Our enterprise is made up of 1,000+ incredible folks engaged on stuff you’d by no means count on, all pushing onerous in direction of a shared objective: driving the worldwide inexperienced vitality revolution.
In our Highlight collection, we’ll introduce you to a few of the good folks behind the scenes at Octopus.
Wenye Zhao has been a part of Octopus Power for practically two years. She works in Soho as a Kraken Applied sciences back-end developer.
I nearly sat down with Wenye to speak about coding the hyperlinks to attach good meters into Kraken, her lockdown hobbies and what it is like working for a inexperienced, often chaotic firm like ours.
Aliya: What do you do at Octopus?
Laborious at do business from home with co-worker Moxie
Wenye: I’m a back-end developer within the tech group, which suggests I work on automation and information administration behind-the-scenes on Kraken, Octopus’ in-house vitality platform.
I’ve been engaged on good meters ever since I joined – ensuring Kraken works completely with the totally different third events concerned in processing information out of your meter all through the trade to our platform.
It’s a little bit of a distinct segment subject, so loads of what I do and say in all probability would not make sense to most individuals – nevertheless it’s an space the place in case you get one thing incorrect, it may be extremely, extremely painful for everybody concerned.
Aliya: Why did you select Octopus?
Wenye: Two years in the past, after ending my PhD in Chemical Biology I made a decision I needed to do one thing in software program engineering. I used to be being hammered by recruiters for a job in fintech or playing – however I knew I needed to do one thing to assist humanity.
I knew I needed to do one thing to assist humanity. For various years I simply stored noticing how wasteful our typical existence are. I needed to be a part of one thing that helped. However it hadn’t occurred to me to search for jobs within the vitality sector.
I used to be actually involved in sustainability significantly. For various years I simply stored noticing how wasteful our typical existence are, and the present trajectory of chucking waste into landfills and oceans. It didn’t appear proper. I needed to be a part of one thing that helped. However it did not happen to me to search for jobs within the vitality sector.
Fortunately, Octopus’ recruiter reached out to me. I used to be invited to satisfy the group and get the ball rolling. My earliest experiences assembly everybody and interviewing felt soooo comfy. By the tip of it, there was no query in my thoughts – I am undoubtedly working right here. It was actually every little thing I used to be searching for in a job.
Aliya: And has Octopus lived as much as what you thought it might be?
Wenye: Undoubtedly! I believe that the corporate values align very effectively with my very own. And it isn’t nearly inexperienced vitality – I believe we’re fairly exemplary by way of simply being a pleasant firm to work for. Everybody appears so pragmatic, involved, affordable, very open and really trusting. It’s totally totally different from the tutorial world that I had come from, and (anecdotally) different locations as effectively.
Certain we do not get every little thing proper – who does? – however the angle is incredible. All the time actually optimistic and really forgiving.
It is often slightly hectic, and also you by no means know what may occur on a given day. However we’re superb at giving folks the area and the chance to do one thing actually, rather well.
Fast Qs
Aliya: Do you might have any workplace rituals?
Wenye: Oh, simply common stuff – a espresso within the morning, tea proper after lunch. My guiltiest workplace secret is that every so often I’ll chug down a tall glass of hazelnut milk. And I do know I’m not the one one!!!
Aliya: What’s your Octopus maintain music?
Wenye: Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper
Aliya: Favorite lunch spot subsequent to the workplace?
Wenye: Thai West Cafe in Soho
Aliya: Favorite workplace pet?
Wenye: Kijah – the pomsky. I in all probability solely say that as a result of she was completely energetic and would run round the entire workplace! I missed the day the place she pooped within the assembly room, however that’ll go down in historical past.
Aliya: Have you ever been doing something cool throughout lockdown?
Wenye: I’ve began gardening on our balcony. I’m studying how you can sew garments. I’ve discovered how you can make fairly first rate sourdough bread. And I’ve additionally picked up knitting once more!
Wenye’s lockdown gardening efforts
Aliya: Again to the good meter tech world. What’s the greatest a part of your job?
Wenye: Programming and dealing in direction of huge advanced initiatives that require loads of information of the vitality system and Kraken. I really like getting caught into one thing and constructing issues. I benefit from the complexity of the area that I work in. So many concerns – it retains me on my toes. You’ll be able to by no means get complacent!
Aliya: Something cool you are presently engaged on?
Wenye: As Kraken picks up extra purchasers, my new problem is ensuring our platform is versatile sufficient to be suitable with all of the totally different firms within the trade that join good meters – not simply those Octopus Power makes use of – so that each one companies on Kraken can provide correctly good SMETS2 meters.
Aliya: What’s one thing you’ve labored on right here that you just’re actually happy with?
Wenye: I constructed the primary iteration of Kraken’s integration with Octopus’ good meter information adaptor – so, writing a few of the code in Kraken that permits us to connect with SMETS2 meters.
This was my first software program job, and I used to be given a fairly severe venture proper from day one. I assume James (Eddison, CTO) simply trusted that I might simply get on with it and have the potential to make it work.
