I wasn't big at marking my time as years rolled on in previous roles, and frankly I lost track of work anniversaries. This year feels a bit different. Today marks my one year anniversary as an Engineering Manager at GitLab.
It has been a great experience and I'm thankful for all the talented people I've had the privilege to work with. Not only have have I had to opportunity to work with a great team, I've become a proponent of the "GitLab way" which includes working 100% remote and global. I'm becoming a steward of the GitLab values.
It is hard to remain relevant in the software industry -- you have to stay ahead of or, better, create the trends. I started my career writing desktop applications in C++ for the Windows API. Could I still make a living with those skills? Maybe. But my options would be severely limited.
Similarly I started working at companies on-site in the US (it is crazy to think how many times I moved for a job). Now I could be planning on going back to an office when the COVID crisis "ends." But at GitLab I feel like I'm ahead of important trend in the globalization of software development -- there is no office to return to. While other companies scrambled to come up with remote work plans, at GitLab it was pretty much business as usual. Throughout my career I've believed that results are what matter, and at all-remote company results are one of the only things there is to measure.
Not everything is perfect, but more often than not GitLab gets the fundamentals right, and I find myself nodding in agreement. I'm looking forward to the opportunities and challenges the next year will bring.