Diaspora
4 years
I’m a developer. I was working at Captain Train until a few weeks ago.
4 years. 4 rich, intense, friendly, focused years. So much learned.
When I joined Captain Train back in June 2012, I was looking for a haven, a place to do my job properly. I was hoping for rigour, precision, be able to use the proper tools, don’t be shackled by your tools. And boy! I haven’t been disappointed!
Be able to use a Linux machine, be able to use git properly, work with passionate and respectuous developers, people engaged in both the product and their profession, true craftswomen and craftsmen.
This would look very natural to most of you. This shall be the norm by now.
But working at Captain Train was much more than just your 9–5. There was a product and there was a friendly atmosphere.
A new start
When you have worked at the same place without any major change for a long time, you get some habits!
I’ve joined recently a young startup. They are young and that’s refreshing for me! But I’ve also noted what I was missing from Captain Train. So basically my job is to make this place as good as the Captain was to me. I need it, and I think it’s a good thing!
Spreading the word
I’m not the first captain to have left the ship, and some others may follow. And like me they will realize what they will be missing. I hope we could share most of what we learned and what made Captain Train a success.
I can’t make a list here, most of it lies in the details. It covers development, tooling, product, customer service and most important: team.
For having practiced my speach recently, I got the habit to summarize those 4 years to recruitment. I could talk about our tech stacks, our tools, but this is anecdotal. First of all you need to hire the right people. You need balance, between the speedy one, the calm one, the technical, the sensitive.
You won’t find unicorns, but you can build a team. And that is what I’ve learned at Captain Train.
The Captains will spread the word, and even if the company one day disappears for good, the experience will stay, and hopefully it has been shared in many others great projects.
