5 Questions with Javier Matusevich, Staff Engineer at Flatfile

Flatfile is thrilled to welcome our newest staff engineer, Javier Matusevich. Javier joins Flatfile’s fast growing engineering team, responsible for building the world’s best data onboarding solution. 

Let’s dig in and learn more about Javier! 

Q: Why Flatfile? (And what do you do here?) 

A:  I was looking for a challenge and somewhere I could grow my skills. When it came down to it, the people at Flatfile drew me in. I enjoyed all the conversations I was having and there was an emphasis on a people-first culture that I really respected and wanted to be a part of.

As a full stack developer, I have the ability to work on so many different problem domains both in the front and back end so I can jump in and resolve issues whenever and wherever they arise. 

Q:  What inspired you to become an engineer? What attracted you to the field? 

A:  I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t going to be an engineer! Since I was five years old, I’ve been toying around with computers and learning how they could solve problems. I come from a family of software developers yet nobody was pushing me in that direction, so I would say my interest was natural and innate, but it definitely helps if you have the exposure and know that something like software development is a potential career option. 

Q: Talk about a tough technical problem or challenge you’ve had to solve in the past, how did you overcome it? 

A: One of the toughest challenges being a developer was around juggling multiple clients and projects where the projects and industries weren’t at all related so I was frequently jumping from one request to the next. It required a lot of mental energy to reset my mind and focus quickly. 

There were also non-technical people making frequent requests which meant I had to effectively translate the solutions to their problems. For example, there are many tiny technical details that roll up into a larger problem but it’s difficult to see that from the outside looking in. I had to explain that what seemed like a small problem would actually require investing millions of dollars whereas what might be perceived as a huge issue could be fixed in a few days. Over time I learned how to successfully communicate these technical problems to my clients.  

Q: You’re Flatfile’s first official international hire! Can you tell us a little bit about the tech scene in Argentina where you’re from?  

A:  There’s definitely a big developer scene here but given some of the unique ways in which the economy works in Argentina, developers are more of a service. Companies are not necessarily creating products and starting technology businesses here yet there is a lot of talent so most of the developers are doing contract work for companies around the world. That’s another reason why I was excited to join Flatfile. With Flatfile, I’m part of a fast growing company and can help build the product as opposed to working on one part of the product for a set amount of time.   

Q: You’re stranded on a desert island with only one movie, what do you choose? 

A:  I’m taking the final cut of Blade Runner. That movie has some of the best music in film. With all the backdrops, the costumes, the sets, you can watch it over and over and still discover a new detail every time. 

Want to learn more about Flatfile and join our team? Check out our open positions