Freshcode Path: Clojure, JS, and Self-Development

Freshcode is a Europe-based software development company, founded in 2014 that now comprises more than 100 team members. The goal-oriented and motivation-driven team provides startups and small&midsize businesses with IT services of any difficulty.

We recently chatted with the team at Freshcode, about their 2021 journey, their tech stack, team, interviewing process and more.

Tell us more about Freshcode, what do you do?

Freshcode is a software development and IT consulting company founded by three experienced developers from Eastern Europe. We've been providing our clients with full-range development services for 8 years to create well-architected, human-centric, and scalable products.

Freshcode helps clients worldwide in the following industries solve their most complex tech and business challenges:

• EdTech
• HealthTech
• FinTech
• eCommerce
• Delivery & Logistics
• Video Streaming
• Media

What has been your biggest achievement over the last year?

2021 was a productive year for us and we are glad to share some of Freshcode's key achievements over the past year:

• Freshcode team grew by 40%
• Participated in the re:Clojure conference
• Continued to build narrow-profile communities inside the company for mutual assistance between tech specialists
• Participated in the development of a major blockchain project for the first time
• Implemented training programs for junior specialists

And, finally, we have even more ambitious plans for 2022 to implement as many ideas as possible.

What tech stack are you using and why?

We are using:

• Node.js/.NET/Clojure/Python for the backend service
• JS/Typescript/React/Vue/ClojureScript for the frontend part
• Different SQL and NoSQL databases, Kubernetes, and AWS services
• React Native for mobile app development

One of Freshcode's key directions is Clojure software development. Freshcode+Clojure is about:

• Significant experience gained from Clojure development since 2013
• 70% of the Clojure team are strong middle and senior devs
• Socially useful projects
• Internal training for Trainee and Junior Clojure developers
• Active contribution to the Clojure community

What is the tech team currently working on?

With innovative frictionless technologies and solutions, Freshcode helps businesses to overcome technology challenges. Now we are working on several projects from HealthTech, eCommerce, Fintech, and Media domains, using our core tech stack.

Also, we want to mention our non-commercial project clojure.garden. It’s a content curation platform structuring information flows about Clojure libs and helps find suitable tools quickly. Clojure.garden aims to create a new stage in the CJM (customer journey map) of Clojure developers and make the path from search to choosing libs fast and easy.

You can learn more about the idea and plans for the future from our speech at the re:Clojure conference or check the project on GitHub.

How would you describe the culture at Freshcode?

“Freedom of choice and action”, “individual development plans”, “receiving constructive feedback“, “opportunities for growth”, “people. strong and responsive team”, “mentoring” — all this was noted by our employees in their answers to the question "Why Freshcode?"

We have 4 main company values: Freedom, Support, Development, and Involvement. And they are essential principles of our teamwork.

We encourage employees to suggest non-trivial ideas on how to come to a result and don't be afraid of failures, because you can always turn them into points of growth. In general, Freshcode has more than 150 IT specialists who exercise quality and communication.

First of all, Freshcode company culture is about:

• feel free to suggest ideas and to implement them swiftly, and it doesn't require agreements with dozens of managers and receiving a bunch of approvals
• use various professional self-development ways: team leadership, mentoring, open-source projects, etc.
• act independently and gain support at any time: team members can just ask whenever they're facing challenges or questions and count on the company.

What is the interview process like at Freshcode?

The interview process at Freshcode is divided into several stages:

• HR interview: talk about experience, domain expertise, what projects the candidate was working with (what was the duration/tech stack/team structure), his or her salary expectations, professional development plans, soft skills
• English level test
• Tech interview with subject-matter expert: it’s determined on a case-by-case basis — it could be technical questions or live coding, or case studies, etc
• Stakeholder interview, if required

What’s the onboarding process like?

Onboarding processes at Freshcode consists of 3 stages:

• Onboarding within the company

This onboarding part is under the responsibility of the HR manager who tells new employees all info about company structure and its politics to explain Freshcode’s corporate culture and interrelationships between organizational units and processes.

• Onboarding within the financial department

Accountants and CFO make presentations on payment systems, payouts, taxes, financial documentation, etc.

• Onboarding within the project

A new employee is introduced to the project by the project manager and team lead. They tell him/her about the project, its details, and introduce the new hire to the teammates.

If there is no project manager on the project, the onboarding process is held by the account manager or customer representative.

Finally, we have our own onboarding system, developed by Freshcode C-level executives and HR managers. It is aimed to shorten and automate the process of integrating new hires into the company. We actively use asynchronous communication methods and educational tools to provide the most inclusive onboarding experience.

Finally, what would make someone successful at Freshcode?

Freshcode is always welcoming enthusiastic specialists who are ready to bring tech advances and management solutions to a new level. Finally, Freshcode doors are always open for anyone who:

…is committed to holistic approaches: “I admire how Freshcode specialists suit their own work integrating forward-thinking software solutions, creativeness, and clear elegant code.” Oleksandra Lozoviuk, content strategist at Freshcode

…is always ready to help: “Our people are ready to help in any situation, no matter how difficult or time-consuming it is. From work questions and code review to advice about where to rent housing - you’ll always find support here.” Egor Tishchenko, JS developer at Freshcode

…loves Clojure: “I’m sure Clojure has a bright future because of all the people who support it, who improve its ecosystem, and implement cool Clojure-based products.” Julia Savchenko, HR specialist at Freshcode

…wants to open new horizons in the world of software development: “Freshcode allowed me enough opportunities to build my career harmoniously. The company contributed to my professional growth throughout the years, with no limits within the project or the current position.” Vladyslav Bodnia, web developer and team lead at Freshcode

We build long-term relationships and try to be flexible and open-minded. And we welcome anyone to:

• discuss any questions about Freshcode and its services
• have a job interview
• talk about contributing to the Clojure community