Meet Brittany Martin, our Director of Engineering! She currently leads both Engineering and Customer Support at Shogun. With over 9 years of engineering leadership experience and more than a decade in software development, Brittany has built a strong track record of building high-performing teams and delivering high-quality software solutions. We also hear she’s pretty great on roller skates.
Q: When did you first become interested in engineering?
It goes back to high school when my dad encouraged me to take computer science as my extra curricular. Back then, we were learning Visual Basic and Pascal. Alas, I did not go the Computer Science route and found myself in Business Development, then Product Management.
After a fateful move to San Francisco, I had the realization that I would have a lot more opportunities if I learned how to code. For the next year, I was a Product Manager by day and remote software bootcamp learner by night. By the time I finished my bootcamp, I realized that I had missed programming and the joy solving technical problems can bring you. I went into Engineering and haven’t looked back.
Q: What are you most proud of in your career?
If you step back and look at my overall career, it does not go from a straight line from Software Engineer to Director of Engineering. The various experiences I’ve had in customer support, engineering, marketing and management have all educated me on how to approach my current role at Shogun.
However, back in 2018 there was a smash hit musical called Hamilton that was making its first tour across America. As part of the 3 person Web Team at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, we were tasked with completing a successful presale for the show in Pittsburgh, PA. Knowing surrounding cities had toppled over due to the load of incoming real and bot traffic, we had to be clever and proactive with our approach in the months leading up to it. As the sole Backend developer at the time on the team, we survived the presale, marking a record breaking day of sales for our organization. We did not throw away our shot!
Q: What does it mean for you to show up authentically at work?
One of Shogun’s values is People are People. It’s important to recognize that we come together to do great work but we all have personal lives that we value and is our “why”.
For me, I have a 14 year old chocolate labrador named George. George means the absolute world to me and as he ages, getting to hold his paw while Sprint planning with the team or sprinting to feed him in between team meetings means the world to me. I could not be there for him if it wasn’t for the remote culture we have at Shogun. I do my best work at home, alongside George.
Q: Who inspires you?
There isn’t one particular person that inspires me. I’m inspired by ambition. I’m inspired by individuals who immerse themselves in a subject, tirelessly researching and delving deep until they become experts.
I’m inspired by the casual walker who works their way to running their first marathon.
I’m inspired by the junior developer who becomes the resident expert on compilers.
I’m inspired by the self proclaimed black thumb with a flourishing garden.
I’m inspired by those who agree that it is never too late.
Q: When you are not working, where can we find you?
Fitness is my passion. I’m either challenging myself at my local CrossFit gym, skating with Steel City Roller Derby under my pseudonym “Merge Conflict” or training for my upcoming triathlon in my Watchmen themed home gym. Doing hard things physically has prepared me to do hard things mentally.
In contrast, you also might find me with my book club of awesome, inspiring women who are gifted at making some fabulous food to share. They’ve introduced me to new genres and broadened my appreciation for different types of books.
