Meet Ana Cruz, Software Engineer at runZero Network Discovery #
“Remember your accomplishments. Sometimes we focus too much on the things we’re not good at and forget about what we are good at,” said Ana Cruz who is a Software Engineer at runZero Network Discovery. Ana joined runZero in April 2021. Her job as a software engineer is to design and implement new and existing features.
Cruz studied Mathematics at Texas A&M International University. She took a programming course while in college and continued to learn on her own after she graduated. “After college, I worked as a staff assistant for a services company that partnered with SolarWinds, and they helped me transition into an engineering role. There, I had the opportunity to develop integrations between the SolarWinds products and a number of tools like ServiceNow and Amazon Web Services (AWS). I did that for almost three years before joining [runZero],” Ana said.
Feedback and collaboration are a big part of engineering at runZero. “Success is being able to build a product that brings value to your customers. Success is also about constantly learning and improving the quality of your work. Lastly, if you're approachable and if people trust your opinion or trust that you're going to help them figure out the solution to a problem even when you don't know the answer immediately,” Ana said.
Q&A #
What's one thing you want to do in the next year, personally or professionally?
Personally, I want to travel and visit family that I haven’t seen in a while.
Professionally, specifically I want to learn Vue, but in general I want to continue learning and getting better at my role here.
What's your favorite quote?
“The imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man.” — Richard Feynman
What's the last book you read?
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood.
What's the last show you watched?
The Dropout on Hulu.
What's your favorite food?
Elote preparado (Mexican street corn).
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate.
What is your opinion of pineapple on pizza?
Pineapple on pizza is so good!
Did you have any COVID goals?
To exercise more and eat healthy.
What is your ideal vacation younger vs now?
When I was younger it was camping. Now, it is visiting places I haven’t been to before, sightseeing & trying new food.
Why runZero? #
Ana joined runZero because of the potential they saw in her to grow as an engineer. “Since joining [runZero] I’ve had a chance to learn from and collaborate with a diverse group of engineers. Their feedback has helped me improve my code quality. I’m learning about our customers, what they do, and why they use [runZero],” Ana said.
What Ana likes the most about working at runZero, “The team is amazing! Everyone is supportive and always willing to help. It’s amazing to work at a place where your hard work is noticed and celebrated. As well as when your customers feel comfortable giving you feedback and are willing to work with you to resolve any issues,” Ana said.
Ana resonates with the values and is empowered to help shape the company culture here at runZero. “[runZero’s] cultural values were actually built with the input of a diverse group. I appreciate that [runZero] sees the value in diverse opinions - it’s important to recognize that everyone has something valuable to contribute, no matter their background or level of experience,” Ana said.
