Meet the Team: Skye Dinwoodie

January 13, 2025

Meet the Team

Skye Dinwoodie

Skye Dinwoodie is our ambitious Junior Software Developer, who balances his work at Cleverbit Software with his studies at the University of Malta, where, for his thesis, he is working on an app to support people who are unable to talk.

Born and raised in South Africa, Skye landed in Malta in 2019, drawn by the English-speaking environment and the island’s sunny charm. What he loves most about the country is the tight-knit sense of community: “Whenever you go out, you’re bound to bump into someone you know and have a chat—it’s such a warm feeling.”

It’s this same sense of community that makes him a fan of working from the office, despite the possibility of remote work. Between his well-equipped workstation and being able to socialise with colleagues (who have now become friends), he finds it easier to tackle complex tasks surrounded by this positive work environment.

When he’s not busy with work or studies, you might find Skye enjoying his favourite healthy poke bowl or listening to HipHop - Polish HipHop included, thanks to the influence of his friends! He’s even been known to rap a little in both English and Maltese, a creative streak which he attributes to his mum.

Though he struggles to find time for hobbies like learning Polish or watching true crime shows (he’s not seen The Menendez Brothers!), Skye is always determined to keep growing and improving and is keen to leave a positive mark on the world. In fact, if he could have a superpower, it would understandably be controlling time.

He’s also a Liverpool fan, which we take it to mean he’s become at least a little bit Maltese! Get to know him better in his own words below.

Team photo of Skye Dinwoodie

How long have you been working for Cleverbit?

I started working here last summer, so it’s been about 1 year and four months now.

What is your role at Cleverbit?

I’m a Junior Software Developer. I help out on various projects developing new features. So far, I’ve mainly been focused on front end development.

How would you describe your job to someone without a technical background?

I’d describe my job as talking with a computer in a language it understands, instructing it to perform specific tasks. Of course, that’s a simplified view—there’s a lot more work involved. But essentially, it’s about translating a client’s requirements into the binary code of 1s and 0s that computers can process.

My earliest tech-related memory is from the early 2000s, playing Space Cadet, the 3D pinball game that came pre-installed on all Windows XP machines. It was one of the first times I remember being fascinated by computers.

Did you always know you wanted to work in tech?

When I was 16 and had to choose my high school subjects, I picked IT. I was fortunate to have a really engaging teacher who sparked my interest in tech, and, from that point on, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in this field.

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

The first thing I do when I wake up is some stretching on my yoga mat. From there, I’ll have my morning tea and check my phone for any news or updates from friends. Then, depending on my uni schedule, I’ll either spend the day attending lectures and studying, or, instead, I’ll head over to the office. My workdays mostly consist of programming new features and attending meetings. The day usually ends with a bit more studying, and I finish it off with cooking dinner.

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

I don’t really buy into tech superstitions, but I do have one quirk - I only type using my index fingers. It’s like my personal ‘ritual’ for keeping the code running smoothly! Also, I’m certain that music helps me code better.

Who is your professional hero?

Although there are some admirable people in tech whose achievements I appreciate—like Steve Wozniak for his creativity and Alan Turing for his groundbreaking work—I wouldn’t say I hold anyone to the level of being my professional hero. I’m more inspired by the collective progress in the field and the possibility of creating something impactful myself.

How did you end up working at Cleverbit?

Interestingly, one of the technical architects here, Abel Garcia, was my lecturer during my first semester of university. He taught a unit called ‘Principles and Paradigms of Programming Languages,’ and I did really well in the course. Just before summer, Abel reached out to me about applying for an internship. Originally, it was only meant to be a summer position, but I really enjoyed working here, and fortunately, they liked my work too—so I’m still here!

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

Yes, the first project I worked on at Cleverbit was rebuilding the company website from the ground up. It took me and another junior developer a few months to complete, and I really appreciated how much responsibility we were given. The satisfaction of seeing the new website finally deployed was huge, and I learned so much throughout the entire process.

What’s the office culture like at Cleverbit?

The office culture here is quite welcoming. While not everyone comes into the office—since the company allows for fully remote work—many of us, including myself, are primarily office-based. The team is incredibly friendly, and we often joke around in the lunchroom. We also make an effort to arrange meetups after work to hang out. I genuinely feel that many of my colleagues have become friends, and it’s a joy to be in the office with them.

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

I think I’m a really creative person, so besides coding a lot during high school, I also dedicated a bunch of time to design work, experimenting with Photoshop and creating logos and mock-ups for various products. If I hadn’t enjoyed the problem-solving and mathematical aspects of programming, I definitely would have pursued a career in graphic design or UX/UI design.

Headquartered in Europe, Cleverbit Software is a prominent custom software development company, employing over 70 skilled professionals across the EU, UK and US. Specialising in custom software for business efficiency, we work with a diverse international clientele in various industries including banking and insurance, SaaS, and healthcare. Our commitment to solving problems and delivering solutions that work makes us a trusted partner with our clients.

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