Meet The Bees: Ryan Wren

The following blog post is the latest edition of Meet the Bees, a series in which we get to know the employees at CloudBees (affectionately known internally as “Bees”). In today’s post, the spotlight is on Ryan Wren, Software Engineer!

A self-acknowledged geek, Ryan believes in the philosophy of lifelong learning and loves to experiment with new tools and processes. Apart from tech, he is passionate about Economics, History, and Sociology.

We sat for a quick fireside chat with Ryan to know more about his life in and outside of CloudBees. Here are some interesting bytes from our engaging conversation.

Who are you? What is your role at CloudBees?

My name is Ryan Wren and I’m a software engineer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. I’ve been working at CloudBees for 2.5 years now. Code, Test, Review, Repeat is the rule we rigorously follow to develop and deliver amazing products at CloudBees.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I work remotely from home and my typical day starts with catching up on Slack and Email threads while sipping a cup of coffee. Next, I attend a daily standup (Agile) with my team (SDM Team X). The rest of the day is all about several hours of focused coding, testing and changes or code reviews. Whenever I need a break, I grab a bite to eat and/or go for a run on the nearby Neuse River Trail.

What is your best experience, so far, in working at CloudBees? What has been the best thing you have worked on since joining CloudBees?

My best experiences would have to be all the occasions when I attend the face-to-face meetings for the various teams I work with. The opportunity to tackle challenges, socialize and hang out with the other team members is definitely beneficial for the team and CloudBees. And of course, it's fun for me!

The best thing I’ve worked on is the Software Delivery Management (SDM) product. Helping push the product forward and being there for the journey from ideation to an actual product is challenging, yet satisfying.

Do you have any advice for someone starting a career in software delivery?

Be sure to "walk the talk." Make it a point that you and your team implement the best practices that you suggest to your customers to follow.

If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Easy! It has to be Tacos:)

What's your favorite sport?

Another quick one, American Football any day!

What is your favorite social media platform and why?

Instagram. Some photographs on the platform are immensely creative and the funny video content is also quite entertaining.

What is your favorite TV show character? Why is this character your favorite?

Frank Gallagher from ‘Shameless.’ It’s like watching a train wreck that you can’t turn your eyes from.

If you weren’t working in your field, what would you be doing?

If not tech, I would have been doing something related to the aviation industry. I’m still as fascinated by planes as I was as a kid.

What are some of your best tips and tricks for software development and delivery?

Consistency is key. On some days, the coding, troubleshooting, testing etc. will seem effortless. On other days, you’ll struggle to make progress on a problem at hand. However, by putting your best effort and working with your teammates consistently, you can figure out anything and you’ll make a fine software engineer.

What is the most common mistake made in software development and delivery?

Following all of the latest trends may lead you nowhere. Though it’s important to stay informed on these trends and implement some new technology and processes across your teams, it’s crucial to understand every new shiny thing doesn’t adhere to a "one size fits all" strategy. Before trying something new, make sure you understand why it benefits your team and/or product.

What do you think the future holds for DevOps/CI/CD?

Companies, including CloudBees, will continue to leverage the data generated from their current CI/CD tools to gain insights on how to deliver reliable software more efficiently.

It was great to catch up with Ryan Wren and understand how working at CloudBees is shaping his professional life and maximizing his personal satisfaction. Watch this space to meet more Bees in our upcoming blog posts.

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