Graduate Q&A — George Kampanos
George is a graduate software engineer at The Hut Group.
What do you enjoy about THG?
I believe that the people are the best part about THG. Each engineer brings a unique set of skills and experiences that is great to be around and motivates me to push forward. We have a mix of grads, juniors and seniors all in the same room, interacting and tackling problems together.
Do you feel you’re working on valuable projects?
In my opinion, our warehouse management platform, Voyager, is a valuable THG project and I am extremely lucky to be a part of it. Since week 1, I have been working on features that deliver value and make the product better. I didn’t have to finish a grad scheme or special training to be involved in the project.
I have been fortunate enough to be part of the Poland warehouse deployment project, which has been the highlight of my journey with THG so far. After months’ worth of hard work, we travelled to Poland and successfully deployed Voyager to the new warehouse!
What makes being a software engineer unique at THG?
The diversity of challenges and approaches to solving problems. I might start my day dealing with a live system issue and in the afternoon, I could be writing code. You never know what’s next and I find that very exciting.
What’s your tech stack like — what technologies have you implemented?
The vast majority of our microservices are written in Java. We also maintain Python and Kotlin code, mainly used for scripting and automation. The front-end is done in AngularJS and we use Jenkins for CI.
Our system is event-driven, so we rely on SQS & SNS for publishing and consuming messages. Using Docker and Cloud Formation we can deploy a new working instance of Voyager in only a few hours.
Describe THG in one word and explain why.
Rewarding. For example, Black Friday and the weeks leading up to it can be extremely challenging. Long days (and sometimes nights), stressing about the performance of the application and having to support the system during Black Friday and the weeks after, can be an intimidating task.
But at the end of all this, and especially when everything has gone according to plan, you feel like you’ve achieved something great.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned at THG and from whom?
“There isn’t something you can’t automate” — most senior engineers in the team.
What inspires you about working for THG?
Everything described above! The amazing people, the project as well as the challenging problems left to solve. All these make it very easy to wake up in the morning and go to work. But it’s also very nice to know that the code that you are writing helps people receive their orders.
How does THG compare to your previous experience whether professional or educational?
It’s the most fast-paced and exciting company I have ever worked for. It’s very thrilling to think what lies ahead given the success and growth THG has had in the past few years.
If you could advise future new starters at THG, what should they know?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and discuss your ideas with people who have been here longer than you. Fresh ideas and alternative perspectives are always welcome!
What do you see as your future at THG?
I want to keep learning and be involved in more exciting projects such as the deployment of Voyager in new warehouses around the world. Eventually, I’d like to become a Senior Software Engineer and manage my own team.
Finally, if you could open a new THG office anywhere in the world, where would it be?
THG Miami! It’s a beautiful city with amazing culture, food and, of course, weather. Also, a short drive to Disneyland and Universal Studios!
Thank you, George.
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