WebDevStudios is excited to announce that new staff members have been added to our team. We invite you to get acquainted with them. One has worked with WordPress for a while now, while the other is learning all about it.
Meet Frontend Engineer Inna Gutnik and Project Manager Ali Lyons. They bring a great deal of talent and dedication to our growing team. We know you will enjoy getting to know them as much as we have.
Inna Gutnik, Frontend Engineer
Inna decided to apply for her current position at WebDevStudios (WDS) after her good friend, who was also working at WDS, told her about the opportunity. She had been working on an artificial intelligence (AI) product for a long time but desired to work on websites again.
Now that Inna is acclimating to her new position, she says the experience has been fantastic. “I love the people, and I have learned a lot about WordPress and modern ways to create websites using WordPress. It’s pretty cool!” Inna says.
Her frontend engineer duties include analyzing client requirements and evaluating different solutions. However, Inna also says her duties include, “Knowledge sharing with my team and writing awesome code.”
One of the many things that makes Inna a valuable addition to the WDS team is her expertise in all things animation and interactive. She loves to create highly interactive interfaces because the process poses the challenge of answering questions like, “What if the user does this? What if the user wants to do this?”
“I love to analyze and then map out use cases in granularity,” Inna explains, adding, “I also love that along with those numerous use cases, a lot of logic is required to support them. It has become kind of a game for me to create architecture that is very easy to read and understand by anyone, and is as simply constructed as possible, to allow for a lot of flexibility if ever updates or changes are required.”
When Inna isn’t working, she enjoys knitting, sewing, drawing, and painting, which may seem like a departure from her regular job, but Inna sees a connection. “I think software engineering has allowed me to develop granular planning skills, to really enhance my logical thinking. I think software engineering helps me better execute my hobby tasks, and more systematically load my dishwasher,” Inna jokes.
Ali Lyons, Project Manager
While Ali is new to WDS, she is very familiar with WordPress. Her journey began by attending a WordPress New York City Meetup in 2016. She found the community members to be really welcoming, and the group itself was made up of an impressive mix of talented developers and WordPress users.
“As I started to pursue a career in WordPress, I began to really appreciate how its popularity produces a virtuous cycle of more users attracting more developers, which leads to more plugins and integrations,” says Ali. “It’s such a powerful and flexible CMS and It is always satisfying to witness how WordPress can provide highly tailored solutions to address even the most complex problems.”
Eventually, Ali’s immersion in the WordPress space led her to her new role at WDS. “At my previous job, we had the opportunity to collaborate on a project with WDS and it was an incredibly positive experience. The team was friendly, fun to work with, and had excellent processes in place that made everything very efficient and streamlined,” reports Ali.
‘When I learned about the open PM position, it was a no-brainer for me to apply,” Ali continues. “I knew that by having already experienced the company’s work culture and professionalism firsthand, I was eager to explore the opportunity further.”
As a project manager, Ali says that her most important responsibility is to support the developers on her team. “This includes ensuring we are all working on the correct tasks in the correct priority and having the necessary resources and assistance to complete projects on time,” explains Ali. “I also maintain clear and concise communication with stakeholders, providing weekly updates, identifying potential risks, and managing expectations to ensure the successful delivery of all projects.”
Not only is Ali a WordPress website and project management expert, but she also knows quite a bit about wine. Here’s her advice on how you can be one, too: take a picture of each label of wine you consume and jot down some quick notes, especially what you liked or didn’t like.
“Once you have an idea of your general preferences, seek out a local wine shop and have them help you pick out a mixed case with lots of variety in terms of grapes and regions,” Ali advises. “Usually, people can hone in on what their preferences are pretty quickly that way.”
WebDevStudios Is Hiring!
Now that you have become acquainted with our new staff members, are you interested in joining them on our team? WebDevStudios is hiring! We’re searching for frontend and backend engineers. Check out our Careers page and apply online.
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