When Punning Can Get You Ahead In The Interview Process
A Q&A with Ginger Wong, Software Engineer at Philo
Over 91 years ago Philo T. Farnsworth invented the electronic television. Today he has a San Francisco based startup named after him that is finally creating the television experience we've always wanted. Philo is growing fast to shape the future of television and they're looking to hire innovative, passionate and collaborative team members through PowerToFly... who also can crack a few jokes.
Ginger Wong, a Software Engineer at Philo, gave us more details on how Philo makes hires, what their interview process is like, and why she feels heard there.
Want to join the Philo team? Click here to see all of their available roles on PowerToFly and don't forget to press 'Follow.'
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What is your role at Philo?
Ginger Wong: I'm a Frontend Software Engineer at Philo, working on developing our product's UI/UX across web and streaming TV device platforms.
Why do women and underrepresented talent feel they can thrive at Philo?
GW: I find that Philo has a no-nonsense, no-politics work environment that proactively emphasizes fairness for everyone, whether it's to each other as employees, or even to our customers. We are also pretty transparent about what's happening within the company and have many open channels of communication so everyone can be heard.
The team and leadership have been great at openly recognizing the work that you and your colleagues have done. If there are new product initiatives that you would like to pursue on the engineering side, they will work with you on developing these ideas and getting them into production!
What about your interview process should candidates be aware of?
GW: For our technical roles, after an initial phone screen, we usually give our candidates a small, and hopefully fun, project to work on at home. We leave the assignment somewhat open-ended because we want to see what their strengths and interests are in this role and we'd like to see how they'll end up putting this project together.
If their project submission lands them an on-site interview, they'll get to speak with a few members from different roles on our team. This way we can get to know how candidates think and solve problems, as well as determine how well they can work in a team environment like ours (the "culture fit" aspect).
We find that most candidates really appreciate the take-home mini-project because it lets them show us their work in a low-stress way on their own time and their own terms. However, for people who find it challenging to find time for the project, we also offer an on-site alternative.
What traits are you looking for in your next team member?
GW: On the engineering team, we generally look for people who are self-starters and are open to a collaborative work environment that could involve other developers, designers, as well as our Marketing or Support teams.
We tend to love people who enjoy problem-solving, and who also have a good, detailed sense for user experience. They also don't necessarily have to know in-depth all the languages we use, but if they have a strong willingness to learn and a good foundation to pick it up quickly, that would be highly encouraged.
PS - An appreciation for witty humor and a tolerance for dorky puns are bonuses!
What do you love most about working at Philo?
GW: Besides the no-politics work environment mentioned above, I'm currently really appreciating the work/life balance that Philo offers! I find that our product goals and delivery schedules are very reasonable to work with. And as my own personal schedule frequently shifts, I love still being able to flexibly work during my sometimes odd hours, with a dependable, equally passionate team that is dedicated to consistently shipping a great product!
A Look at Our Evening with Four Fast-Growing San Francisco Startups
On November 15th, PowerToFly returned to ConnectionsSF in downtown San Francisco for our second event.
For this evening of networking, product demos and panel discussion, we gathered women tech leaders from four fast-growing startups to tell us more about their latest innovations and to dive a bit deeper into their own career journeys. Our speakers for the evening included Dun Wang, VP of Product and Growth at Calm; Lisa Retief, Director of Engineering at Cloudflare; Jessica Venticinque, Engineer at Forward and Laura Dechant, Head of Customer Success & Ops at Philo.
Here's a snapshot of our four featured companies:
Calm's mission is to make the world happier and healthier. They are the #1 app for mindfullness and wellness, with over 34 million downloads and over 225,000 5-star reviews. They were recently named both Apple's "App of the Year" and "Editor's Choice" by Google Play.
Cloudflare's goal is to build a better Internet. Today, Cloudflare runs one of the world's largest distributed networks that powers more than 10 trillion requests per month, which is nearly 10 percent of all Internet requests worldwide. Their customers range from Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits to small businesses and budding entrepreneurs.
Forward is redesigning the way we deliver healthcare using all the technologies healthcare has neglected: sensors, mobile, and AI. Named by Time Magazine as "a best invention of 2017", Forward's technology allows patients to monitor their health in real time with their doctors through blood testing, take-home wearables, and a digital health chart.
Philo is a small, ambitious startup building the future of television. Their product lets you watch your favorite shows on all the devices you care about, with intelligent search, insightful discovery, and effortless sharing — in short, they are building the TV watching experience that we've always wanted for ourselves.
These amazing companies are growing - and fast! Be sure to check out their pages on PowerToFly to learn more about their open roles.
A Conversation With Women In Tech At Four Fast-Growing Startups
If you are a San Francisco-based woman and tech and you are interested in attending this event, please email hi@powertofly.com to be considered for an invitation.
PowerToFly is back in San Francisco for another exciting and transparent evening of cocktails and conversations featuring women tech leaders from Calm, Cloudflare, Forward and Philo.
The event will take place on Thursday, November 15th from 6pm to 8pm at ConnectionsSF, located at 424 Clay Street, San Francisco.
Calm's mission is to make the world happier and healthier. They are the #1 app for mindfullness and wellness, with over 34 million downloads and over 225,000 5-star reviews. They were recently named both Apple's "App of the Year" and "Editor's Choice" by Google Play.
Cloudflare's goal is to build a better Internet. Today, Cloudflare runs one of the world's largest distributed networks that powers more than 10 trillion requests per month, which is nearly 10 percent of all Internet requests worldwide. Their customers range from Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits to small businesses and budding entrepreneurs.
Forward is redesigning the way we deliver healthcare using all the technologies healthcare has neglected: sensors, mobile, and AI. Named by Time Magazine as "a best invention of 2017", Forward's technology allows patients to monitor their health in real time with their doctors through blood testing, take-home wearables, and a digital health chart.
Philo is a small, ambitious startup building the future of television. Their product lets you watch your favorite shows on all the devices you care about, with intelligent search, insightful discovery, and effortless sharing — in short, they are building the TV watching experience that we've always wanted for ourselves.
Agenda (Subject to Change)
- 6:00pm - Check-In & Networking over Drinks and Light Food
- 6:30pm - Event Kickoff with ConnectionsSF
- 6:35pm - Introductory Remarks by PowerToFly
- 6:40pm - Panel Discussion featuring women tech leaders from Cloudflare, Forward, and Philo, including:
- Dun Wang, VP of Product and Growth at Calm
- Lisa Retief, Director of Engineering at Cloudflare
- Jessica Venticinque, Engineer at Forward
- Laura Dechant, Head of Customer Success & Ops at Philo
- 6:55pm - Audience Q&A
- 7:10pm - Networking over Drinks and Light Food
About the Venue: ConnectionsSF is a modern, full-service flex work space for mobile professionals, start-ups, small businesses and independent consultants. Offerings include permanent and shared desks, private offices, and meeting and event spaces, all including fantastic amenities, free coffee and free snacks.
About PowerToFly Events: All RSVP'd attendees are welcome, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, or age. If you require accommodation to fully participate in this event, please email hi@powertofly.com, and we will contact you to discuss your specific needs.
Unfortunately, PowerToFly and the company it is holding an event on behalf of cannot admit outside recruiters to that particular event. Please email hi@powertofly.com if you have any questions about this policy.
