UI Spotlight: Partner and Software Engineer Peter Smith
You follow us on Medium, you’ve read our many blog posts, but how much do you really know about our team? Introducing UI Spotlight, where you’ll get to learn a little more about the great people behind Upstate Interactive, in their own words.
Peter Smith is one of the four founding partners of Upstate Interactive.
What led you to begin Upstate Interactive with your partners?
We all have personal failings. Especially me. I cannot keep a long-term personal relationship — romantic, platonic, or familial. I have little understanding of the world of politics, philosophy, or sports. I can’t cook, I don’t clean, I have no aptitude in anything resembling art. So outside of client work, I am a loser.
The other partners fare better than I do on some of those failings. Kent and Vivian are good at all of those things.
When we understood that doing the work we do was not a matter of personal choice, but as a result of our aptitude for that work being our collective rare talent, beginning Upstate Interactive was a simple act of filing legal documentation with the venerable Mark Wladis and his legal team.
What’s your favorite aspect of working at UI?
It prevents me from homelessness. I don’t mean that flippantly. Software service is the new world service. I can lead a team of virtuous men and women in the quest for lower latency, leading to improved user experience, followed by increased adoption, and finally to the future of humanity. When I fail at that on a Monday, I get to sleep in a not-uncomfortable one-bedroom apartment, then wake up on Tuesday and try again.
What’s a typical day like for you?
There is no typical day.
What’s the most interesting project you’ve been able to work on?
I defer to this writeup, “I got drunk and wrote JavaScript for America.”
Is there anyone or anything that excites you right now about the tech scene in Syracuse?
Jordan Messina is a Michael Jordan without the national audience, height, or charismatic jumping ability. He also recently decided to change his job. That makes him the most talented engineer in the area without a clear next step. Like any great, watching him will point us all to success. He’s got blockchain talent, deep learning talent, web-engineering talent. He’s a leader that leaders follow. So his next steps are what I want to see.
Outside of work, what kinds of things can we find you doing?
I like playing fetch with Brandy, a 14-month-old golden retriever, and all of his dog friends.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Russia. :-)
Interested in working with us? We’re always looking for great people to join our team! Check out our Jobs page for the latest opportunities.
