Reflecting on 2015

Looking back on 2015, it had some big changes in it for me, and with that came some challenges. The biggest change was making the move from my old job to work for Shopify. I have been working there almost a year now and it has been a truly amazing experience, even if it has been uncomfortable at times. I find the more I put myself out of my comfort zone, the more I am learning. It is amazing how you can surprise yourself every day when you simply push yourself to try new things. My failures have taught me just as much, if not more, than my successes.

When I first got to Shopify I was intimidated. I looked around and saw so many smart people across all of the company. Experts in their own domains, who were truly passionate about their crafts. It was hard to know how I could possibly be of any real value to a team as talented as this.

What I have come to realize though, is that the more you absorb and learn from those people, the more value you can add to your team. The more you are exposed to ideas and opinions, the more you can grow yourself. Each individual can bring a perspective that can impact a product. Everyone is valuable in the collective experience they bring to any discussion.

Big problems can’t always be solved by one person.