ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Hi, I’m Suhail, a London-based Staff Software Engineer at a start up bank called Monzo here in the UK.

So what do you actually do?

I work on developing and operating all the large-scale software systems behind the scenes that make up a modern technology company. At Monzo, we’re using technology to build and run a bank you enjoy using as a customer.

If you’ve ever heard of the cloud, folks like me work to make it function seamlessly.

What has your career path been?

Both my parents were first generation immigrants and didn’t really understand the meaning of computers or the fact that this was a valid career path (to be honest neither did I). I learned to use computers and develop software on my own. When I was in secondary school, I managed to scrape enough money to buy an iPod Touch and learned how to develop iOS apps.

One day I saw a Tweet (this was when Twitter was in its infancy) from someone I admired in the industry about wanting an iOS developer. I asked if I could apply and luckily got the job. It’s fascinating for me to think that a single tweet launched my entire career. My parents were skeptical that this was a real job until I showed them my very first paycheck.

I went to university to study Computer Science, though I’ve met plenty of incredible engineers who didn’t go to university or didn’t study Computer Science.

I've worked in various startup companies in London including some big names like Citymapper and Monzo. Throughout, I’ve focused on understanding the design of core systems and finding and fixing their brittle points to make them more robust.

What is the best part of your job?

Knowing that millions of people interact with the systems I help build and run and not know it. Every time you use your bank card, a whole myriad of complex systems spring into action in the blink of an eye and being responsible for that is scary but also really empowering. I often say that if I do my job well, no one notices but if I do it poorly, everyone will know by virtue of not being able to use their money.

What inspired you to do your job?

When I got my first computer (a very old Compaq Desktop) and internet access (dial-up!), that unleashed a world of tinkering and trial and error. There were many programmers/hackers (not the kind you see in movies) that wrote software and published all of the source code (the ingredients) for free online for anyone to reuse and modify. 

You’d find a computer program that didn’t work quite as you wanted, make a few tweaks by changing some lines of code and it now worked exactly how you wanted. It was massively empowering and a great way to learn how software was wired together. That for me was the gateway of wanting to build software as a career, the idea of tinkering.

These programmers were also really nice to speak to over email. I’m astonished with how open folks were with their time and energy to speak with a random kid they’d never met. It inspired me to keep the same open policy for folks who get in touch with me to pay it forward.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Software Engineering is an extremely varied field and one that moves extremely fast. There are technologies and capabilities that simply weren’t conceivable even five years ago. It’s been a thrilling wave to ride on and continue to adapt and learn through the years. You have to put in time and energy to keep up with current trends and also look forward.

Final words?

Diversity is a really important issue within the world of technology. In order to build technology that is inclusive, beneficial and positive for the world, we need to have a diverse group of people working together and inputting all their thoughts and experiences.

If you are from a diverse background, there are many programmes and avenues and communities to guide you to success. Many of these communities are entirely free and filled with individuals who are very willing to help you.

I blog on https://suhailpatel.com. If any folks want to get into software engineering and have questions or want to know more, i’m always happy to answer via email: hi@suhailpatel.com!

Check out Suhail’s Twitter below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

After many years of practice, I've become quite an early riser. One of the biggest challenges of working in tech is physical strain due to being hunked down in front of a screen all day, so I like to get some early morning exercise in before breakfast.

I usually start working around 10am, my first port of call is checking for any updates. We use a chat messaging system called Slack and part of our company ethos is to be as internally transparent as possible. This means we have Slack channels (groups) for pretty much anything and everything you can think of.

I will spend some time digesting any new information for the day. I’m particularly interested in any outages or incidents that may have occurred with our tech systems. In a large company, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of new information so I like to keep a scratch notepad using Apple Notes.

Each day we do a daily standup at 10:15am where the team gets together and talks about their plan for the day. This is so we can figure out any dependencies (ie: if someone is waiting for me to finish my work before they can continue theirs). It’s also a nice opportunity to say hi and have a chat with your colleagues.

Even if we’re working in the office, we like to keep our communication on Slack so folks who chose to work from home or work permanently remotely can get involved in the conversations. This is a really nice way to be more inclusive and reduce the fear of missing out.

The rest of the day is extremely varied, typically it’ll have some combination of focus work, writing/reviewing technical docs, interviewing candidates to join the company and 1:1s. No day is exactly the same!

My core job is to build and run software. I work on the Platform Team where we are responsible for building the foundational base. Think of it like building a house, you need to have a solid foundation and shell before you can build all the things you can actually see. This focus time is mainly writing code to make this foundation more robust and to provide more capabilities to the other engineers in the company so we can build more amazing customer features. Like the movies, I will almost always have some loud electronic music pumping away through headphones to provide focus (I really like my Drum & Bass music!).

A key part of the work is reviewing docs and code from others and providing input and feedback. This can be in the form of reviewing a planned feature at a high level, providing guidance on whether the foundation can support it and reviewing proposed software changes at a low level to make sure it satisfies what we want the computers to do. This feedback is equally important to those who are more senior and those who are more junior.

I spend quite a bit of time interviewing candidates who want to join as engineers. These interviewers will be structured, either focusing on a face to face conversation or working on a scoped problem. It’s very important to me to be fair and unbiased in interviews and to provide effective feedback and the best possible interviewing experience. I’ve had more than my fair share of bad interviews where the interviewer is bent on wanting to prove that they are superior. I get really excited when a candidate teaches me something I didn’t know.

I like to reserve time to have 1:1s with people across the company, whether they work directly with me or in tech or in a completely different organisational function altogether. Talking is by far the most effective way to build rapport and get exposure to new things. I wholly recommend dropping 30 mins in someone’s calendar and having a chat. Learning to do 1:1s was probably the most impactful thing in my career.

I’m a strong believer in paying it forward so I’ll reserve some time to do some direct or indirect mentoring. This can take the form of helping other under-represented people in the industry by having conversations, providing tips and resources to break through.

I usually finish up my work activities around 6pm. In the evenings, you’ll find me binge watching on YouTube (right now I’m particularly into Formula 1 as a result of the Netflix show Drive to Survive) or reading a technical book (got to keep those skills sharp!).