When I joined Zoopla as a frontend engineer for the Zoopla Move! project, I was excited to contribute to a dynamic and impactful team.

My role involved working on a Single-Page Application (SPA) aimed to help people moving between houses/flats, the SPA was integrated into the main Zoopla website, where I played a pivotal part in introducing new frontend patterns to modernise the legacy codebase.

Early in my journey, I spearheaded the adoption of object-oriented programming principles and implemented more efficient workflows using webpack.

These changes not only improved the maintainability of the code but also set the stage for future scalability.

As I grew into the role I was moved to the commercial team where I was the most senior frontend developer, I took the initiative to drive further innovation by introducing the Atomic design concept and Vue.js as the new frontend framework.

In addition to my technical contributions, I became a key resource for new joiners, particularly frontend freelancers, providing guidance on the legacy tech stack of the existing Zoopla site.

I also mentored a couple of junior frontend developers, helping them
navigate their roles and grow within the team.

My mentorship focused not only on technical skills but also on fostering a collaborative and productive development environment.

By 2019, Zoopla had been acquired by Silver Lake for $3 billion, marking a significant shift in the company’s direction.

The new ownership led to widespread staff reshuffling, with many colleagues choosing to depart and pursue new ventures. Among these was our
former CEO, who went on to found Cazoo.

I chose to leave a few months after the acquisition, as I felt it was the right decision for my career trajectory.

What I did leave behind is the knowledge that my junior developers successfully bootstrapped their careers as frontend engineers and are still thriving in their roles today.
This outcome fills me with pride, as it reflects how I nurtured their passion for this discipline and equipped them with the skills they needed to succeed.