Meet Lee, our new Software Developer

Hot on the heels of our last new starter blog, we've only gone and hired again! This time it's the software developer team that have gained a new team member. And that team member is Lee - a talented Software Developer who brings a great level of expertise and experience to the team. 

We know Lee's a fantastic developer, but what else can we find out about him? Let's see...

What’s your working background, and how did you come to work for Newicon?
I’ve worked for companies large and small, including a stint with the MOD and working in the Netherlands. Although I love to code, I haven’t worked in an out-and-out developer role before, which is my reason for joining Newicon – lots of exciting problems to solve with code.

Describe your job to a six-year-old
Programming, to my mind, is like writing recipes for computers; you tell it what ingredients it has (variables) and what steps to follow to produce the desired outcome.

What are you looking forward to working on the most?
Newicon works on such a wide range of projects that there’s a lot of variety to get stuck into.

What excites you most about the future of web development?
Getting projects up and running has never been easier – although it’s still not what you’d call easy – but that means we can launch more things, faster.
What tech breakthroughs do you think we’ll be seeing in the next ten years?

I’d love to say self-driving cars – because I think the societal changes that will bring are huge – but is 10 years long enough for that? We will see.

Virtual Reality holds a lot of promise, and not just for entertainment – it could revolutionize education for example, and help democratize it. 

Robotics, to help with onshoring of factories, reducing costs and replacing a shrinking workforce. 

There’s so much in the pipeline to get excited about.

What do you like doing outside of work, any unusual hobbies?
They all seem normal to me! You tend to find me staring at a screen of some sort though.

Favourite film/TV show/podcast?
That’s a tough one. I grew up in the 80s so the current renaissance in that era is playing to my strengths and I’m enjoying the nostalgia in the likes of Stranger Things. I’m also something of a YouTube addict – one video leads to another and so on – there’s too much great content to watch.

Do you have any hidden talents, or is there an interesting fact about you?
Having a degree in film (fact #1), but completing it before much of the digital transformation means I was taught to edit on a Steenbeck (fact #2), which meant actually cutting and splicing physical film stock rather than clicking a mouse.

What book should everyone read?
At Home by Bill Bryson.

This is another tough one as books are a personal choice, and tastes change over time. I’ve plumped for this one because a) Bryson is hugely entertaining no matter the topic (recommended in audiobook as well, he reads them himself) and b) it’ll open your eyes to all the things you probably see and use everyday but have never questioned (like why, of all the spices available, only salt and pepper appear on our tables).

At Newicon we listen to a lot of music and make far too many playlists. What are your go-to songs and/or artists?
I listen to most genres. Being a film nerd, soundtracks are a favourite. The 80s and 90s tend to have a special place in my heart (that nostalgia vibe again) but I’m always interested in picking up something new.

Share a meme that sums up you or your job…

Draw yourself!
I’m cheating and using one a former colleague drew instead.

If you have a software project that you think would benefit your business, then book a call with our CSMO Mark today. He's always happy to have an obligation-free chat about how software could help your business.