FastPivot is the sum of the parts. We spend a lot of time making sure each new hire improves the team by a factor greater than +1. Here is what FastPivot developer Chris Harman brought to the table. It was a lot.
What is your background?
I’m a proud geek. I started coding in high school. By graduation, I’d learned Cobol, Pascal, Visual Basic, and Basic, and had also passed a college-level course in C, which is the lifeblood of computer science.
I started in computer science at Westchester University then switched my major after a web development program was launched. I discovered that what you can do with JavaScript and site customization was just way more exciting than coding in C.
After graduation, I did a one-year internship, developing web sites for non-profits around Philadelphia. I got my feet wet working with clients and real-world project management.
When I returned to my hometown of Shavertown, PA, I joined a small web development company called Solid Cactus as the 16th employee. At the time, we were a small collection of developers, designers and a few account managers. The company grew to close to 200 during my seven years. Solid Cactus was a great experience. It was a high-tech company in an area not associated with the tech industry, and a place where I learned the ins and outs of the industry, and the Yahoo! Stores world. I was introduced to large ecommerce platforms and honed my multi-client, project management skills.
When did you sign up to be a FastPivot Developer?
I joined FastPivot in Feb. 2012.
Why did you join?
I had been familiar with FastPivot for several years. Solid Cactus and FastPivot both served the Yahoo! Merchant vertical so I knew a lot of their customers and their project work. I admired the people who worked at FastPivot and the code they wrote.
When I began interviewing with Matt, Keith and the others, I really liked the vibe, and their respect for their employees, co-workers and clients. I had really enjoyed the down-to-earth experience at Solid Cactus and found the same thing at Fast Pivot. Basically, they sounded like the kind of people I wanted to work with. So I signed up.
What do you do?
We wear a lot of hats. I guess my main role would be web development and programming, but we embody what a modern development company does. This means we all have multiple roles. In any single day, I could do project management and scheduling, client communication, physical development of code, and any other coordination that needs to be done.
What do you like about working at FastPivot?
Everything I would want to be professionally, I feel like I can achieve here. I like the vibe and the freedom to self-manage.
I just love the opportunity to have a client ask me, “I’m looking to do this, what are your ideas?” That’s an open door to collaboration. “I can say great and suggest something.” I love code and this is a great place to explore code and try things.
What websites do you admire?
Newegg. They offer so much more than great inventory. They are so proficient in so many things, but the front-end navigation and filtering just stand out. You’ll see this now on many sites, but they were the first to figure it out. Basically, it is real-time selection and filtering that just moves with you as you shop. Just fantastic.
What programming languages do you use?
As a FastPivot developer, I primarily code in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery, My current love is jQuery, which is responsible for the majority for the modern looking websites and features. With jQuery, you can implement cool sliders, image galleries, and dynamic drop downs. It really brings life to web pages. I also use PHP when I have to do back-end programming, but I’m definitely more of a front-end programmer.
Examples of websites Chris has either created or worked on since joining Fast Pivot:
FIFA (official online store of FIFA)
Shop3M (official online store of 3M United States)
Frieda B. (online store)
