Here at FluentStream, we have one goal: Provide the best communications service and support possible for our customers.The goal may be simple, but boy howdy does it take continuous, passionate effort to pull off. That’s where our wonderful development team comes in.  

With 70+ years of combined experience, they write the code and build the technology that allows our customers to be successful. They’re the  scrappy, energy-drink-fueled core of everything we do, and they don’t often get the credit they deserve… 

However, today they do! Because our newest FluentStream Superstar is Software Developer Brennan Link.

What Makes a Superstar

As one of FluentStream’s longest-tenured developers, Brennan has made a name for himself bringing outdated or cantankerous features up to snuff. No matter how daunting a challenge may seem, he always works tirelessly to plan out and implement solutions.  

Not content with only fixing what’s broken, Brennan is also a skilled project manager and major contributor to our reliability and security initiatives. He’s like a coding ninja. Cloaked in shadows, hidden behind the scenes, and yet always ready to defend our customers from digital danger. 

The whole development team agrees, despite being so soft-spoken, Brennan has emerged as a leading voice at FluentStream. 

INTERVIEW WITH THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

Normally this is the part where I say, “I was lucky enough to score an interview with our Superstar” blah blah blah. But Brennan’s been my chum for years. I remember him before his awesome development skills shook this industry like a snowglobe. 

So yes, I did our usual Employee Spotlight interview about what makes Brennan such a skilled and beloved developer. More importantly though, I got to hang out with one of the coolest cats I know and bless you all with his insights. 

Q: First things first, what was your reaction when you found out you won the FluentStream Superstar Award? 

A: Pure excitement! It always feels good to be recognized by my peers and I’m honored to have even been considered for the award, let alone win it! Thanks again, everyone! It’s a pleasure to work with every single one of you!

Q: What’s been your favorite remote work habit you couldn’t have gotten away with at the office?

A: I’m having trouble thinking of anything I do at home during a work day that I wouldn’t do at the office. I do feel like quitting nicotine would have been a lot harder at the office.

Q: What media or experience made you realize you wanted to be a professional developer?

A: Freshman year of high school I became interested in hacking. I googled “how to hack” (lol) and like step 2 was “become a competent programmer.” So I started messing around in Python 2 and ended up loving every second of it!

Q: What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on so far at FluentStream? 

A: I’m not sure if it’s the coolest necessarily, but the first one to come to mind is integrating our Salesforce integration with ClicktoCall+ so Salesforce can automatically tell who you’re calling. That project required a lot of creativity, and even though I felt pretty stressed trying to get it done so quickly, I’m proud of the result. 

Q: What’s the most useful development skill you’ve learned since starting at FluentStream?

A: I honestly think the most important skill I’ve learned has been less of a specific technical skill, and more of a practical skill. In this field, rushing will never get you anywhere. If you rush a product or feature out, or ignore maintenance in favor of quickly shipping features, you will lose the time you gained by rushing when you inevitably need to fix a bunch of bugs.

Q: Alright, onto the important stuff! What’s your favorite band or music genre to listen to while coding? 

A: I listen to a lot of different genres when I’m coding. Usually the music is directly related to the day and level of focus I need. Jazz, Classical, RnB/Hip-Hop, Electronic, Pop Punk, Metal, etc. Usually I’ll just slowly cycle through my playlists until I figure out what I can work with that day and stick with that.

Q: If you were in The Matrix, what color/style of trench coat and sunglasses would you wear? 

A: My coat would be space gray paired with the classic Neo sunglasses!

Q: Last, and arguably most important question. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you believe in aliens and would you prefer 1950’s gray aliens or 1980’s shapeshifting xenomorph aliens?

A: 10, statistically speaking aliens almost certainly exist. I’m not picky on which ones they are as long as they’re peaceful, but imagine how cool it would be to meet a Xenomorph that doesn’t want to murder you!