During the first quarter of 2025, I had the chance to work on several impactful projects that pushed both my technical and leadership skills to a new level. Here’s a look back at the key lessons and experiences from my time at Homebase.
1. Owning a Full-Stack Launch
One of the biggest highlights was leading the frontend development of a new feature designed to expand Homebase’s product ecosystem. The project required coordinating closely with backend engineers, designers, and analytics to deliver a clean, scalable experience that integrated with billing and tracking systems.
I built out a reusable table component that has since evolved into a core piece of our shared design system, enabling faster iterations across multiple teams. We shipped on time for an internal demo that showcased the feature’s potential—and it’s been delivering value ever since.
Takeaway: technical speed means nothing without thoughtful coordination. Building the right foundation saves future teams days of headaches.
2. Modernizing the Frontend Experience
Legacy codebases age fast, and modernization isn’t glamorous—but it’s essential. This quarter, I focused heavily on improving developer experience (DX) and code health. That included:
- Converting parts of the codebase to TypeScript.
- Documenting best practices and onboarding tips in Confluence.
- Helping launch an internal initiative to standardize reusable UI components.
Working with other frontend champions, I proposed and implemented the first version of a new, more generic table system that’s now being adopted across multiple projects. It’s modular, testable, and finally brings some consistency to the design layer.
Takeaway: modernization is less about rewriting code and more about writing the next chapter for the team that inherits it.
3. Toast Integration and Migration
I also led frontend efforts in migrating a major integration from an older architecture to React. The work involved debugging complex production scenarios, coordinating with QA and vendor teams, and pushing UI fixes under intense rollout deadlines.
The result was a seamless migration for thousands of users, fewer support tickets, and the official retirement of legacy code that had long overstayed its welcome.
Takeaway: migrations test more than technical skill—they test your patience, adaptability, and empathy for users.
4. Hackathon and Security Collaboration
When my original hackathon project dissolved, I joined a new one midway—a security-focused AI project. Despite the late start, we delivered a polished full-stack demo that won internal recognition. The success led to continued collaboration with the security team afterward, working to integrate parts of the solution into production systems.
Takeaway: leadership isn’t about being first; it’s about showing up, adapting fast, and helping the team finish strong.
5. Mentorship and Team Growth
One of the most fulfilling aspects of this cycle was mentoring newer engineers. From pair programming sessions to documenting dev setups and building internal tooling for smoother onboarding, I made sure no one felt stuck the way I once did when ramping up.
The engineers I mentored are now leading modernization initiatives themselves—and that’s easily the best measure of impact.
Takeaway: great code fades into history; great mentorship multiplies itself.