Anton, why did you join Broadway?

Jumping straight from a career as a professional athlete, into the MIT “drink from the hose” mentality, I thought that slowing down fell into the scope of “things-that-won’t-happen-to-me.” But working for a major software company, I realized I'd started compromising. For a comfortable living, and what seemed like a stable job, I'd given up some of the speed, ideas, and drive I'd had coming out of school. I'd almost surrendered to the idea that I needed to adjust my pace and expectations, humbled by being one of 80,000 employees. In a moment of clarity, I decided to see what else was out there. I started interviewing. All in, I spoke to nearly 15 software-oriented institutions.

Throughout my interview day at Broadway, a reality started to sink in: these guys were not just progressing, they were sprinting forward. It seemed like the CEO didn’t just want to succeed; he wanted a revolution. Naturally, I dismissed it. But after speaking to a few more folks during the interviews and dinner that followed, I went back to my hotel feeling that I'd found the “special forces” of computer science.

So I decided to join them. I definitely remember thinking, “This is not going to be easy.”

What have you done since joining Broadway?

After few years as a Program Manager, I'd become tech deprived. When I dived back into coding, I realized how much I'd missed it. After a quick orientation, I started working on a product scheduled for customer release just a few months away. The trust Broadway’s management put in me was as enticing as it was frightening. Coming from a large software company, it definitely took me some time to adjust to a flat hierarchy and the level of responsibility that comes with it.

After some time, Tyler (our CEO) pulled me aside and asked me whether I wanted to take on a project in London, which would require living there for four months. He said that I didn’t have to give him my decision that day, but by the end of the week would be nice, as the project would start in three weeks. Three weeks later, I was living in London, working side-by-side with Joshua (our CTO), at one of our top clients!

This opportunity later translated into my leading this multi-million dollar client engagement and directing several Broadway resources dedicated to this client.

How is Broadway different?

No convoluted hierarchy, no “dictated” tasks, no “black box” compensation models. Broadway processes are lean, transparent, and designed to actually support the company and minimize red tape and overhead. We are all working equally hard, and there can be no “cruisers.” If you are not willing to go all out, you don’t belong here.

Our CEO and CTO still write code. We don’t have any disconnected managers and you are never asked to do something our top people are not willing to do or know how to do themselves.

We play. We play a lot. We all play a lot. Over Christmas last year, we collectively bought around 15 RC helicopters. We play softball; we play basketball. We use excuses like “mounting a TV on an office wall” to buy awesome gadgets. There is more, much more.

And we like each other. Grabbing people for a BBQ at my house after work is very common, and paintball, and skydiving are also things we plan together.

A day in the life of Anton...

I’m lucky to say: no typical days so far! At Broadway, you have the most impact on your schedule. My current role allows me to interact closely with my clients, traveling to multiple locations. There are a lot of design discussions, brainstorming sessions, and time spent hands-on with our systems.

I absolutely love New York, and everything the city has to offer, though dropping by London occasionally is also fun. In the off-hours, I tend to geek out (currently working on ArduCopter! ), go out, climb, and generally keep an active lifestyle.