Insights | 27/03/2018

Natalya Blanco: Passionate mobile developer

Born and raised in Venezuela, Natalya Blanco is a meetup pro, loves South American martial arts, and doesn’t really fit the developer stereotype. Since January 2018, she’s been part of our full-stack team and never shies away from challenges when developing mobile apps.

What’s your position at Ubilabs?

I’m a mobile developer and professional air drummer ;)

When did you start working at Ubilabs?

In January 2017.

What are you actually doing here every day?

Most of the time I develop apps for Android, but I’ve also been getting into iOS development. We have daily meetings to share our project status and discuss problem or blockers. I’m currently also working on a “Friday project”, i.e. a research project, where I’m learning React.

What do you like most about your work?

The best thing is learning from others, discussing problems, and finding solutions together. I love challenges and overcoming them. At the end of the day, I find it really satisfactory to know that I’ve learned a lot and that next time the problem or task will be solved even quicker because of it.

What was your highlight here during the last couple of months?

The past months have been super interesting because I’ve done things I never thought I’d do. I emceed the GDG DevFest here in Hamburg and was part of the Women in Tech video shoot. That was tough because I’m still learning German! But it was a great opportunity to show other women how fun it can be to work as a developer. Besides that, it felt good to be a little star for a day ;-). 

What do you appreciate about Ubilabs?

I feel that my work is appreciated. I get the opportunity to improve as a professional and research new technologies. I also really appreciate my colleagues, they are so nice to me and very patient. It’s been a tough year since this is my first German-speaking job, but it was totally worth it! I also love the familiar atmosphere here, not everything is about work but also that we feel good.

What’s your go-to lunch spot in Schanze?

I usually try to prep meals and eat at the office, but I usually fail ;-) Then I end up buying something nearby such as the home-made food at “Julius Tagessuppe”. Another spot I can recommend is Taverna Romana, but I like it more for dinner and beers with friends.

If you’re not at work, ...

... I’m meeting friends or doing sports. I go to the gym every week and train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. On the weekends I like to go hiking somewhere and maybe plan a short trip somewhere near Hamburg.