BitTorrent is a company made up of inventors, engineers, scientists, designers; makers and breakers of technology. The BitTorrent Interview is an introduction to the people of peer-to-peer: notes from the edge of distributed technology, and a few words from the team we’re lucky enough to call our own. In this week’s edition: Always be learning with Pushpa Krishnaprakash, web developer.
Q: You’re part of our web team here at BitTorrent. What keeps you busy?
I’m a developer on the web development team. My job is to build web pages: I translate visual design into clean code, a simple user interface and a responsive web design. You can see my work on utorrent.com, bittorrent.com and the BitTorrent Bundle site.
Q: What do you work on that you’re especially excited about?
I love working on BitTorrent Bundles. It’s an exciting project, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. We’re working on solving problems for artists and our partnerships are incredible. I get to build web pages for some of my favorite creators. Partnering with Linkin Park was a big one for me. I’ve been a big fan of them forever. Madonna was huge, too. I could go on. We’re releasing every week, and there are always new challenges and an opportunity to get to know an artist better.
Q: What’s your favorite part about working at BitTorrent?
I think every web developer dreams of their work being seen by a large audience. The Bittorrent web pages are seen around the world, by millions of people. I also love that I’m surrounded by great minds. If you’re struggling with a problem, it’s easy to put it in front of all the developers in the company and hear the different solutions people come up with. It’s a great environment to work in, learn in, and just be creative in.
“Start small and keep going. Don’t just read about it, implement it. You don’t know something until you do it.”
Q: Any words of wisdom for aspiring web developers?
Being a good web developer means staying on your toes. You always have to be learning, because there are so many important skills to have and these skills are constantly changing. It’s important to be creative, and have a good sense of design. Better if you strive for perfection. It’s easy to think of a site as good because it’s not broken. But you should strive for it to be pixel perfect. The more you practice the better you get. You don’t have to be amazing right away, just always be learning. I look back at the things I first created and know they are very basic, but at the moment I was so proud, and I am still so proud. Because I started small and kept going. My advice: Don’t just read about it, implement it. You don’t know something until you do it.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
I love playing pinball in the office. I love crafts and DIY projects. It keeps me creative and keeps me making.
I also love dancing. I started when I was 6. Now that I have more time, I want to explore every form. It’s a great release of stress. A great way to express yourself. When you’re dancing, everything else falls away.
