Much like a pod of whales or a pack of wolves, did you know that a group of gorillas is called a band? In this blog series, we’re going to introduce you to members of our band—engineers, technical recruiters, PMs, designers, and more who make up the most important asset in Gorilla Logic…our talent! Are you Gorilla material? Join the band today!
Kevin Fallas Chinchilla — Software Engineer
Kevin is a Software Engineer here at Gorilla Logic. He has been working in Development for about 8 years. When Kevin isn’t working he loves to read self-help/personal improvement and financial-related books, he also enjoys retro video games, and he even collects these vintage games. We are so happy to have him as part of the band!
Where’s your hometown? I live in Belen, Heredia in Costa Rica.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? It has to be Zion National Park in Utah. It is an incredible place and beautiful scenic drive.
How many years have you worked in your field? I have been an engineer for about 8 years now.
Best advice you have received personally or professionally? This one applies to both professional and personal life: “Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone has their own path.” It’s easy to understand but difficult to practice.
If you could perform on stage with one famous musician/group, who would it be and why? This is a hard one, there are so many artists that come to mind, but I’ll go with Devin Townsend, in any of his projects, from SYL to solo projects. In my eyes, he is a genius of our time. I’d love to perform with him even as a triangle player.
How do you spend your free time? I like to read self-help/personal improvement and financial-related books. I also really enjoy retro video games (SNES, PlayStation, N64). I actually collect these older video games. And then, I rest as much as I can.
If you could travel back in time to any period in history, when would it be? Ancient Egypt. There are too many unanswered questions there! I would also try to get a backup of The Great Library of Alexandria before the fires.
Best childhood memory? Going to the beach with all my extended family during easter week, was a blast. Every year we would do the same things, we would play soccer until the sunset, stay up late just making jokes talking about our childhood/ teenager life issues :). We didn’t even know how easy life was back then.
Where do you go to relax and recharge? The sea, I just need to feel the ocean breeze on my skin to start recharging. The beach is my happy place without a doubt.
What made you want to work at Gorilla Logic? The flexibility of the schedule. As well as the interesting technology stacks to work on and being surrounded by the best people in the market, there’s no better way to grow in your market than at Gorilla.
Something that your LinkedIn profile couldn’t tell us? All the ups and downs that I had to face to get to my current position. The self-doubt and imposter syndrome I faced and defeated. The whole process made me stronger as a person.
Best advice when heading into an interview? Remember that failing is a part of the process and that if it happens it’s not the end of the world. Failing can help you get a new perspective, be more confident with less stress, and get better results in the long run.
Best advice when meeting with a client? Be friendly, don’t behave like a robot, give yourself permission to smile, but act professional and show your knowledge with confidence.
Now that you have greater insight on the world (maybe;)), what would you go back and tell your 18-year-old self? Save more money and invest more time learning.
Favorite tech blog/website/publication? A few of my favorites consist of Robin Wieruch, Java Script Weekly, Simple Programmer, and the Wes Bos and Scott Tollinski podcast, Syntax.
What qualities make someone successful in the tech world? Things are always changing in the tech world, so in order to be successful, you have to be curious enough to continue to learn something new almost every day. As you may know, it’s not a walk in the park, so you have to be resilient and persistent too, success may take time, but it’s worth it in the end.
To learn more about Kevin and to stay in touch, connect with him on LinkedIn!
