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I can still remember my first day at Orange and Bronze, almost four years ago--at the time, it was little more than a very small room in a very tight building. It was certainly a wild departure from my previous company, which had a very lush, air-conditioned office in a very shiny building. At the time, I wondered: "why did I do this again?" Why did I leave such a comfortable place just to work somewhere that, logistically, was that much more inconvenient for me?
These concerns are, of course, always valid ones for anyone joining a startup, but looking back, I can see that my decision was a good one.
Even when we were only a meager few, I found that I was learning something new from someone every day. While my previous company was good to me, I felt that I was squandering my education on tasks that were barely tangential to the strongest abilities I had to offer. Orange and Bronze gave me projects where I was not only able to make use of the things I learned, but also able to expand them.
I was present for the entrance of most of the employees we have today, and each one
has consistently impressed me with both their raw talent and dedication to learning. It certainly helped all of us that the company itself promoted knowledge sharing and independent study. More than that, the company has simply been fun to work for--it amazes me how well we've been able to preserve the startup-like atmosphere that's always been conducive to coming up with ideas.
Today, Orange and Bronze spans two floors, with over a hundred employees, every one of whom is talented and passionate about what they do. At its core, the atmosphere hasn't changed much. In our case, I believe that it's a good thing. The office still feels like a home away from home, and our employees are like a family of their own. Maybe it still isn't as lush or shiny as other places, but with all the high caliber people that we have, we're getting there one step at a time.
Miguel Arguelles
Bachelor of Science, Major in Computer Science (2005)
Ateneo de Manila University
World Finalist ACM-ICPC year 2005
Dean's Lister, 4 semesters |
