Meet the Team: Ethan Zammit

What’s your earliest tech-related memory?

Disassembling a digital cassette player to understand the inner workings of it – I later found out it was what I had chosen in the ‘quċċija’ Maltese tradition.

Regarding software, I’m not sure! I asked the question once, ‘how does it work?’ and I’m still looking for the answer to that.

Did you always know you wanted to work in tech?

Definitely! I was usually the tech guy growing up, so I think I was always inclined towards it, but in the earlier stages of my life, I was more interested in practical engineering – turns out that many of the skills learned from practical engineering are transferable to computing.

I was always drawn to how you could use individual concepts in a certain way and create a solution to whatever problem you were working with.

Describe your day-to-day routine, if you have one.

I am a very routine oriented person. I usually wake up without an alarm, 10 minutes before work, make myself a coffee, and get straight to work.

People who work with tech can be superstitious. Do you have a favourite computer superstition or ritual?

Not necessarily computer-oriented, but I do have a tendency of trying to generate good karma. Very often, I like going the extra mile on things and going for the better option, with the thought that when I need something, the other person may also choose to generate good karma and help.

Although it’s a superstition in my head, I like to think nothing wrong can come out of doing something better, so might as well satisfy it.

Who is your professional hero?

I don’t really have a professional hero! Sometimes, I see people getting lost in trying to force someone else’s dreams on themselves, which I personally find demotivating, as everyone’s circumstances are different and I strive to form my own path.

How did you end up working at Cleverbit?

I was working at a company before which used similar, yet older, technologies and wanted to jump to something newer and with more influence.

What most attracted me to the company was the rigorous interview process, where I knew that the high standards for getting employed meant that your co-workers will also be diligent, which has turned out to be very true.

Is there a project that you’ve worked on at Cleverbit that really stood out to you for whatever reason?

For now I have only been working on one project, which I am really enjoying. There is a lot of room to grow, to learn, and the amount of people you impact is super motivating.

With the solutions your team comes up with, thousands of people will get a small improvement in their life, and then a domino effect of good feelings follows. It just makes you feel important and fulfilled.

What’s the office culture like at Cleverbit?

It’s simply amazing. I think one word to describe it would be efficient.

The flexibility allows you to work where and when you feel best, which means the resultant work is even better as you are in the best place to deliver the best work.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Well, engineering has always been a parallel interest of mine, and though I did not pursue it, I feel it still aligns with my character of being extremely curious and wanting to answer things myself.

On the other hand, I also really appreciate neuroscience. While I’m unfamiliar with the area, the fact that there’s so much to learn just keeps it really exciting, and there’s also the additional pleasure of learning about yourself and how you can learn neuroscience in the first place.