Employee Spotlight: Jason McKim
Tell us about yourself and how long you've been with Optimal Dynamics.
I've been with Optimal Dynamics for about seven years. I was initially drawn to the unique nature of the problem we're trying to solve and the opportunity to build something new that addresses real-world challenges. The solution engine takes an interesting approach to ML and optimization, and I was excited to help apply it to real customer networks.
Can you briefly summarize your job?
As a staff engineer on the product application team, I work closely with product and leadership to build the site and interfaces customers use to interact with the optimization engine. My work is mostly feature development, but I also contribute to the infrastructure and architecture of the overall solution.
What inspired you the most to join Optimal Dynamics?
The problem-solving aspect, above all. I was drawn to the challenge of working alongside great algorithms and the thought leadership behind our optimization process. I enjoy being part of a team that bridges the gap between users and the full power of the optimization engine for their business.
What do you like best about our company culture?
The people. We have a strong culture of curiosity and embracing challenges. Folks are great about building to improve and jumping in to help solve problems. Everyone is helpful and focused within a context of constant change—both in our growing software features and in the technology underneath it.
What is unique about what we do at Optimal Dynamics?
The optimization engine is a genuinely unique approach to decision-making. The stochastic optimization approach to business decisions, particularly across networks and over time, really sets us apart.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Encountering a programming or design challenge, planning a solution, and then making it come to life.
How does your work impact our product, and, therefore, the industry?
I work mainly on the customer-facing product, so nearly everything we do directly affects the customer. On an industry level, our product brings real change to the companies that use it. Customer operations improve materially through greater efficiency and, in turn, greater profit. We also drive organizational change: adopting our product requires companies to evolve in order to leverage it. Automating the analysis of certain kinds of decision-making is a transition that demands operational change, and in the end it frees up resources so teams can focus on other challenges in their business.
What have been your biggest accomplishments on our team, and what was the impact on the company?
Being part of the team that designed and built our dispatching product—our most impactful product to date—has been a great experience. We're currently building out other high-impact products as well, such as Scale, which has likewise delivered significant value.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
I've had the opportunity to learn about the many aspects that go into building new applications, from infrastructure to design patterns. I've also been able to develop my interviewing and project management skills.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy nature-based activities, primarily biking and spending time with family at a lake or out in nature. I'm also a gamer, both digital and tabletop/board varieties. And I dabble in ceramics and other art.
Can you share a hidden talent no one knows about you?
I am fairly good with drawing and painting. I love brass music.
What's the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work at Optimal Dynamics?
Be open to change. It feels like every year I'm working at a company that continues to grow, differentiate and evolve. :-)
