Get to Know: Mallika Potter, Engineering Manager
Mallika joined Thumbtack four years ago as an Android engineer. At the end of 2021, she became an Engineering Manager. Born in Massachusetts but raised in the Bay Area, Mallika and her husband recently became Bay Area homeowners.
What motivated you to join TT?
I chose to join Thumbtack because of three reasons: First, I wanted to work at a company where I could make a large impact and when I spoke to engineers at the company, I realized that Thumbtack was that place. Second, when I went through the interview process I felt so welcomed by and impressed by the people I met. Third (and most important), Thumbtack’s mission is something that really resonates with me. I love knowing that I’m helping people build their small businesses from the ground up.
Tell us a bit about the engineering culture. What’s your favorite part of being on this team?
My favorite part of Thumbtack’s engineering culture is how supportive and collaborative the whole team is. People are always excited to help each other out and everyone pitches in to get things done.
How has Thumbtack enabled and supported your career growth?
Thumbtack has been so supportive of every new challenge I want to take on. Open source our mobile design system? Done. Lead a nine-month, six-team project? Let’s do it. Become an engineering manager? Let’s figure it out! I always feel like my goals and ambitions are supported here.
How has the transition to virtual-first impacted your experience?
I was a bit nervous when we first made the transition to virtual-first since I was worried that team communication might suffer, but that hasn’t been the case at all. I find that virtual-first is an awesome way to work — no commuting and I can travel and work from places all over the US. I am grateful that Thumbtack provides quarterly in-person off-sites so that my team has opportunities to meet in person without having to give up the flexibility that virtual-first working allows.
What do you love to do outside of work? (Hobbies, TV shows, books, video games, etc.)?
I have way too many hobbies! I play guitar, ukulele, and piano, sing, cross-stitch, run, hike, read, and play D&D. The best part of no longer commuting is that I can use the time saved to do even more fun things!
What kind of projects have you used your TT bucks for?
As a new homeowner, I mostly use my TT bucks for practical things like house cleaning, plumbing repairs and lawn maintenance. However, I once used my TT Bucks to hire a personal chef for an in-home cooking lesson!
Glossary
TT Bucks: Full time US employees are allocated a certain amount of money every year to be used with pros on our platform as a way to bring us closer to our product and then share feedback directly with our product teams.
About Thumbtack
Thumbtack (www.thumbtack.com) is a local services marketplace where customers find and hire skilled professionals. Our app intelligently matches customers to electricians, landscapers, photographers and more with the right expertise, availability, and pricing. Headquartered in San Francisco, Thumbtack has raised more than $400 million from Baillie Gifford, Capital G, Javelin Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, and Tiger Global Management among others.
Interested in a career at Thumbtack? View our open roles at thumbtack.com/careers.
