What’s a day in the life like for a DIO Full Stack Developer?
by Hajar Amidian
For the second interview in our “Day in the Life” series, I had the opportunity to virtually meet with Taryn, one of our amazing DIO full stack developers, to learn more about her role.
This interview has been edited for length.
HA: What does a typical day look like for you as a full stack developer?
TL: I have to say there’s no typical day! My day varies depending on the priorities of the initiatives that I am involved in. On any given day, I might need to prioritize my work around support of a system in production, development work, usability testing, collaboration activities, or guild work that we’re starting to fire up.
I personally like to get in some development work in while it’s quiet in the morning. Once people start filtering in, the technical team members will often meet and chat — What’s going on? Where are we at? What we need? This is in preparation for our morning stand ups, when the whole team meets.
HA: Tell us more about your role at the DIO and your work on a specific delivery team, for example with the Aboriginal Consultation Office (ACO) Digital Service.
TL: The ACO team has an interesting team dynamic that involves a lot of communication and collaboration. We have two full stack developers on the team, and we’ve brought on a third member recently. We all take on different responsibilities beyond development in order to get to delivery. For example, we have stepped into architecture and DevOps. You could say we’re ‘Full Stack Developers Plus’. We’re a full-service shop! Our teams at the DIO are rather lean and each team member has the opportunity to contribute in a number of unique ways with their superpowers!
It’s hard to narrow down the role of a full stack developer, but in simple terms, we translate input from users and the team into technical requirements and tasks, and then we implement those through code. Throughout this process we put users first, making sure their needs are being met and that we are getting value out there.
HA: Do the main responsibilities for this position at the DIO differ in any way from similar positions elsewhere? If so, how?
TL: Personally, in my career I’ve always fallen into positions where I’ve worn many hats all the time. I’ve been everything from developer to customer service representative, to project manager, to business owner — the whole gamut! The DIO encourages every team member to lean in and shape their own roles, flex and grow. So while your job title is important and keeps you motivated, having a role that you can excel in and develop skills is very valuable.
The magic of the DIO is working on cross-functional teams. The business and our Product Owners are actively and continuously involved throughout the day and work with designers. Normally, you don’t get that access to these individuals as developers. For example, one of my most recent positions was in an extraordinarily technical project. There was a lot of collaboration, but within the technical team.
At the DIO, we get to be part of usability testing with actual users, which is access many full stack developers don’t get. This involvement gives you a more holistic picture of user needs. It is also a gratifying experience because you get to see people using what you built. These opportunities are so special because without them, you could work on a project for years and never get to hear or see anybody actually using what you’ve created.
HA: What’s your favourite part about working here?
TL: The people. We have people who are on the same page with a shared mission, vision, and values. We have tight cross-functional teams, which is awesome. This makes my workday a joy and not a chore.
HA: Every job comes with its own set of challenges. What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position might face?
TL: This challenge is not exactly unique to the DIO, but the job in general — that is making sure that you’re really building something of value. You could be slogging away on a project for years, maybe writing great code and making a great product, but if nobody uses it, then it has not provided any value. As I mentioned earlier, the user is really the crux of the whole matter and in a pure “tech shop”, that can get left to the wayside. Therefore, having access to and communication with users is invaluable.
However, as beneficial as all this collaboration and communication is, you have to do mental switches with your time management. It is challenging and continuous work to really engage with users, and make sure that time spent with them leads to something valuable. For me, I have to work my day around all these different activities and get in coding time as well. For thought intensive tasks like coding, I require a couple of hours to dig into my work, and I have a hard time context switching. Finding this solid block of time is sometimes difficult, and if I’m bouncing in-between tasks and topics, it can be hard to hit my stride.
HA: What are your thoughts on working in a majority male-dominated industry. Do you have any thoughts about that?
TL: Tech is hugely male-dominated. I’ve been in tech for about 20 years, including my years in school. It’s very often the case where I’m the only woman in the room. In tech, particularly among developers and architects, there’s a culture of wanting to be the best, and it’s not necessarily bad!
I have worked with good teams, but mansplaining is always a bit of a work hazard. My current team, I must say, is outstanding! The gentlemen on my team are all huge allies. It’s not even a matter of being an ally — we are true equals on the team. This creates an extraordinary work culture, and I’ve got to give kudos to them for the character that they have and bring to the team.
HA: What might you share with other developers that are considering working with the DIO?
TL: Like I said, the culture and approach to work are truly unique in government and quite possibly through Edmonton and the private sector as well. So that’s the selling point. The DIO presents a challenge technically — you really have to step up your game — and also in terms of culture. If you want to learn about true user journeys and experiences, if you want to get your hands dirty and wear different hats, and be part of product creation, the DIO is the best place in the city.
