My First Two Weeks at Smashing Boxes

After having read a few other people’s new job experiences, I feel inspired to share my own. Two weeks ago I started work at one of the Triangle’s premier agencies. What follows are the things I have seen which make Smashing Boxes stand out.

For a little background on me, I am a software engineer who has worked in web technologies for close to 8 years. For the first six of those, I worked in an enterprise. A couple years ago, though, I found my calling after a job hop into agency work.

You can find Smashing Boxes in Durham. If you were looking into companies in the area to turn your ideas into reality, they would be at the top of your list. For a while now I had seen their work and been impressed, so when given the opportunity to work there, I jumped at it.

On my first day’s walk from the parking deck, I began realizing just how great its location is. The American Tobacco Campus is the region’s hub for startups and agencies. Over a dozen such companies call it home. The area has restaurants, a gym, a park, and even a baseball stadium within walking distance. Almost has the feeling of a college campus. Thousands of people come here every day to make an impact on the world and I felt humbled getting to join.

As I opened the office doors, my eyes scanned over one of the most remarkable workspaces in the Southeastern US. Dividing the open office is a striking, pink shipping container. It serves as our largest conference room. Straight ahead lies a kitchen with two kegs on tap. Scattered about the space are several couches in shades of gray and pink. Post-it notes, messages scrawled in dry erase marker, and TVs cover the walls. It is the kind of space you would dream up if you wanted a place that was office by day and cocktail lounge at night. Perfection for someone whose best work is done on a couch.

I feel like emphasizing two words from the last paragraph: open office. Some really, really don’t like them. Everyone is different, and I respect that there are those who don’t get along with open offices. But I feel my best working out in the open. You cannot get this level of collaboration in any other environment. Quick, two-minute chats at the right times can save hours. Already I can list off a handful of these conversations. We move faster because of the environment.

The creative work being done here is why I got into development. The teams at Smashing Boxes build solutions that were impossible just a couple years ago. One project targets the new Apple Watch. A couple others render 3D graphics in the browser. One of those even uses native C libraries compiled into JavaScript. Just last Friday a team showcased a project for a regional festival that communicates in real time across every person connected to the app. Every week someone wows me with the work they’ve done.

It is not just the engineers doing amazing things either. Smashing Boxes built a place where the entire company experiments. During my first week, a number of task forces met. They discussed topics ranging from new employee onboarding practices to work from home policies. Each of these task forces researches what worked for others, puts together ideas, and then experiments with them to find what works for us. In most companies you get told what the policies are, here you help define them.

In addition to experimentation, the company invests in growing its employees. We have a shared bookshelf with books on software, design, and business. I don’t know why I have never seen this at any other office before. Just this week we ordered another long wish list of books from Amazon. And if books aren’t your thing, we also have access to online classes to further our educations.

Perhaps this dedication to growth is most evident in the company’s apprenticeship program. We offer budding novices a chance to learn alongside professionals for three months. These apprentices begin by building apps for well-understood toy problems. By the end of it, they are delivering real value for Smashing Boxes and our clients. They even get time to read from some hand-selected software development classics during work. How cool is that? Earlier this week we welcomed Derek, the first apprentice of his cohort. Thrilled to be working with him and the others who will be joining soon.

I couldn’t describe what goes on at Smashing Boxes without talking about the people. A fast-paced, creative, collaborative and growth-oriented environment results from a team of incredible coworkers. All this starts at the top with an accessible leadership team. I talk to several of them every day and see them working hard alongside the rest of us. Most sit right next to the employees they lead.

The people here range from bright recent graduates to savvy industry veterans. Everywhere I look I have found individuals who are exceptional at what they do. One guy runs the local Ruby meetups. Another maintains a popular Github project. And yet another writes prominent blog articles on the direction technology is headed. Being spectacular isn’t rare here. That can be intimidating. But surrounding yourself with great people is also one of the fastest ways to improve.

Fridays are perhaps the best time to see the people of Smashing Boxes do amazing things. It starts at noon with the entire company arranged in a half circle at the front of the office. Up first, an executive announces major happenings around the company. Following that people give shout outs to others for the things they’ve done over the last week. Each recognized employee gets a round of clapping — it’s a lot of clapping. These ten minutes give everyone’s work visibility and the whole company a chance to show appreciation for a job well done.

After the clapping comes a catered lunch from any of Durham’s well-known eateries. From there we devote the entire afternoon to Smashing Labs, a time to innovate and improve. People are trying new things with their projects or building their own unique ideas. It is part of what keeps us sharp and invested in the work we do.

I have now started a few new jobs in my career. Through it I have learned if you’re not happy, it is always worth it to make a change. Even if the thought of trying to make that change scares you. Either express what you need to your employer or take the leap and find a new position which fits you better.

If you are in the area and thinking about new opportunities, I’d like to grab coffee and talk about what’s on your mind. I’m no recruiter, but I know a bit about many great companies in the Triangle, and I can share what I’ve learned. If you write web or native apps, I can also tell you about the open positions at Smashing Boxes. And of course, feel free to reach out if you want to know what it takes to break into creating apps for a living. We can talk about how to get you there, including a look at the SB Apprentice program. I’ve had a fantastic two weeks and I think everyone deserves the same chance to start doing what they love.