Meet Alex! An iOS Developer @ Tiqets

Introduction

Hey, I’m Alex! I was born on Sakhalin Island in the far eastern part of Russia, just 40 kilometres away from Japan. I then lived and studied in the United States, where I completed my university degree. It was around this time that the original iPhone was released and captured everyone’s imagination with how cool and user-friendly mobile apps can be. And I have been working on apps since.

A closer look at Alex’s role at Tiqets 

I’m an iOS developer and a proud member of the Yellow product team at Tiqets. We have various cross-functional product teams that belong to either the B2B or B2C pillars, each comprising several business domains. On the B2B side, the focus is on our distributors, suppliers, and API connections. For B2C, we have dedicated teams working on the checkout process, pricing, availability, and landing pages. We also have teams that focus on financials and marketing.

Our team is part of the User Engagement pillar, which is responsible for developing iOS and Android mobile apps, managing email campaigns, conducting user research, and ensuring our customers are satisfied and continue booking with us into the future. 

When it comes to mobile apps, we have a team of iOS, Android, and backend developers. Our top priority is building a fluid, native experience for our users, so we’re always exploring the latest technologies from Apple and Google. However, we’re also mindful of doing the same work twice and have recently started integrating the Kotlin Multiplatform framework. This enables us to share parts of our business logic between iOS and Android apps while maintaining fully native UI components and interactions.

In terms of iOS specifics, we have a modular, backend-driven app built with Swift and UIKit. Nevertheless, we also understand that what makes developers really happy is learning and embracing new technologies. Hence, we have recently rewritten an important part of our app – the user’s Wallet section – with all purchased tickets in SwiftUI. Additionally, we also make an effort to update the minimum iOS version every two years, enabling us to use the new APIs more quickly.

Discovering happiness in the workplace 

On a personal note, what I value the most about being part of the Yellow team is the mix of work and fun. It’s not just that I get to work with highly skilled people to create the best apps we can, it’s also having fun while doing it! 

Every member of the team has a great sense of humor, and it would be hard to remember a day when we did not laugh out loud over something. 

Our team is also very diverse, with 11 of us coming from nine different countries, which brings me back to the days of living in an international dormitory in college.

Professional aspirations: building great apps 

I like to be involved in everything that takes to build an app – from ideation to design, prototyping, and shipping a polished product, as well as optimizing the development process around user feedback. However, when it comes to choosing between the managerial and engineering tracks, I’m still not sure, as I really enjoy the introverted process of development and would not be able to handle the number of meetings our product owner Guillaume has for example. 

What I love about working at Tiqets is that I’m constantly exposed to various roles, enabling me to better understand my preferences and strengths, and hopefully make the right career decision in the future.

Most memorable story @ Tiqets

This has to be our annual ski trip. I have been hitting the slopes since I was four years old, so when I first read about it in the job description, I got excited immediately. And, let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Getting to meet colleagues from offices across the world and spending four days skiing together, having dinners, partying and not thinking about work was truly an unforgettable experience!

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Join us!

If Alex’s journey has inspired you and you’re looking to be part of a dynamic and energetic team, we invite you to apply at Tiqets. Join us in a fulfilling and exciting workplace where you can unlock your full potential and grow with us. Explore our current employment opportunities and embark on your own path to growth and success with Tiqets.