is a well-tended 12-year-old Rails garden. We care about both quality, and shipping. We deploy multiple times a day and explicitly make space to experiment - and sometimes to fail.

That link again: https://jobs.lever.co/backerkit/04342de5-5a39-4e56-938c-54198b21f059?lever-source=careers-page

BackerKit - Staff Software Developer

BackerKit enables thousands of creators worldwide to focus on doing what they love. For over a decade, our software has been the premier platform for crowdfunding backer management. And last year, we launched our own crowdfunding platform, making us for the first time a true one-stop shop! All of our offerings have a single goal: to empower crowdfunding creators to manage their creative endeavors with confidence. We’re a profitable, self-funded start-up of around 50 people with a diverse, close-knit team that prizes creativity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn. We have a small-yet-effective US-distributed engineering team. We are looking for a Staff level software developer (an individual contributor) to take us to the next level. Perhaps that is you! Our tech stack BackerKit is a Ruby on Rails “majestic monolith” deployed on Heroku. The codebase has been around since 2012, so it has seen some things. Despite that, it is generally well-factored and well-tested - we’ve been

Show threadSarah MeiMay 2, 2023

I know I’d get more uptake if I posted this on Twitter, but…I’m not going to. It’s such a cesspool over there now. I don’t want to support it any longer.

Anyway, please hit me up with questions! I would love to move fast on this one and get someone signed (if not actually started) by the end of May.

Show threadKevinMay 2, 2023
@sarahmei Ah, too bad it's focused on US timezones (though I understand). 14 years of Ruby in Rails experience here, with 8 focused on back-office operations (inventory management, order fulfillment, logistics, payments etc.) After most of that in NYC, I've been contracting for US companies from France since 2019. Happy to try out as a contractor as early as mid-May and see how it works out!
Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@kevinbongart that sounds like a pretty awesome lifestyle tbh. I’d love to talk if you ever come back to the states :)
Show threadbrackenMay 3, 2023
@sarahmei thanks for posting here! I'm excited to apply for it, I love your descriptions of the company and position.
Show threadThe Rabid BananaMay 3, 2023

@sarahmei wow - what a great opportunity to find in my feed!

If you’re looking to hire quickly, is there anything in particular experience-wise you’re hoping someone with the right profile could bring to the table above what’s written in Staff Engineer description?

Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@therabidbanana Honestly I think I put everything I wanted in the job description. It’s sort of a wish list - I’m not expecting any one candidate to hit everything.
Show threadStephann V.May 2, 2023
@sarahmei nice! I work at a Brazilian crowdfunding platform and we have similar culture , prioritizing work/life balance (we work 30h per week) and we have a 12 years old Rails application, not so well tended but we are fixing that.
Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@ste it would be fun to compare notes some time!
Show threadSean TilleyMay 3, 2023

@sarahmei Hi Sarah Mei! 😁

Just to back Sarah up: I was one of the first hires at BackerKit, and it is 100% an amazing place to work. The team is full of wonderful people, and the day-to-day challenges are interesting and fun.

It's a great company, and I miss working there some days. 😅

Show threadFabien LoupMay 2, 2023
@sarahmei great offer! Is it US only?
Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@norydev yes unfortunately at this time it’s US-based folks only.
Show threadFabien LoupMay 3, 2023
@sarahmei thanks for letting me know 👍
Show threadCad NordmanMay 2, 2023
@sarahmei sent to a friend who would be a good fit!
Show threadsocial justice sreMay 2, 2023
@owen in case you're interested!
Show threadloading… HAC (he/him)May 3, 2023

@sarahmei I don’t check one of the boxes! 😆
The entire job description is a delight to read!!! The second to last paragraph is the cherry on top!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I know that is probqbly the correct place for it, but maybe a shorter version of that should be replicated throughout the whole posting.

The person hired in this position will be luckiest in the world!!!!

Show threadRoman.May 3, 2023
@sarahmei heya! I'm interested, but while I have 15 years of overall full stack software experience, my Rails experience is a bit rusty (haven't played with most of the new features). Could we chat about whether I could be a good fit anyway?
Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@rkofman yeah for sure! Can you email me sarah at BackerKit dot com? Would love to talk this week if possible :)
Show threadRoman.May 3, 2023
@sarahmei email sent!
Show threadOinak May 3, 2023
@sarahmei excellent offer/job description! as someone who loves pairing but lives 9 timezones away from PT I will boost in the hopes you find the right match, best of luck!
Show threadBen GolderMay 3, 2023
@sarahmei This looks like a perfect fit for me! I have 9 yrs of experience building web apps and the last 6 were all pair programming/TDD on Ruby on Rails apps w lots of ex-pivotal folks. I could start right away. I'll fill out the application ASAP!
Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@bengolder please do! I am doing phone screens this week and next week.
Show threadmileszsMay 3, 2023
@sarahmei How do you feel about folks who have been Head of Engineering at startups (running monolithic Rails codebases) the past 5 years wanting to get back into an IC role?
Show threadSarah MeiMay 3, 2023
@mileszs 👍🏻
Show threadmileszsMay 4, 2023
@sarahmei Applied! Thank you! Hopefully I make the cut for an initial conversation, but, if not, I’ll obviously remain a BackerKit fan. I mean, look at these stickers!