Meet Anum Basit, Developer Advocate

Tell us about your role as a Developer Advocate. How do you tackle daily challenges providing technical support to customers, partners, and third-party developers, creating their custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the Igloo platform?

In my role, I advocate for developers by working with Igloo’s customers and partners. Empathy is key to being successful in this role. Everyone has different technical knowledge, whether speaking to a senior developer or someone with no technology background. It’s important to tune your conversation in a way that the other person can follow. I also work closely with the customer experience team, customer success team and technical account managers. We are a close-knit group with lots of cross-team collaboration to give customers the great experience they expect and deserve.

When unorthodox requests come in, we need to think outside the box. I try to help with every request, even if they ask for the moon and stars. There is always a way to help! This includes billing processes, enhancements for customers, and documenting it for them. We also help with premium mobile and post-production support and instructions.

What is your favorite part of solving these technical challenges?

My favorite part of helping our customers and partners with technical challenges is when I can make them happy. I love to fix problems- big or small- and give Igloo customers a good experience.

What new Igloo platform integrations, enhancements, or features have you had a hand in creating? How does your job inspire these enhancements?

In my two years with Igloo, I have come to really know the product and its capabilities. With that skill set, I can advise customers properly and help to inspire new product enhancements. I am now helping to write documentation pieces for two new enhancements.

However, sometimes customers request something we cannot always do, but we always try to help. Even if we are not able to deliver exactly what a customer requests, we try to find a workaround to provide something helpful for them.

Can you share an example of how you or your team work to develop a proof-of-concept solution for internal or external customers?

The first thing that comes to mind is the Gadget Depot, a collection of gadgets. I like to think of it as a hub of digital workplace widgets and gadgets. Customers can use the Depot to discover ways to boost engagement on their platform. For example, blog widgets can promote the latest content; you can add a countdown widget for important events or add a gadget to encourage active engagement in the digital workplace and hype employees. These small gadgets help make our customers happy.

I have worked on multiple projects during my tenure so far. SpeakAp, Confluence widget, Bulk Services, Modal enhancements popups to name a few.

What led you to join Igloo Software? What do you enjoy the most about your role in providing technical support?

In March 2020, I immigrated to Canada and started working for Igloo. Previously working for the corporate giant IBM, as an Advocate Developer, I wanted to find an organization where all employees knew each other. Now, I know people from all departments and have come to love Igloo’s great corporate culture. Connecting with other people outside of my day-to-day work teams is so wonderful. I even met and connected with almost all Igloo team members during our recent corporate retreat!

When I started with Igloo, it was during the onset of the pandemic and shift to remote work. Everyone was very welcoming and supportive during this time and continues to be helpful. I was never required to stare at a screen all day– Igloo respects work/life preferences. Some teammates like to work at night, and some early in the morning. It’s essential for people to take ownership of their role in this way. I do my job because I like it, not because I have to.

I also have a fantastic manager, David Bistolas. He is truly a mentor first, then a manager. The creative freedom he gives with no tight deadlines helps so much with your overall workplace experience. When you’re working on something, and you get stuck, he is the first person to go to because he is so helpful, which is not the industry norm. He adds so much to the organization and is my inspiration to be a manager one day.

How does Igloo Software enable you to continue to innovate professionally?

In my previous role, I was very impatient. Now at Igloo, I have learned a lot and continue to grow my skill set. Interpersonally, I have grown to have more patience. I credit my manager for this skill. I’ve had the opportunity to watch how he works in emergencies, and I have learned a lot from this experience, professionally and personally. I have negated the anxiety and impatience from my personality thanks to what I have learned from my time at Igloo.

This is also the first time I’ve had a workplace where everyone is friendly. Igloo’s CEO, Mike Gaburo, will sit down to talk with employees, not just members of the C-suite. We could speak with all executive team members at the company retreat about non-work-related topics. It speaks volumes about the company culture. When someone says they love their job, it’s generally hard to believe, but I really do.

The people are super nice at Igloo. They make it a point to share opportunities and provide lots of room for learning and growth professionally and interpersonally. I recommend everyone to work at Igloo to experience it!??