✨Team highlight: 3 years of Clayton Hung!
As a founding member of the Bear team, Clay has seen it all.
The first developer of our ever-growing team, Clay single handedly built the first version of our SaaS product. He’s been integral to Bear’s company culture, as a leader and mentor to new team members every step of the way. He’s seen every Bear office, met every Bear team member, and been there for all the highs and lows. Showing a consistent and unwavering commitment to Bear’s goals, there’s a reason we have the saying “in Clay we trust”. It’s been an incredible journey with Clay on the team, and we’re lucky to have him!
That said, let’s hear a little from the dev who started it all…
You’ve seen Bear grow from a tiny cub to where it’s at today. What’s your favorite Bear memory?
I showed up one day to find one of our clients’ reclining sofas getting returned to our office. I had seen photos, dimensions, and all the possible data points about the product (there are way more than you think), but never thought I would see it in person. We ended up keeping this extremely comfortable sofa and used it for many of our meetings.
What’s your approach to writing code?
Understanding the problem as much as I can and breaking it down into smaller parts that can be tackled much more easily. I also started writing tests more often to support the code I write.
What advice would you give to new developers?
Find something you want to change and start writing! This will keep you motivated from all the times you feel defeated or overwhelmed. New developers are often scared to make mistakes and fail, but that is probably the best thing you can do to become a better developer. Mistakes happen to all of us all the time, we just need to learn from it.
“Find something you want to change and start writing!”
What’s your favourite thing you’ve coded?
It would have to be my friends and I coding up a recipe generator based on whatever was in my fridge. We all had fun and learned something new at that time. It wasn’t anything complicated, but it was very useful in helping us clear out the fridge and wasting food.
What are you most excited about for the company’s future?
I’m most excited about the impact we can have on the furniture industry. Ecommerce feels like a dark and scary place for the furniture industry because it’s so new and complex. On the other end, the furniture industry is also much more complicated than I first thought. I believe we are the bridge: we can simplify things so both sides can understand each other in a way that meets the need.
What’s your favourite piece of furniture?
I really like walnut coloured tables — it gives it a very earthy and neutral feeling. Reminds me of camping or hiking outside.
What do you do in your down time?
I try to stay outdoors, but it really depends on the weather. I did pick up astrophotography a few years ago so I try to get out for some shots if the stars align… I have phases of gaming (I really only play CS1.6 now) and I also try cooking up something new once a week. Now that winter is coming back, I’ll be busy snowboarding every week.
Here’s to the next three, Clay!
#inclaywetrust
✌🏼🐻
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