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Meet Syd Strzempko, one of Sock Club’s talented software engineers who brings innovation and precision to every project. With a sharp focus on functionality and a passion for problem-solving, Syd plays a key role in developing the seamless tech solutions that power our custom sock design process.
Her dedication to efficiency and user experience is a driving force behind the smooth operations that Sock Club proudly delivers. Get to know Syd and learn more about her journey in software engineering and what inspires her work!
What is your favorite thing about working at Sock Club?
Syd: Although it hasn't been long since I started, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of all parts of the process beyond purely what the dev team is focused on. I think in other roles, I've had to go out of my way to learn more about what initiatives each team is working on, what their day-to-day or particular challenges may look like, whereas at Sock Club this learning is baked into the onboarding process. Day three I was handed a disassembled sock and told how the pieces fit together - this is so unique! This transparency makes all of the work I'm doing more rewarding because I have context for the ways in which improvements ultimately help all the lovely people that make up our organization.
What's it like working in your role at Sock Club for someone who wouldn't know at all?
Syd: It is so collaborative and encourages agency at every step of the process. Any question I've asked, someone has been willing to take the time to explain it to me, any suggestion or idea I've brought up has sparked conversation, and the team isn't afraid to try new things if the old ways of doing them no longer serve us or could be improved upon. There is no convention to be chained to and there's such a big opportunity to really build things from the ground up with some incredibly smart people.
Who or what inspires you?
Syd: I mentioned earlier that I try to choose projects with an impact on people using the stuff we've built - I'd say these are the people who inspire me. To butcher an expression, if a dev builds something really cool in a forest but nobody bothers using it did it make a sound? That is a really convoluted way of saying, I feel a sense of accomplishment not only with the things I create, but when I create things that empower other people to create, whatever that may look like. And they create some really cool things!
What’s the last book you read? Why/what did you learn?
Syd: I have a huge soft spot for science fiction and fantasy so I'm not sure I've learned anything applicable to my day-to-day life. But I do like the idea of magic systems as a metaphor for programming - the importance of codifying intent into a shared language to a computer or universal power that doesn't speak English. Or, to quote Arthur C. Clarke, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".
What’s the first concert you ever attended?
Syd: Muse
What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?
Syd: Zozobra festival in Santa Fe
When people talk about the impact you make at Sock Club, what do you want them to say?
Syd: I would love for a new developer to come in and say, wow, this is such a clean and readable codebase! No, seriously, I would love to feel like an integral part of shaping company culture, and I would love to be responsible for new tools (internally or externally) that make the work everyone here does that much more exciting in ease of use and the new possibilities they create. It would be so rewarding to be able to point to some workflow or some daily task and say, I can't believe we were ever doing this a different way before those changes.
What initiative on another team are you most interested in learning about currently?
Syd: I am so interested to hear about the new products design (in conjunction with ops, marketing and sales!) are cooking up! The tech we have been working on for V2 internals seems tailor-made to support some really exciting new opportunities and marketplaces for our team at Sock Club to expand into.
Sock Club is where creativity meets collaboration! We're passionate about crafting high-quality custom socks and building a supportive team that thrives on innovation. If you're ready to make an impact and grow with a company that values your contributions, we’d love to hear from you!
