Drive and resilience are two characteristics that help LiveIntent thrive. Orlando Marin, our Director of Software Engineering, has both. Orlando took a leap to join LiveIntent and has been here for 5 years and counting. He’s helped build products, processes and teams at LiveIntent and it’s not going to stop there.
Read more to find out how Orlando has lent a helping hand in shaping the Engineering department at LiveIntent.
What led you to LiveIntent?
A recruiter and a constant drive to do more. I enjoyed my job at my last company, and thought we had a great team. Unfortunately, they laid off half of the company, so I started looking. I interviewed and liked the size of LiveIntent, the fast-paced environment, and how accessible everyone was, even the executives. I knew there was a lot to do (when I joined there were only two other engineers), and I was up for the challenge.
Has your perception about email changed since working for LiveIntent?
Absolutely. When I joined I didn’t pay attention to just how much people really use email, and more specifically, how they use their email addresses. Emails are an effective way for companies to communicate with their fans, as well as marketing or advertising to consumers. But more and more the email address is the key to Identity and people-based marketing, no matter the channel. The first thing I do in the morning is reach for my phone and check my email.
How did you get into this industry/business?
I wanted to play a big part wherever it was I landed. I didn’t have an affinity for AdTech or MarTech. I’ve worked in e-commerce, publishing, cloud services, telecommunications, and healthcare. The industry doesn’t matter to me as much as the role I play within the company.
What’s one word you would use to describe your team?
Friendly
The team in New York is really quite friendly. Engineers have quite a reputation of being curmudgeonly (I definitely fit the bill), but there’s such a sense of camaraderie here. When we’re interviewing candidates, without fail the candidates will ask us “What do you like about working at LiveIntent?” It’s my favorite question, and I always go back to something Kayode, our QA manager, said, which I believe describes the team aptly. He said there’s a willingness to help, and teach; that whenever you have a question there are multiple people willing to answer it, and asking questions doesn’t count against your “credit” – your credibility. Nobody thinks less of you for asking questions.
Like anyone, we have our rough edges, but there’s a great dynamic here. Everyone gets along quite well. We don’t only interact with other engineers, we’ll often go to lunch or get drinks with people from other departments as well. So far, our new hires this year have also had similarly friendly dispositions. I’m very proud of the team we’ve built over the years, and believe our people are our greatest asset.
What are three things most people don’t know about you?
Some people learned this one already at the New York party, but I like to serenade my steering wheel, and occasionally a karaoke mic.
Similar to the previous point, I used to enjoy being on stage in grade school. I played Linus in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” in second grade, among other plays, and I loved singing and acting. It’s something I don’t do publicly anymore, but it was a highlight of my childhood.
Some people know this, but I don’t broadcast it. Sometimes it’s fun to catch a conversation people don’t think you’ll understand. I was born in the US, but lived in Colombia for about three years. Spanish was actually my first language.
What’s one sentence you’d like to hear from your boss?
“LiveIntent is looking to indefinitely sponsor your racing career, so take this brand new Porsche 911 GT2RS and make us proud!” but I’m unlikely to hear that specific phrase. On a more serious note, though, I have a good rapport with Phillip, our CTO, so I’m not sure there’s much I need to hear from him that I’m not already hearing.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t feed the monster.”
I was working retail in my late teens and early 20s when I was told this by my supervisor. What he meant was that while it was great that I was willing to help others at work or take on something a manager needed last minute, it was also important for me to respect my time and set boundaries. Helping people out can make you their hero, but repeatedly bailing people out is bad for them and bad for you. “No” is an acceptable answer if somebody asks you if you have a second. If you don’t respect your time then nobody else will see the need to. I now ask myself if I genuinely have the time to focus on what I’m being asked to help with. If I don’t, I’ll say so up front. If I do, I will ensure I know how much time I’m willing to devote to it before moving on to what I had planned for the day.
Interested in working at LiveIntent? Check out our open positions here!
