Building the Future of Car Care: A conversation with Clay Kelly

In our latest post from the "Building the Future of Car Care" series, Software Engineer Clay Kelly shares insights on Power Rangers, owning your work, and learning from failure. When did you join NuBrakes, and what drew you to this role? I started in January 2021, so it's been nearly a full year. Before this, I was at a large corporate firm where I felt overwhelmed by the bureaucracy. I craved a smaller setting with more personal responsibility. Although I wasn't actively job hunting, I knew Walker and Collin from college and saw their job listing. During the interview, their vision for the product truly impressed me, and I was thrilled to join. After a year at a startup, what key lessons have you learned about thriving in this environment? In a startup, growth often stems from taking full ownership of your responsibilities. At my previous job, which had thousands of employees, many teams worked on similar issues, and my input didn't always carry weight. Here, if you encounter a problem, it's "figure it out yourself." This fosters continuous learning and skill enhancement. However, this autonomy can be double-edged. Personally, I love the idea that my contributions directly impact the business right now. Everything moves quickly here—any release goes live immediately and gets used. This can be stressful, requiring extreme precision in coding since every decision matters. Still, the positives outweigh the negatives: the supportive culture and colleagues make a huge difference. Plus, there's immense potential for growth and innovation. Recently, what exciting projects have you been working on? We're currently tackling two major initiatives. One is Megazord, our pricing system, designed to assist sales agents in generating accurate quotes by pulling various products and services. This focuses heavily on streamlining the sales process. Additionally, I've been developing a scheduling algorithm, a foundational step toward enabling customers to book appointments via an online portal. Ultimately, we aim for customers to log in, specify their vehicle issues, select necessary services, and schedule repairs—all seamlessly online. These current efforts are laying the groundwork for that vision. A scheduling algorithm? Sounds straightforward enough. Actually, it's quite complex. There are numerous factors involved in deciding which technician to send and ensuring availability matches the customer's preferred booking time. Integrating Megazord adds another layer of complexity, as we must account for requested services. This system will require ongoing iteration and refinement. Where did the name "Megazord" come from? The name originates from the Power Rangers series. Our Head of Product, Josh, has a young child who loves Power Rangers, so he suggested it. In the show, individual Power Rangers combine to form a giant robot called Megazord. Similarly, here, we're bringing diverse components together into one cohesive technical solution. To celebrate this, everyone received little Megazord cartoons. What does a typical week look like for you as a developer? Developers prioritize minimizing context switching to maximize productivity. Context switching happens when you're pulled away from a task mid-flow; it takes longer to regain focus. To avoid this, our meetings are minimal. We work in two-week sprints, starting each day with brief stand-ups to outline goals and progress. Weekly refinement sessions discuss upcoming tasks, and one-on-ones with managers focus on career development. Beyond that, it's dedicated sprint work and addressing unexpected bugs. What excites you most about your work? There's a saying: "drinking from a fire hose"—there's so much to learn. We're charting unexplored territory without a clear roadmap. Short-term, the company is laser-focused on growth, and everything we do supports that mission. Long-term, our goal is to offer customers the smoothest, most trustworthy auto repair experience possible through technology. The automotive repair industry lacks modern tech solutions, but we see vast untapped potential. While brakes are our current focus, we're not just a brake repair company—we're a tech-driven organization poised to transform multiple aspects of the industry. Even our existing creations could revolutionize the field. How would you describe the company culture at NuBrakes? The culture here is "open" and "honest." Openness means voicing opinions freely, even if they seem unconventional. Some seemingly silly ideas have sparked brilliant ones. Failure is embraced here—fail fast and adapt. Don't be afraid to take risks. Honesty means receiving candid feedback, whether positive or negative. Our weekly All Hands meetings are transparent; CEO Walker provides unfiltered updates, fostering alignment across the team. As a startup, we're still shaping our culture but have the flexibility to evolve rapidly. How do you handle tough days, like debugging late nights? Recently, we tackled a 22-day bug that was incredibly frustrating. Though the fix won't be noticeable to customers, it was critical to resolve. Working late nights was stressful, but now it's a celebratory moment. Teamwork made it manageable—no finger-pointing, just problem-solving. Even small wins are celebrated. Last night, after resolving it, we toasted with beers. If we were in the office, we'd likely be celebrating at a bar. If sleep weren't required and you had eight extra hours daily, how would you use them? Most people might say travel, but I'd focus on fitness, cooking, and household chores. A more fun option would be working on personal app ideas. What have you prioritized for your professional development? Communication skills are as crucial as technical expertise. Early on, strong interpersonal abilities can set you apart. Explaining tech issues clearly to non-technical stakeholders ensures mutual understanding and agreement on solutions. College teaches coding, but effective communication requires practice. Cross-team collaboration is vital too. Developers shouldn't blindly follow a checklist—they should seek clarity on purpose and context. Understanding the bigger picture ensures better teamwork and fewer conflicts. Before accepting a role, what questions should developers ask their future bosses? Know yourself and your needs. Consider the technical skills required and envision your ideal work environment—size of team, management style, workload preferences. These insights guide relevant questions. Also, don't hesitate to inquire about business metrics or financials. Worst case, you'll receive general answers; best case, transparency prevails. Any final thoughts? Joining our team isn't just about revenue generation—it's about the company's mission. My previous job was in tax software, which lacked excitement. Brake repair may seem mundane, but we're anything but. We're innovators pioneering groundbreaking solutions in an industry ripe for change. The level of innovation here is thrilling. Opportunities abound in API development—feel free to reach out if interested. It's a fantastic team ready to achieve great things.

Induction Brazing

Induction brazing machine, handheld brazing machine, high-frequency brazing machine, portable brazing machine,welding machine

Ningbo Dedao Electronic Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.nbdedao.com