Die-hard Red Sox fan, animal lover (with four cuddly cats and one enthusiastic dog), and Twitter gator meme creator are only some of the ways to describe Seth. Since joining HubSpot as an intern, he is now a full-time HubSpotter focused on collaborating with third-party developers to expand the range and functionality of what can be built on the HubSpot platform, bringing us closer to our customers' diverse needs.

Let's get to know Seth!

Can you tell us a little about your background and journey to HubSpot?    

I grew up in a town located about 30 minutes to the west of Boston, and I've stayed close to my roots. I attended the University of Massachusetts Lowell where I earned a Computer Science degree and a minor in Climate Change & Sustainability. Before joining HubSpot, I interned at a cybersecurity firm and a workforce management company. I interned at HubSpot in the summer of 2020 and was fortunate enough to receive a full-time job offer. I officially started my full-time position in January 2021.

Describe a typical day in your role.

On an average day you'll find me by the window at my desk in the Cambridge office. I arrive around 8-9 depending on my commute and whether I bike or take the train. First, I check any Slack messages / GitHub notifications that may have come in after logging off the day prior. The rest of the day is a combination of coding, planning meetings, PR reviews, and other discussions with my team. 

Tell us about a challenge you're working to solve right now.     

I'm a part of the exciting Developers Product Group here at HubSpot. Our current project is pretty challenging but super interesting—we're developing new tools for third-party HubSpot solutions partners and developers to create UI Extensions using Javascript and React.

It's really intriguing and comes with its own unique challenges. We're dealing with significant security implications and have big design decisions to make that will be the backbone of our developer ecosystem for years to come. Believe it or not, some days we end up dedicating more time to just deciding the names of our tools than actually building them. It's that intricate!

But it's not just about the intricacies. It's about the impact—crafting an exceptional developer experience. Our aim is to build tools that are not only easy to use and powerful but also have the right safeguards to guide our users effectively.

Are there any industry trends or topics that are exciting to you right now?

I'm thrilled by the landscape of development tools we're witnessing these days. There's an immense amount of effort being invested in tools that allow third-party developers to construct solutions as if they were in-house developers at the companies they're building for.

As long as we've got the right safety measures and guardrails in place, the possibilities for what we can offer to users are vast. With the right tools, our users can take our foundation and sprint forward, creating their own unique and innovative solutions.

In your own words, what makes working at HubSpot unique?

What makes HubSpot stand out is its strong commitment to fostering autonomy and trust. I'm free from micro-management and constantly presented with opportunities to delve into new, thrilling projects. With the benefit of unlimited time off, I never worry about needing a recharge day, leaving early for a Red Sox game, or taking a week-long vacation. My decisions in this regard are respected and unchallenged. It's incredibly rewarding to tackle intriguing problems at work while also having the flexibility to prioritize my life outside of the 9-5 grind.

When was the last time you left your comfort zone?

About eight months ago, I was invited to join a different team within my product group. Even though I was happy and comfortable with my former team, I had started to feel a bit stagnant, so I chose to take on this new challenge. The problems my current team are tackling and the technical details involved are completely new to me. Initially, it was quite nerve wracking to familiarize myself with a whole new set of tools, technologies, and standards, not to mention integrating with three new engineers, a new manager, and new product/UX people. Despite the initial fear, I'm sincerely glad I took the leap. Over the past six months, I've absorbed more knowledge than I did in the preceding two years of my career. Every day, I feel like I'm evolving into a better engineer, a more cooperative teammate, and a more effective leader.

Outside of HubSpot, what do you like to do in your free time?

I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan and I usually find myself in the stands for 20-25 games per year. It's rare for me to miss a game – in fact, if there's an early afternoon game, you'll likely spot me in our headquarters' beer garden, with my laptop by my side, watching the game. I also put my coding skills to good use for a cause that's close to my heart. I volunteer at Transitmatters, a Boston-based transit advocacy group. We're all about crunching data, authoring reports, and empowering activists and riders with transit data to push for a better MBTA. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, check us out at transitmatters.org.

What's something that nobody would know about you?

I'm a huge fan of animals and I've got quite a lively household with five lovable pets: four cuddly cats and one enthusiastic dog! My college years were quite the whirlwind; my apartment basement doubled as a mini-concert venue, and I even had the chance to go on a US tour with a band before my 20th birthday. I've also been running a gator meme page on Twitter since my college days and it's garnered enough attention to be featured on 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' not once, but twice!

Which band did you tour with and if you had to choose a song to mark your HubSpot experience, what would it be?

I toured with a band called Mallcops (check them out on Spotify) in the summer of 2017.

The song that represents my HubSpot experience is "Down University" by Fiddlehead. They're a local Boston band, with their vocalist even doubling as a high school history teacher. The song's message, emphasizing the importance of forging your own unique path and not letting your degree dictate your identity, resonates with me. It also serves as a reminder that life extends beyond your productivity as an employee. Working at HubSpot is a fulfilling experience, especially because I get to bring my authentic self to work every day.

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