Nov 23, 2019
James Murphy on working better: “It’s all about the balance of teamwork and individual work”
Q: What is your name, what office do you work out of, and how long have you been at Dropbox?
A: My name is James Murphy, formerly from the Dublin office and now in the Sydney office. I started in January 2017.
Q: What do you do to help the world work better?
A: I’m a solutions architect. In plain English, this means I’m the technical part of sales. When our sales people go talk to techie customers, they bring me.
My role is to make sure Dropbox is a technical fit for customers. So it’s really nice when we work with a non-profit or charity that is using Dropbox for good, and it’s helping them make the world a better place!
Q: Why did you decide to join Dropbox?
A: I had used Dropbox ever since university to sync assignments, so it was always something I admired. When a job posting came up, I jumped on it! Funny enough, four years previous, I applied for a software engineer intern role, but didn’t get it. Never give up people!
Q: In your time at Dropbox, what’s something you’ve accomplished that you’re proud of?
A: I worked on one of our largest deals here Down Under with a really large retailer. The customer was so excited when they bought and have been so thankful that we helped them solve a burning issue. They even emailed our country manager to say thanks for our hard work.
Q: Have you had transformational or inspirational moments at Dropbox?
A: I’ve visited nine Dropbox offices, and completed one office move from Dublin to Sydney. The opportunity to relocate came up about 1.5 years into my time here, and I thought to myself, I love warm water and surfing. So it was a match made in heaven!
Q: What surprised you most about Dropbox when you joined?
A: The people. I love the people who work here. They’ve become some of my closest friends. We spent a lot of energy on hiring and it shows.
Q: What does it mean to work better or find enlightened ways of working?
A: For me, it’s all about the balance of teamwork and individual work. Sometimes, I feel more motivated when I’m part of a team and being collaborative, and then other times I need focus, so I find a quiet space.
Enlightened ways of working for me is managing to craft a work environment that lets you work with other people but without the burden of constant noise and notifications.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I like doing a little bit of everything. Running, swimming, surfing, golfing… you name it, I’ll try it!
Q: Any accomplishments you’re proud of outside of work?
A: I got a first class honours in computer science in university.
Q: What is something interesting about you that not a lot of people know?
A: I love all things mechanical, so I’m a big vintage car and watch fan.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
A: When looking for somewhere to work, study their core values. It’ll tell you a lot about how the company runs, and you’ll know pretty quickly if it’s a personality fit for you!
