Ready to learn more about what is happening behind the scenes at Apryl? Then keep reading! Because this month we would like to introduce you to Melvyn Sopacua, our senior product developer. Together with Melvyn we are going to take a deep dive into programming, privacy and why Melvyn joined the Apryl team.
Meet Melvyn
After working for more than 21 years in professional development, in February 2021 Melvyn, through a reference from a friend, joined Apryl as a developer. Though, the choice of working for Apryl was not all based on a positive reference from a friend. ‘At the time I was looking for a job, I really felt that I did not want to work for a company focused purely on profit anymore’. Melvyn explained further that most of the job offerings he had were companies with no clear goal or any benefit to society. ‘ I joined Apryl because I think what they do is important and valuable’.
It is clear that Melvyn’s work at Apryl is crucial. However, fully grasping what he does exactly can be quite complex. Melvyn explains that his job is divided into three pillars: backend development, frontend development and infrastructure. Backend development focuses on how the data is stored and how it is presented. Frontend development is about how the data stored is showcased to the audience. The last pillar, infrastructure, makes sure that everything is physically running. ‘To simplify, infrastructure makes sure that everything that should be talking to each other is also talking to each other and is getting deployed.’
These variations in his tasks make his day to day job challenging. But, Melvyn points out that he still enjoys his work very much. ‘Besides working for a mission driven company, I really enjoy working for Apryl because of the team.’ Melvyn highlights that he enjoys working with the Apryl team because of the mix of culture, gender and sexual orientation. ‘We are all very different but we all have a common ground and goal we work towards, that is important to me’.
How does Apryl guarantee privacy?
‘Complexity is a big part of programming. However, what makes programming for Apryl even more complex, is the constant battle between security, privacy and business rules. On top of that, European countries all have different regulations and legislations when it comes to fertility and family forming benefits, ‘ Melvyn explains. Privacy is another important factor for Apryl: ‘we are dealing with extremely sensitive information, and we have to make sure this information stays anonymous for companies, this is done by setting minimum quantity and to limit the available data, for example: we need a certain amount of people before showing any statistics to the employer or we don’t include any details about the treatment and person, just that a treatment has taking place’. By doing this, Apryl has created a strong wall between employer and employee by default.
What is the product team currrently missing?
As in every tech team, there is always space for improvement. Melvyn states that the team is currently missing front-end developer resources. This is no surprise since the demand for developers has been on the rise for quite some time now, and shows no sign of stopping. Developer employment is projected to grow 21% by 2028, which is faster than the average projected rate of growth for all occupations (5%). ‘ There currently is a big demand for developers, but this does not mean we are going to settle for just any developer out there’. According to Melvyn, because Apryl is such a diverse team, anyone joining the team should be comfortable with working with people from all backgrounds. He also mentioned the expected growth for the company and the challenges that come with it. ‘Apryl is growing fast, and you will have to be ready to grow with us’.
Aside from an exciting and friendly team new developers are due a lot more by joining Apryl: ‘ anyone joining the product team is going to learn a lot in a short time, of course you do not have to know everything immediately, but because you are working for such an important mission, eventually you will get satisfaction in optimising the business the best way possible’.
Find out more about how Apryl is shaping the future of family forming and how we can help support fertility in the workplace.
General advice posted on our blog or website or app is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Apryl makes no warranties regarding treatments, coverage, or chances of success.
