Gabriel Marinescu is a .Net Software Engineer and part of the team Roweb since 2008. He has been in the company long enough to be able to tell us about what the vibe was like in the team since its beginnings and present enough in the current dynamics of Roweb to be able to share with us what the mix of generations means and how it tends to shape the current atmosphere.
We call him Messi. And not only because programming is the field in which he manages to make the most beautiful demonstrations of talent and passion for IT, but also because…
But, better, we’ll let you discover the continuation for yourself in this interview.
The tech perspective – .Net Software Engineer
Q: The passion for IT appeared in what context and when?
I have had a passion for IT since high school. However, the odds were not on my side. I didn’t even have a computer at that moment. I received the first computer from my parents only when my sister entered college (I was in class XII).
However, I did not let these details be an impediment. Initially, I started with the hardware. But I got to the web software part due to the large volume of information on which I could find on the Internet. I have always liked to read and document myself.
“Since 2011 I have become part of the Tourpaq team.
Q: What were the first projects you were involved in?
I came to Roweb shortly after finishing college (specialization in Electronics, Communications and Computer). Initially, I was a PHP programmer. And I worked for three years on the development part of small projects, using the PHP technology stack.
Then, I decided to switch to .Net. Here, it helped me Mirel Ionescu– he was my mentor for the .Net. when I came to Roweb. And after I learned and got familiar with this technology, my coordinator has become Gabriel Rosu. Gabi contributed to my integration into the Tourpaq project (a project I am currently working on).
More precisely, from the spring of 2011 I became part of the Tourpaq team.
Q: What exactly does your work at Tourpaq entail?
Tourpaq is a complex project, which has several applications and platforms – being one of the top tour operators in Europe.
At the beginning, the Tourpaq project was based on monolithic architecture. For some time, they made the transition to microservices. And we decided to do the Booking part Engine through an API.
With this decision, the workflow improved considerably and became more flexible. My current focus is on the RESTful API side.
I deal with the architecture part of the Tourpaq project. I am a .Net Software Engineer and I coordinate the team that does the porting from Web Forms to .NET Core.
Q: What challenges have you encountered throughout your .Net Software career Engineer?
There have been a few over time. It was the switch from PHP to .Net. Then, with the project Tourpaq, came the challenge of a large volume of data.
Making the APIs run responsively is definitely another challenge we have now and which we are trying to overcome with the help of switching to .Net Core.
All the more so as we work without interfering with the client’s activity. Being one of the largest tour operators in Europe, on days with intense traffic (for example, when the Tourpaq team launches various marketing campaigns and has discounts for packages of vacancies), the volume of data becomes even larger.
Q: Some memories that are related to the beginning of your career at Roweb…
I remember the first visits to the client. Tourpaq is a client of Danish origin, and at the beginning, to strengthen the partnership with the project team, I also visited the client’s headquarters. I remember that it was a unique experience (although it was cold, very cold – and I prefer sunny destinations, such as Greece, Spain or Italy).
I remember the lake in the city I visited, the wind power plants, and fishing. And, also, the fact that the lake freezes in the winter, and the city’s residents play hockey.
I also remember the first parties at Roweb. Christmas parties have remained the best imprinted in my mind because we really enjoyed it. The team was smaller and it was easier to interact.
I also really liked the Roweb headquarters in the Trivale area. It was near the forest and they were very relaxing on the walks we used to take during breaks.
Q: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your version of yourself from your early career?
I would call my version from the beginning to be more pragmatic. To keep calm in everything and to be more relaxed because all things have a solution.
At the same time, I wouldn’t change anything about what my career as a technical architect means at Roweb.
“I would like to keep up with the constantly evolving technologies.
Q: What plans do you have in terms of your career at Roweb?
Regarding my career as a .Net architect, there are many aspects that I have in mind.
But in short, I would like to keep up with the constantly evolving technologies. I also want to study as much as possible of the part of A.I. and to see how I can apply the knowledge in projects.
“I try to analyze each intern’s seriousness, involvement, and desire to learn.
Q: You are also the coordinator of the internships. What does this entail?
I have been in charge of internships for three years. And every time, I try to combine theory with applications and practical exercises. I like to let the interns make some decisions on their own, because I want to understand what their vision is.
I also choose to give them homework, because some tasks need time think longer.
Another aspect I emphasize is the soft skills part. I’m trying to figure out the seriousness, the involvement, the desire to learn from every intern I coordinate.
The personal perspective
Q: What are the most important personal assets that help you in your .Net career Software Engineer?
An important asset that I had from the beginning was the orientation towards solving problems.
There is also the part of deepening knowledge. I can’t say that I learn quickly, but what I choose to learn, I always deepen. I like to understand why things happen in a certain way and then use the information to build.
“I enjoy seeing how the character I choose evolves and becomes better.
Q: Besides programming, what do you like to do?
I have a few hobbies: I like to walk. I try to take 9K steps every day. I like sports (in general) and cycling. I also choose sunny destinations (with an exit to the sea) for vacation.
Video games are my passion. And over time, I tried games from various categories: strategy, multiplayer, play staging & role playing. For example, I played for many years StarCraft and World of Warcraft.
Now, I’m mostly interested in the story in a game and how the characters are built. I am often captivated by interactive games where the decision I make changes the whole action. I like to see how the character I choose evolves and it gets better.
Q: What other job do you think you would have had if you weren’t a .Net Software Architect?
Hard to say. I know for sure that I would not give up my career as a technical architect. I think that’s all I would have gone to architecture, if I had had to choose another career. It can be tried the product architecture. More precisely, to build a part or a product.
Q: In the team, you are called Messi. 🙂 That’s how we know you. Why are you called Messi?
When I came to Roweb, there were already a lot of people called Gabi. And it was necessary to make a differentiation. I got several nicknames, but most often they call me Messi.
My name is also “Ionel”. And Messi is called “Lionel”. Somehow, from the similarity of the two names (and especially the fact that Lionel rhymes with Ionel), my nickname became Messi. I also play football, for fun. It’s just a hobby.
About the Roweb team
- Gabriel Marinescu is part of the Roweb team, which means over 130 experts (software developers and support departments).
- Roweb is a 100% Romanian company, whose activity began in 2004.
- The company offers end-to-end services, covering all the necessary roles in development of a project: from experienced developers and software architects, to QA specialists and business analysts.
- The client portfolio is international. Most of them come from countries such as: Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain, USA, UAE, Belgium.
- The company headquarters is in Pitesti. Also, Roweb has two offices in Bucharest & Craiova.
