Meet Vincent Engel, a Senior Software Engineer at GRID whose journey into tech started with a passion for gaming and coding. From driving impactful platform changes to sharing insights on the GRID Tech Blog, Vincent combines creativity and expertise to shape innovative solutions. Keep reading to learn more about his inspirations and what keeps him motivated!
1. What inspired you to pursue software engineering, and how has your journey evolved into a senior role?
Technology has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. It all started with installing Linux and emulating Game Boy games on my dying laptop. I eagerly signed up for every tech-related course my school offered, eventually learning how to print rainbow-colored text in the console using BASIC and creating websites dedicated to my favorite Pokémon. So, when choosing an internship during my school years, I already knew what I wanted to pursue. Getting the chance to talk to and work alongside professional developers solidified my passion. I realized that this was the career path I was meant to follow. There’s something deeply satisfying about working with others, solving complex problems, and creating something new every day. Technology has always been my way of exploring, learning, and building—and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
2. What’s an underrated skill that you think every software engineer should develop?
I’ve noticed that many people in software engineering become too locked into a specific language, technology, or niche within the field. While it’s undeniably valuable to understand a language deeply, it’s equally important to remain adaptable. Sometimes, the task at hand demands stepping out of your comfort zone—like writing code in C to interface with a 15-year-old printer driver or using Python for image recognition. In moments like these, being open to learning and adapting is crucial. As software engineers, we should prioritize flexibility and embrace the tools best suited to the problem. After all, many languages, especially C-style ones, share far more similarities than we often realize. Broadening our perspectives and being willing to adapt makes us more effective and helps us grow as engineers.
3. What has been the most surprising and rewarding aspect of working at GRID, and what do you enjoy most about your role?
I genuinely enjoy our deep technical discussions. Every single person on my team is a true superstar, which makes debating technical topics and finding the right solutions to our challenges an absolute breeze. My colleagues inspire me daily and constantly help me learn something new. The most rewarding part of my work is seeing the impact we have on our platform. Rolling out large technical changes across multiple services is incredibly satisfying, especially after they’ve been carefully planned and refined over time. It’s a testament to the collaborative effort and thoughtfulness that go into everything we do.
4. As a recognized GRID Tech Blog writer, what impact do you aim for your articles to have on both your colleagues within the company and the broader tech community?
My main goal with these articles is to showcase the exciting possibilities of what can be achieved with technology. I strive to strike a balance between demonstrating the complexity of the code and presenting something useful, novel, or interesting. Writing these articles also gives me a rare opportunity to experience our products from a consumer’s perspective. This shift in viewpoint helps me better understand our customers’ priorities and ensures that the solutions we create align with their needs.
5. Outside of coding, how do you unwind or pursue creativity?
Working from home most of the time has made me place extra value on stepping away from the keyboard whenever I can. I’ve always loved photography, but recently, I’ve started to take it more seriously. It’s a fantastic way to explore a city and experience your surroundings with intention. Beyond photography, I also love traveling and staying active by going to the gym. These hobbies help me recharge and bring balance to my daily routine.
Don’t miss Vincent’s latest blog post, where he breaks down how to create a real-time esports commentary bot using a local LLM (Large Language Model) and GRID Esports data.
Look out for the next edition of Meet the Team!
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