Pros
At BubbleUp, you'll gain insight into areas of the digital space that you didn't even know existed. I started as a PHP/JS developer, but working with these smart people for several years has given me a ton of experience in eCommerce, Linux server administration, IP networking, SEO, SEM, analytics, project management, and more! As a developer, there’s no rules about the tools you use. Windows or Mac? Up to you. PHPstorm, SublimeText, NetBeans, Eclipse? Vim? Totally your decision! My setup right now is a Linux Mint desktop for the office. For mobile, it’s a Windows laptop hosting a Linux virtual machine. The only real rules are that you be a team player, and do whatever it takes to deliver solid solutions, on time, and in budget. There’s a very loose hierarchy. There isn’t a strict chain of command by any means, and “who’s the boss” is contextual. One day, the marketing manager might ask you to help debug his javascript tracking code, then the next day, you’re asking him to help you debug your Google Shopping ads. It’s a very collaborative environment that fosters learning. The company is extremely flexible about working remotely. You can take an 11 day vacation, but only use 5 PTO days, since you can work Fri and Mon on the plane. Or take a vacation to Nashville TN, work from that satellite office during the week and enjoy “Music City” on the weekends. Plus, the Nashville team can show you all the best spots for food, drinks, and live music. Coleman (CEO) is enthusiastic about giving everybody the tools they need, whether that be a laptop, desktop, monitor, desk, chair, etc... Want that shiny new $2k MacBook Pro for work? Ask and ye shall receive! There are frequent “lunch and learn” events where a team member shows something useful to the rest of the company over a catered lunch. My favorites have been “maximizing ad-spend with advanced keyword targeting” and “taming your inbox with advanced Gmail filters”. Anybody in the company can present, and everybody is invited (remote employees too, via Google Hangouts). There are also monthly “developer workshops” where developers share knowledge by showing the team any cool new tools or tech they’ve found. Don’t let the name fool you: everyone is welcome at these; not just developers. In fact, the most interesting one for me was learning that modern browsers can now do compositing and blending, purely with CSS! You'll also enjoy VIP front-row tickets to concerts at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion, and occasionally sporting events like the Houston Texans. The Nashville office has similar perks for events happening in their city.
Cons
To excel at BubbleUp, you have to be a problem solver, and truly love doing it. You’ll need to be a self-starter, fast learner, and expert at finding your own way: A “rockstar” of your field. Your boss isn’t going to know “the answer” when you get stuck; that’s why you were hired. If your first thought is: “That’s not a problem, I’ll just Google it...”: You’ll fit right in, and should apply today! The freedom to work remotely means your coworker might be 3 states away when you need their help. If you are the type that has to discuss everything face-to-face, or can’t express your thoughts concisely and unambiguously through text (email/chat), you’ll find it downright hard to keep up. You need to be at least somewhat organized to succeed. You have to “log time” against the task/project so it can be billed back to the respective client. Logging your time is trivially simple to do, since the company uses TeamWork to manage time/projects. But if you are a chronic procrastinator, it can get away from you very quickly, and you’ll forget what you worked on. In a client-facing or project management role, you’ll need stay engaged with clients, who can go silent for weeks at a time in the middle of a project. You’ll also need to coordinate with the developers working on those projects, since 6 other PMs just like you will be sending them requests of varying urgency. As the developer receiving those requests, you’ll need to manage expectations with the PM, so they can communicate a realistic timeline to the client. As a developer, you’ll be expected to estimate the number of hours required to complete each task/project, so the company can get client approval before starting on it. It seems daunting at first, but this goes hand-in-hand with logging the time you work, and it will make you a better developer. It did for me. Many of the clients you’ll work with are “cost sensitive”. This is a unique challenge as a developer, because often times the “ideal” solution the client is asking for exceeds their budget or deadline. You’ll need to work with the PM and client to dissect what they’re asking for, extrapolate what they ultimately want to achieve, then determine the minimum viable product to achieve that goal within their budget and timeline. This, too, will make you a better developer. BubbleUp moves fast, and there’s no such thing as a “routine day”. With each new client and project comes new and unique challenges. You’ll constantly have to learn new things to overcome those challenges. If that sounds intimidating, this is not the place for you. But if being paid to learn excites you, you’ll absolutely love it here!