As tradition goes with us, every new addition to our team is celebrated with drinks and sweets. And of course, with a nice article about our new colleague. As the drinks were catered for at the end of the Meet Magento Romania event and a whole box of Bucuria sweets were brought in by Ana, all that’s left to do is the article. So, let’s get down to business and ask our new colleague a few questions about himself.

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Flavius, how did you start your career in Frontend Development?

I have been into photography and graphic design since I can remember. As a teenager, I was earning money from posters, newsletters, photo edits, HI5 profile skins – a popular social media back then. Money was good but nothing serious and constant, so I had to get my things straight. That’s why I enrolled at Petru Maior University, the Informatics section. Funny thing is, I was never good at Maths and had zero knowledge of programming, and at the end of the first year, I ended up asking myself “Why did I take this road?”

Luckily, in my second year, this teacher came in to teach us Web Development, and that is when I realized that what I did before can be combined in a way to achieve much more important results. All that followed since then came in naturally.

Like all graduates with high dreams and no working experience, I had to squeeze myself into the labor market somehow, so I ended up doing an internship at a local and prestigious company called REEA. It is where it all started, from slicing design into real web pages to adding functionality and building small interactive web applications. My enthusiasm was big and Frontend fitted like a glove.

As a person I am a very creative and organized individual, with an excessive attention to details, I do not give up so easily, so probably these are factors that helped me choose this road and stick with it.

 Was Magento love at first sight, or it came a bit later?

After getting along with the tech stacks, concepts and programming base languages, I was introduced to Magento 1. For me it was love at first sight. Doing everything from scratch – your own organized way, was great but after working with Magento I had a totally different opinion about building online stores.

Magento’s way of getting the customer to buy a product, from one step to another, is incredible. I became more and more familiar with its structure and what was under the hood. I played an essential role in the team and on each project I took part in (20+ projects). Had some pauses here and there but in the end, I returned to what I know and love to do, and that is eCommerce.

Your superpower is…?

I always keep my deadlines and deliver. Being a very organized person makes my job as a Frontend developer much easier.

What was the most complex project you have worked on so far?

Within my 10+ years of developer experience, I have encountered many projects, but there are some that I consider memorable, and I carry them with pride in my portfolio.

SeatGuru part of TripAdvisor was definitely one of the most complex and skill-achieving projects I have worked on. During my 5+ years of collaboration, not only did I assimilate many development skills, but I also learned how to lead a team and manage a project.

Another project which I like to think defined me as a developer is Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School.

Restyling a ready-made Magento theme, or developing a custom one from scratch?

Definitely developing a custom one from scratch!!! First of all, because of the freedom it offers. With a custom theme, there are no restrictions or limitations on what can be done.

Second of all, I am a creative person and I always prefer something unique over something ready-made.

And there’s also the case of code bloating. Ready-made themes are made to be broadly applicable and often contain extra features and code that may not be needed for a particular website.

This extra code can lead to slower site speeds and can complicate maintenance and updates. When developing a custom theme, we always make sure that the quality of the code is second to none, with less redundant code, which will result in a faster, more responsive website.

Not to mention the fact that developing a custom theme can be a great learning experience for a developer.

How would you describe your life outside of the working environment? What hobbies put a smile on your face?

Oh, there is so much to say here, although lately, since he came into our lives, everything is centered around our son, David.

My life outside work has always been driven by my curiosity of trying new things. At the age of 15 I started rapping, being a member of the second most notorious hip-hop band group in Târgu Mureș. I tried bodybuilding for a year, then kickboxing. 

Pretty interesting past, I must say. The present is a bit more chilled, trying to be a loving and devoted husband and father, but I still pack some ‘me’ time into my days. Recently, I started producing my own dry red wine and I am passionate about growing hot peppers (Trinidad Scorpion, California Reaper, Naga Viper etc.) – I like growing them because they reflect my other self. However, I do not enjoy eating peppers as much as I enjoy growing them. 

What most people do not know about me is that I am currently finishing physician assistant medical school. It’s a long-time dream to do some meaningful work and why not, a good backup plan.

Apart from all these, I’m a very happy and sociable guy. I enjoy hiking mountains – there is no greater satisfaction than reaching the top of a mountain after many efforts and challenges, somehow like in real life – and I like to ride my bicycle, not just from an ecological standpoint, but actually because it’s fun.

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