We are building more sustainable communities with a small but dedicated team. In this rubric, we give each member of our team the chance to introduce themselves to you. This week, it is Usman's turn, our Developer.
Although you can find short introductions of our team members on the “About us” page, we thought it was about time for you to get to know us a bit better. Last time, Sara told you all about her life. This week, Usman will take you along on his journey at Byewaste, sharing his vision on sustainability and our company.
Hi there! Who are you? Tell us something about yourself!
Hey! I’m Usman, one of the mobile application developers for Byewaste. I’m 27 years old and I love eating out and reading personal development books. Recently I just finished reading Atomic habits, which is a best seller and I would definitely recommend it to people that are missing structure in their life. Also, I like spending time expanding my technical horizons by looking up new technologies that spark my interest.
What do you do at Byewaste?
I ensure that the development of the iOS mobile application is always updated with new features or previous bug fixes. I do this along with the development team and I enjoy the continuous collaboration which takes place daily. My goal is to deliver the best product possible to the users of Byewaste.
How did you end up at Byewaste?
I started working at Byewaste from the beginning. I was always interested in the whole concept and the level of reach Byewaste could attain and how much ease they can bring to the lives of their users. This goes to show how much trust and hopes I have in the product and the service Byewaste delivers. This was my main motivation to continue working.
Why did you want to work for the company?
I really liked the team from the start and I knew that we could only get better from our starting point. I always liked a challenge and being responsible for a whole code base along with 2 other developers was a nice challenge and a good learning experience for me.
What do you like most about your job?
As I previously mentioned I really enjoy working with the team, especially as it only keeps getting bigger. The company culture is so diverse that it’s fun to learn about new things every day. I also really believe in the mission Byewaste has and would like to see how many lives this service could change.
And what do you like least about it?
Seeing that the company is a startup, the workload can sometimes be very high. This can lead to becoming tired since you’re pushing yourself to the limit, but upon pushing myself at times I realize I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to.
Why do you think that people should start recycling and reusing more?
I really believe that everyone should start thinking about the long-term effects which could happen due to natural resources running out. Not many people are conscious of what’s happening and even if they are it’s tough to take any major action. This is why I believe everyone should put some thought and effort into recycling in order to find a sustainable solution.
What is the nicest item that you have ever thrifted?
I would say books, I love reading so whenever I see someone throwing them away, I would immediately grab them.
When would you have especially benefited from a service like Byewaste yourself?
Seeing that I have moved houses many times in my life that I have lost count, I could have always made use of this service seeing that there were always many items that I didn’t need anymore. However, those items were still working and in good condition so they could have been given a second life.
How are you contributing to a more sustainable future in your personal life?
I don’t actively think about contributing, but I know that small habits make a big change. I make sure not to not overly indulge in buying random things I don’t need and don’t make use of planes unless really necessary.
Which sustainable habit would you like to apply in your daily life?
I try to avoid buying products in plastic as much as possible due to wastage, this is why I would like to get my products from the farm as much as possible.
