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!
Manuel Cerdas Rocha — Senior Web Developer
Manuel is a Senior Web Developer at Gorilla Logic. He has worked in both front-end and back-end full-stack development for companies such as CBS, Disney, and Keller Williams. His hobbies include reading, mostly Sci-Fi and coding best practices, and Robert C. Martin is one of his favorite authors. He also enjoys going to the gym and loves to practice rock-climbing. Among the many things he loves are technology and astronomy.
Where’s your hometown? – I was born and raised in Ciudad Cortes, South of Costa Rica. Growing up I had the chance to live in Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and San Jose, Costa Rica. I moved to San Jose when I was 17 years old. I currently live in Sabanilla, Montes de Oca, San Jose.
What’s your spirit animal? – I’m half whale and half elephant. Love the kindness of both mammals.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? – Quebec, Canada has to be it.
How many years have you worked in your field? – It depends. I started working in the design field, more specifically visual design, back in 2008. After that, I moved to code which is why I’m in love with user interfaces and UX now. My overall combined experience in the field is about 9 – 10 years.
Best advice you have received personally or professionally? – To be patient. Every journey is different, and every traveler is unique.
What is an underrated product that you believe deserves more attention? – OrangePI Zero. Such a lovely piece of hardware technology.
If you could perform on stage with one famous musician/group, who would it be and why? – Bjork, she’s such a talented person!
How do you spend your free time? – Besides attending the gym, running, and other physical activities, I do enjoy reading, mostly about hard science fiction. I also read about topics such as architecture, coding best practices, etc. Robert C. Martin and his books about code quality are the ones I like the most. I also love books related to black holes, Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time got me.
If you could travel back in time to any period in history, when would it be? – Theoretically, we cannot travel back in time without creating further realities, like the branches on a tree that diverge from each other. But I’d love to be able to see many of the events that happened back then and that make us what we are today.
Best childhood memory? – Visiting the Atacama Desert.
What made you want to work at Gorilla Logic? – Quality. I think Gorilla Logic is a very nice place to work at and goes hand-in-hand with my quality standards (it probably surpasses them). After knowing a little bit more I fell in love with the working environment and culture.
What is your personal motto? – Never give up.
What is your most used tool in your office? – Git.
Something that your LinkedIn profile couldn’t tell us? – That for every success, I’ve faced twice as many failures.
Who are the biggest cheerleaders in your life? – My mother, the closest human being I’ve known.
What was one of the most rewarding leadership positions you have had? – The definition of rewarding can vary greatly. But I love the expression of a happy client telling everybody that we rock as a team.
Best advice when heading into an interview? – Know your weaknesses.
Best advice when meeting with a client? – Be transparent without being indiscreet.
Now that you have greater insight on the world (maybe;)), what would you go back and tell your 18 year old self? – That he had to stop being on the computer 24/7 and start eating healthier. 🙂
Favorite tech blog/website/publication? – There are many writers I follow on Medium. Airbnb-engineering is just one of them.
What motivated you to pursue working in your current field? – Not seeing my job as a job, but as a hobby I really enjoy. I have the privilege to work on something I like. Not everybody is given that chance.
What qualities make someone successful in the tech world? – Being a self-taught person. Technology moves faster than colleges, degrees, and certifications. It is therefore a very important thing to do. Another important part of this is to study core principles, focus on abstractions rather than on concretions.
To learn more about Manuel and to stay in touch, connect with him on LinkedIn and check out his GitHub!
