Interview with Aaron Contreras on work culture at OpenProject

Meet Aaron Contreras, Fullstack Software Engineer

Hi, my name is Aaron. I live in Panama City, Panama.

I have been a full-stack developer at OpenProject for a little over a year now.

I was referred to the role by one of my best friends! Before OpenProject, I worked for Audi. This was also my first job out of University, where I studied programming. I liked it a lot at first. I was on a small team that built Audi On Demand for rental cars. My new role at OpenProject has been an excellent transition for me to a smaller, more connected team again.

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What do you love about working at OpenProject?

It’s such a great place. It just clicks.

I love that it’s open source.

I got into open source through Ruby on Rails projects. Contributing led me to meet my best friend, and here I am at OpenProject. So, yeah, open source means a lot to me.

Open source is ingrained in the culture here. It’s implied in everything we do and why we do it.

What is management like?

OpenProject is a flat organization. I work directly with leadership and customers. I hear why we want a new feature, so I can really understand my impact. It’s not sterile or distilled down into nothing like it is at a bigger organization or corporation.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My day starts with our daily discussion, where we discuss what we did the previous day. If I’m blocked, I go ahead and ask questions. Then, I have a fairly open schedule to get into some deep work.

Eventually, I take a break and head out for a puppy walk because I’m a dog dad and have some lunch.

I wrap up my day with code review, answering any questions others have about work packages or customer feedback.

What is one big thing you have accomplished this year?

The sharing feature for work packages! That task has mostly been my baby, so it was pretty cool to see it through from start to finish.

OpenProject is a massive application, so it was exciting to work on as a developer.

What are your passions outside of work?

I like football. I’m an American football guy. The Cincinnati Bengals.

I’m a coffee snob. Last summer, I took some barista courses and learned how to make latte art. If you haven’t tried lavender syrup in your latte, I recommend it! First thing in the morning, I make a double espresso, not drip coffee. It’s great.

I’m reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. It’s about fixing your relationship with computers, smartphones, and social media. I’m a developer, but it’s essential to consider how I can have a healthy relationship with technology, screens, etc.

Tell me about your experience at the OpenProject offsite gatherings in Switzerland and Berlin.

Switzerland was actually my first trip to Europe. I really enjoyed meeting everyone. My manager and I had an awesome snowball fight.

In Berlin, one of my colleagues drove me around the city, showed me the landmarks, and shared interesting facts about the city and its culture. It was really special for him to take the time to do that.

That’s how it is at OpenProject. We all have a voice and are connected to the work and each other.