TechCulture Staff We sat down with Dana Yudelevich, a senior front-end developer with numerous projects under her belt. Dana has been a front-end developer for over a decade and shares valuable professional and life experiences for women working in STEM fields.
Dana, thank you so much for sitting down with us today. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
I’m originally from Israel, where startup culture and spirit are everywhere. I started my journey as a Front-End Developer about 12 years ago, when I read my first book about web development and design. I was immediately drawn to the field and the way it combines problem-solving and an understanding of design, UI principles, and user behavior. I have worked for small to large companies and startups; the notable of them is Fiverr. I’ve experienced so much in these years as a developer and think it is an amazing area of expertise to be involved in.
Quite an impressive resume! I feel that startups are where developers can thrive, blending art and science in a way. What would you say were the greatest challenges you faced when starting out?
I think my initial challenge was getting a foot in the door of the Tech world. When I got my first Junior developer gig, I learned just how important it was to cultivate professional connections and a network of people in your field, and through that, find more opportunities to advance. Another challenge was constantly learning and evolving my skills as the technologies in Front End Development began to become more and more complex and intricate over the years. I quickly discovered that in this profession, you have to always be in touch with the latest versions of libraries, frameworks, or tools – or you are left behind. Today this is second nature for me, but it took time to understand and adapt.
That’s for sure; things evolve so fast these days. If I forget to open up a program even after a week, it’s as if I have a year’s worth of updates to catch up on! Do you feel there are fundamental differences between different generations as it pertains to the work you do? Namely, front-end development.
When I first got into Front-End development, the tools were pretty basic, and there wasn’t much complexity to it. You needed to know HTML, CSS, some Javascript (or jQuery, which made it even easier), perhaps some PHP or a basic templating language. Today there is so much more to it – You have new Javascript versions, compilers, libraries and frameworks, open-source tools, version control management, packages… the list goes on and on. I would say it is much more difficult to get into Front End development today than it was ten years ago. On the other hand, it is much more exciting and interesting, and since Javascript has since evolved to be used in Back end development, it has opened many doors for Front end oriented developers to venture into the server-side.
That is certainly good to know! So, what strategies do you use to overcome stress and all the roadblocks in your line of work?
For stress, I find that keeping my tasks prioritized at all times has helped. Each morning before I start working, I write the 3-4 most important things I want to achieve that day. I prioritize them by order of importance and other factors like unblocking other people’s tasks. It is then easier to focus on the goals for that day and make sure I get them done. I also find it important to manage context-switching to a minimum while working, focusing on one thing at a time. As for overcoming roadblocks, I feel that learning to ask for help when you need it is an important skill to have. Build a network of good people around you, and you will always have someone to turn to and help overcome those roadblocks.
Solid advice! What has been the overall feedback you’ve received from clients regarding your work?
I’ve worked at startups where I got to talk to our users and hear their feedback about features I’ve built. It is always an amazing feeling getting good feedback and learning how much it has impacted their lives and daily work. In the case of an analytics dashboard I built for Fiverr, it has helped many sellers improve how they manage their gigs.
I guess it’s easy to forget how one small project on our part can have a major economic impact and positively affect the lives of so many people. Who would you say was your greatest source of inspiration?
It was when I read Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’ that I realized how much more I could be doing in my career, and how as a woman in Tech, I could help advance all women in the field by leaning in fully into my potential. While I might not agree with all of her approaches, I do find her immensely inspiring. I also found a lot of inspiration in my past managers and coworkers, from whom I learned so much.
I will have to check that book out! I know starting something from scratch can never be easy, so what were your greatest fears in the early days when starting out?
I believe a fear that haunts many developers (especially women) is the Imposter syndrome or, put simply – the feeling that you don’t belong where you are and don’t know what you’re doing. I discovered so many of my coworkers over the years had this fear – Even people with extensive experience and knowledge who’ve achieved amazing things can still feel this way. I’ve since learned to accept it and understand it’s false, as I grew more confident, experienced and have received many validations of my skills and achievements.
I can certainly see that, though it is refreshing to know more women are entering the STEM fields, so hopefully, those second-guessing feelings will dwindle down over time for future generations. Has COVID-19 affected your line of work in any way?
COVID-19 has had an interesting effect on our business. Many people lost their jobs or had to move to freelancing and working from home. I personally had to adapt quickly and, through the chaos, found more opportunities that may not have presented themselves otherwise.
Been hearing many similar cases; I guess through economic hardship, we can find ways to be resilient and adaptive. Which one of your projects would you say you are most proud of?
One of my proudest projects has been the StreamElements Merch store, which allows streamers to quickly set up an online store with custom branded merchandise. I led the Front End development on this project and had the chance to work with complex canvas manipulation tools. It presented many challenges, for example – how to implement an online editor for different products, with various color options, previews, and other parameters. After launching the product, I had to chance to speak with streamers who were using it, and their feedback was amazing. It also has an immense impact on the company.
That is great to know, and I’m glad more developers are taking an interest in personalized feedback from their user base. What advice would you give to a new entrepreneur starting out?
You only live once, so it’s a chance to see how far you can reach and how many crazy things you can achieve in this lifetime – In your career and in every aspect.
Dana, thank you so much for all your time today; it was a real pleasure. Where can readers learn more about you and your current projects?
The pleasure is all mine! I’ll pass along some links they can visit below!
