Boomerang to Quizizz
My homecoming journey
Hello, I’m Arpit, an engineer on the Platform Team at Quizizz.
The year 2023 was quite a ride for me!
It all began in September 2022 when I embraced the opportunity to join one of the buzzing startups in India — Quizizz. The blend of vibrant culture, engineering challenges, and a mission that resonated with me created a work environment like no other. It wasn’t merely a job but an extraordinary experience — something I had not seen before.
As part of the Platform Team at Quizizz, our mission was to tackle a broad spectrum of challenges. From crafting data streaming pipelines to enable real-time transfer and analysis of data, thereby enhancing efficiency, to refining the search functionality crucial for an improved user experience — we were in the thick of it. Our team was deeply involved in managing and creating deployment platforms and handling infrastructure for databases, services, queues, networks, and more.
As the year unfolded and 2023 took shape, everything was on an upward trajectory. The projects were invigorating, the team synergy was appreciable, and each day brought new learnings.
Life was good until I got a job offer from Amazon in Vancouver, Canada. The idea of moving and its impact on my family made the decision really tough. I had to think about how this move could change my career and our lives. It wasn’t an easy choice, contemplating leaving behind the exciting journey I had embarked upon at Quizizz. I needed to weigh the pros and cons to make the best decision for all of us.
After countless hours of discussion, we decided to give it a try. With mixed feelings, I said goodbye to Quizizz and India!
Passports Stamped ✔️
Flights booked 🛫
I sold most of the household goods and shipped the rest to Vancouver 🏘️
I landed in Vancouver on April 16th 2023, stunned by the place’s scenic beauty. The sea and the snow-covered mountains made it look super picturesque. After all the paperwork, house hunting, and essentials buying, I joined Amazon Web Services on 24th April amid the layoff scenario. The move came with challenges like settling in a new place, adjusting to different time zones, and being away from family and relatives. Doing a lot of chores and not having the help of family and friends. I worked on some interesting and high-scale projects and learned a lot of things about how services work at the AWS scale.
However, the satisfaction of working in a small setup with high impact is very different from what you get working in a big corporate. You start things from scratch in a small setup, facing unique technical challenges that lead to valuable learning experiences. In contrast, big corporations offer a different kind of work environment with its own set of challenges and learning opportunities. The choice between the two comes down to personal preferences and the experiences you seek in your career journey.
I had settled in a little but could not call it home!!
One fine day, I had a chat with Sangram and Sandeep about the cool things team Quizizz was up to, and the idea of returning to Quizizz started to form. The prospect of working again in a high-energy, high-impact environment was enticing.
What made me come back? ↩️
Knowing what I was signing up for, a place where I can share my opinion and feel heard. A place where the challenges are there for me to pick up and solve. A place where I could feel connected to the people and the mission.
And so, I took the leap. I put in my papers at Amazon and started the process of moving back. It was not an easy decision — I was leaving behind the stability and resources of a giant corporation. But the pull of the start-up life, with its promise of high impact and close-knit teams, was too strong to resist.
I returned to Quizizz in November 2023, almost six months after I left. The familiarity of the place was comforting, yet so much had changed. The team had grown, new projects were on the horizon, and the energy was as high as ever. I felt like I was coming home, but to a home that had evolved while I was away.
Returning to Quizizz was like getting back on a fast-paced roller coaster ride. The challenges were different this time; the stakes were higher. But I was ready for it, ready to learn, grow, and contribute.
Looking back, I am grateful for the journey I’ve had, the experiences I’ve gained, and the choices I’ve made. I’ve realized that it’s not about the company’s size, location, or prestige. It’s about finding a place where you can make a difference, where you’re challenged and encouraged to grow, and where you feel a sense of belonging.
For me, that place is Quizizz. And I’m excited for the journey ahead :)
