Originally a farm boy from Minnesota, Anthony found his way out to the Bay Area after college to start his career as a software engineer. He has worked for some of the most notable names in Tech including Zynga, Linkedin (who acquired his company Bright.com in 2014), and Lyft. During his over 15 year career, Anthony has played an integral part in building and leading highly proficient engineering teams. His passion for architecting infinitely scalable yet simplistic and practical platforms is evident in what he’s built here at JobPixel. When he’s not deep in thought trying to preemptively solve our next biggest challenge, Anthony can be found spending quality time with his wife and three boys.
What was your motivation for starting JobPixel?
At a career level, I have long been motivated by trying to use my work to make the world a better place. Over my 10 years in the HR industry, I can’t tell you how many job seekers I’ve heard with a story like “If only I could speak with someone, I know that I could show them that I’m a great fit for this role.” Trying to stand out with just your resume can be an incredible challenge. I believe that video can help connect employers and candidates more directly than the options we have had available to us on the internet over the past 20 years. I want to help employers find the best candidates more efficiently, and help job seekers stand out in ways they have not been able to when submitting text alone.
What problem(s) is JobPixel trying to solve?
To help job seekers represent themselves more effectively than through what their employment history has to say. To help employers find team members that will harmonize with the culture they are cultivating. I believe that the closer you can bring people together, the better they can connect with each other.
What do you foresee as the greatest challenge for JobPixel?
The HR vertical has a lot of competition. If JobPixel is to have an impact on this industry, we need to ensure people hear about JobPixel and how we provide the most seamless and delightful experience that exists for video. We’re not the only player experimenting with video, but I strongly believe that the way we are approaching this problem will set us apart from the way that others have tried to bolt video on to their existing platforms.
Which of your skills do you find most valuable to your role?
As an engineer, my experience and ability to direct a team in a way that allows us to build a platform that can scale is always valuable. As a leader I’ve found that my experience in the industry has been instrumental in helping us formulate a strategy that allows us to maximize the value of our limited development cycles to focus on the things that actually matter to employers and job seekers. I pride myself on finding simple ways to build a seamless and intuitive product experience, blending the intersection between product and technology.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
The best investment is an investment in yourself.
Okay, now for the fun stuff…
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
I don’t know if you’d call it a super power of any significant value, but when I was younger I dreamed of the ability to perfectly imitate anyone else’s voice. Let me be a rockstar, or the world’s greatest impressionist!
What was your nickname growing up?
Anth. Pretty much everyone I know still calls me Anth. In high school, we had another Anthony/Tony, so my classmates called me Anth and it has stuck with me since.
Do you have any weird talents we should know about?
Hmm… well, I can shake my eyes super fast. It’s hard to explain, but look up Voluntary Nystagmus.
If you could have any other job, what would it be?
I already have the two best jobs I could ever ask for - a dad and a technologist. But if you forced me to pick something else, I’d be an advisor to others in the industry.
What is your ideal vacation?
Chilling around a body of water in the sun, with a drink in my hands and no commitments to concern myself with.
What’s your favorite junk food?
Seeing as it is Girl Scout cookie season, Thin Mints are the bee’s knees.
Where can we find you on a Sunday morning?
Wrangling the children that got me up too early on a Sunday morning.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
I used to call it a pet peeve, but I’ve since found that it actually has a name, Misophonia. Hearing people crunch or slurp their food drives me bonkers crazy.
What’s one thing you want to do before you die?
Augusta! This is currently the only thing on my bucket list. I guess technically that means it’s not really a list though, huh?
What’s your go to drink order?
I’m highly partial to our Bialetti and milk frother….
