TechLead-Story: Shahab Daban, CTO at CATAPULT

TechLeadStory

Shahab Daban

Team

Size and Roles: Currently, our Dev team consists of four members, including myself as CTO. This team takes a holistic approach, managing both the web app and the mobile app for iOS and Android. While covering front-end and back-end development, our team operates with a cross-functional mindset.

Organization and Methodology: Our agile approach combines Kanban and Scrum, providing flexibility and fostering self-organization—essential for scaling and team expansion. We plan tasks for the next sprint every two weeks in a collaborative planning meeting. Each developer largely works independently but collaborates during daily stand-up meetings. Our open corporate culture encourages frequent communication, minimizing misunderstandings. We emphasize practices like code reviews, pair programming, and "Friday Labs" where developers explore new topics beyond their daily tasks.

Team's Uniqueness: Our team takes a holistic view of the well-being of our multinational members. We cultivate an inclusive atmosphere with strong integration between our Dev team and the overall company culture. We prioritize a respectful and appreciative approach in our collaboration. Regular individual meetings and an open culture regarding mistakes contribute to our philosophy. We embrace the startup feeling, offering flexibility, transparency, and quick decision-making. Daily stand-ups bring the entire team together, promoting cross-functional communication.

Recruiting

Integration in the Recruiting Process: As a young startup with short communication channels, the need for additional team members is quickly recognized. Flexibility is a key aspect, and the current size allows me, as CTO, to handle the recruiting process. The Dev team is involved to maintain the existing harmonious work environment.

Qualities Beyond Technical Skills: We value individuals with passion, ambition, and a mindset that aligns with our startup culture. Candidates who approach tasks with enthusiasm and commitment, along with a holistic interest in health, fitness, and well-being, are sought after. The startup environment demands flexibility and an open-minded perspective.

Technologies

Technical Challenges: Our core challenge revolves around two-way live video transmission, where various complex criteria, especially the time-critical factor, come into play. Coordinating technologies from hardware to browsers on both ends of the video transmission poses a challenge. Additionally, ensuring a responsive user interface and developing parallel mobile apps for iOS and Android are ongoing challenges.

Current Technologies: Our tech stack includes Angular (TypeScript, HTML, CSS), Sass, Java, Spring, Hibernate, Thymeleaf, MySQL, Docker, and languages/frameworks for Android and iOS.

Evolution of Technology Since Inception: Since our startup's inception in September 2019, we have expanded and adapted our software architecture multiple times. Regular updates of our frameworks and plans to transition the web app to Google Cloud and release and promote mobile apps are on the horizon. The initial shift of our database to the cloud has enhanced scalability and availability, positioning us well for the future.