In this article, we want to introduce Guido Scialfa, our Full Stack Developer. When Guido joined our agency as a WordPress Engineer in December 2017, we asked him a few questions to get to know him a little better.
By the way: The Syde Team is 100% remote
This enables us to bring together the best minds in the world in one team. You want to learn more about our way of working and the Syders? Take a look inside Syde!
This is Guido Scialfa
Guido Scialfa is 34 years old and lives in Sicily, Italy.
Tell us something about yourself …
I always loved to sketch since I was a kid, I’ve got a degree in graphic design. But when I met the code, ya, it was a love at first sight. I’m attracted by the big names of the open-source world and what open source means for the people and for the future of all of us. When I was at the university I came into contact with WordPress and, I don’t know what it was. But I was convinced that WordPress would be my way. So I left the university and spent a year studying web design and WordPress in depth.
Searching for Challenges
After a year and a few months, I got my first real job at an agency as a customer service operator (yeah that guy behind the support). One year later I quit to go to a web agency where I could express my attitude to design and the passion for code as well. But you know what? After a couple of months, I got stuck in a loop, doing the same thing every day, every week every month without any improvement.
So, despite my wallet, I decided to quit again and started a new journey as a freelancer. I had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects, where I was the one who created both, the design and the code. The best project I worked on during that period was a directory/listings theme for theme forest from scratch. I learned a lot with that project, a lot about me, about the quality of my work and the quality of the code I wanted to produce. I like spending hours to improve some of the code written during the day, resolving a little bug or just cleaning the code a little bit to make it more accessible to other developers.
Guido’s way to Syde
But even the better projects started to be monotonous at some point. And when I had the opportunity to be a part of Syde, the agency behind BackWPup and MultilingualPress, I applied immediately. I like being part of ISyde, I like the transparency and the way to be with each other. They welcomed me like a new family member. At Syde I work on BackWPup, a plugin that allows website owners to sleep worry-free as the plugin makes reliable backups of WordPress websites.
When I’m not coding, I study to know how to code better and when I don’t study I read manga, watch a series or an anime or cook some Japanese dish with my beautiful girlfriend. I’m deeply grateful to her, she supports my journey becoming a developer a lot.
Questions to Syder Guido
We asked Guido a few personal questions to give you the chance to get to know him better.
Who was your hero as a child?
I never had a real hero but Spiderman taught me a lot.
What is the TV show you never miss?
I don’t have a TV.
What is your biggest vice?
I’ve tried to overcome all of my vices but it seems not possible to overcome the thirst for knowledge, and my demand for chips.
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
With no doubts, Onizuka.
What makes you really angry?
Fingerprints on my laptop display.
Which job did you do when you were in school?
Obviously not studying.
What is your midnight snack?
Unless I’m sleepwalking, nothing.
What was the last book you read?
Bushido: The Warrior way.
What should be written on your gravestone?
Code or die.
What is the best present you ever got?
The love of my girlfriend and my family.
If you had a superpower, what would that be?
I dunno, web launchers are amazing but having the ability to time travel seems good.
Do you have a favorite karaoke song?
You wouldn’t want to hear me singing.
Describe your ideal weekend.
Start at 11 AM, watch an episode of fun function (that guy rocks), wear the shorts and the best t-shirt I have, get down to the seafront, lunch, and coding until 8 PM, pizza, chips and cinema with my girlfriend.
Do you want to join the Syde team?
We are hiring! You can find all the current vacancies on our job page. Take a look!