During my time at Otea, I began primarily as a Software Engineer building cross-platform applications, yet my role swiftly expanded to include project planning, team delegation, and UX design responsibilities. I played a pivotal role in implementing a new Home Screen feature that significantly boosted user engagement and satisfaction while reducing bugs and roadblocks. This process involved extensive collaboration with both designers and the founder to establish a robust set of UX guidelines—one that blended intuitive user flows with efficient, scalable code structures. By creating a range of reusable, modular UI components, I was able to streamline development processes and ensure visual consistency across diverse screens and features.

On the backend, I devised Node.js algorithms to facilitate complex data retrieval tasks based on a user’s specified route via Google’s Route API, enabling the app to surface hyper-local listings along a journey. This system also incorporated a filtering mechanism that considered parameters such as distance, price, and ratings to personalize user experiences. In parallel, I actively monitored and addressed performance bottlenecks across both web and mobile platforms. For instance, I tackled high load times by optimizing API calls, refining state management, and implementing caching strategies when viable. These efforts not only improved UI responsiveness but also enhanced the app’s ability to manage data more efficiently.

Throughout these projects, I assumed broader product management duties to support the team’s evolving needs. I meticulously scoped development tasks, documented product requirements, and facilitated iterative testing cycles with input from users and the founder. By employing Agile workflows and tools like Git, I improved collaboration across cross-functional groups, ensuring that everyone had clear priorities and timelines. Additionally, I conducted detailed code reviews to maintain high standards of quality and maintainability. My focus on continuous feedback loops—soliciting direct user input and analyzing analytics data—empowered me to identify design gaps and fine-tune the overall user journey.

To unify Otea’s design language, I collaborated with the UX team to craft a cohesive style guide and maintain consistent branding. Leveraging Figma, I built interactive prototypes that incorporated reusable components, facilitating rapid design tweaks and validating concepts in real-time. By merging these design insights with rigorous technical optimization, I delivered a consistently user-centric experience. In sum, my time at Otea was marked by a holistic approach, blending strong technical execution, product leadership, and user-experience design to create a more engaging, reliable, and maintainable application ecosystem.