Grad Frontend Developer to Team Lead

My journey at Vista started in a pretty unusual way. I was accidentally put into the regular engineer interview process instead of the graduate one, which meant I went through three or four rounds of interviews while grads usually only do a grad day or a single interview. In my final team fit interview, one of the founding developers told me, “We need people who can hit the ground running because there is a lot of work to be done.” Something about that challenge clicked for me. I have always been someone who steps forward, takes responsibility, and naturally gravitates toward leading, so hearing that made me feel like I had found the right place.

Imposter syndrome definitely hit me in the first few months, but my previous React experience meant I needed almost no ramp up time. I was shipping features in my first week. My team lead noticed this and soon pushed me into a large cross team project with tight deadlines. I found myself naturally coordinating with people, clarifying expectations, and keeping the project moving. Delivering it on time and at a high standard earned me the respect of my colleagues and the trust of my managers, and it reinforced something I already knew about myself: I thrive when I’m guiding others toward a shared goal.

I said yes to every opportunity that came my way. I led projects, mentored junior developers, and presented at company wide meetings. Taking initiative felt instinctive, and I enjoyed being the person others relied on when things got tough. That proactive approach gave me visibility and showed what I was capable of. Before long, I was being considered for a team lead role less than a year after joining.

When Covid hit, I became the lead maintainer of a SaaS product. Things were going well, but after two years and several team restructures, I felt there was a real chance to step up and formally lead the team. That opportunity never came. I have always believed in putting myself in environments that naturally push me to grow, and leadership is a big part of that. So after three years, I made the difficult decision to leave Vista. I was grateful for everything I had learned and proud of what I had achieved, but I knew I needed a place where I could keep progressing.

Still, the team bond I had at Vista was something special and honestly felt irreplaceable. When one of my former team leads reached out to bring me back, I returned with a light promise that I would eventually step into a team lead role. A year later, that promise became real. Becoming team lead was a genuine dream come true and something I had been working toward for a long time.

Throughout my journey, I have always leaned into leadership. I do not shy away from hard conversations, and I believe in leading by example and being transparent with my team. I give people the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work, while providing guidance and support when needed. Leading a talented and dedicated team feels like the most natural extension of who I am.