Season 4: The one with her baby project

“Well, well, well, I was probably 100 per cent excited.”

Once the holiday break was over, I was given some sweet tasks to tackle. I kicked things off by working on the front end and managed to merge my first PR into prod in just two days!

Sure, it was a small and simple tweak but felt so ah-mazing to see my code out there in the world. Talk about feeling like Monica when she finally nailed that perfect Thanksgiving dinner 🤤.

Also, we had weekly check-ins with Hari (THE CTO with super powers ✨), during which we kept a document of our progress. During these catch-ups, we discussed the work we had accomplished over the past week and evaluated our own contributions to the company. It was like having our own personal Rachel, encouraging us to see the value we were generating.

I was a newly formed team, new folks, and a new project we were experimenting with. At first, it was like Ross trying to figure out how to use his new couch - a little awkward, but we eventually found our groove 🎵. I was getting to know the code base, tackling all my tasks like a boss, and soaking all the knowledge from my mentors like a sponge.

Talking about this man Harendra (ex-HackerRanker), he was the real MVP, always there to offer support and guidance. He was like a rare diamond from Tiffany's ✨, from giving top-notch code reviews to helping me find solutions to my own questions. And on the other side, Sivanesh was like the Chandler to my Joey, showing me how to write better React code.

And of course, without others, it just wouldn't be the same.

Okay, let me break it down for you - we were working on this super cool baby project called HEXAGON, and it was like Phoebe's song "Smelly Cat" 😺 - unique and unforgettable!

The goal of HEXAGON was to spice up HackerRank's revenue stream by creating a post-hire product in the Engineering Productivity space. It was like Monica's cooking - aimed to make things better and more efficient! It initially targeted engineering teams, helping them to collaborate more effectively and ship more efficiently.

HEXAGON, a wizard with a magic wand, was able to aggregate data from various sources like SCM, Ticket Mgmt, CI/CD, and On-Call to provide dashboards, reports, and targeted insights to improve a team's efficiency.

Working on HEXAGON was an unforgettable experience. I was tasked with creating various dashboards and reports in the form of tables, and I even got to play around with d3 charts like bar graphs and line charts. It was like being an artist 👩🏻‍🎨, painting a picture with data.

I also had the opportunity to work on creating a scrum board using Jira APIs and solving some tricky and ambiguous issues. But even when the going got tough, we never gave up. As a team, we worked hard, put in long hours, and collaborated closely to get the job done. It was a fantastic experience that showcased the importance of teamwork, determination, and perseverance.

I was hired as a developer, but I didn't just stick to my coding comfort zone. Like Joey trying his hand at acting, I also got involved in making wireframes and design changes - it was like expanding my horizons and trying something new 😎!

And let me tell you, I couldn't have done it without the help of Melissae Elhaj (ex-HackerRanker) - she was like Rachel with her impeccable style, always bringing something fresh and creative to the table. Not only was she super energetic and always eager to learn, but she also shared her knowledge with me, showing me the ins and outs of Figma and teaching me small tips and tricks along the way. Her encouragement and support helped me realize that I too had the potential to be a designer.

Looking back, I'm grateful for the opportunity to work on a project that not only challenged me professionally but also allowed me to grow as a person.

The lessons I learned and the experiences I gained will stay with me for a long time to come...

Wait it's certainly not the end of the series. Who knows what the next blog post will bring 🤷🏻‍♀️ - perhaps a new project like Ross's infamous "pivot" moment or a new team member that will fit in seamlessly like Phoebe's singing partner.

At HackerRank, there's always something exciting going on. From offsites to happy hours, there's never a dull moment. And you better believe that we'll be sharing all the juicy details in our next blog post 😉.

So stay tuned, because you won't want to miss out on all the fun!!

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