Jun 23, 2023
Inside Noyo: Learning and improving together
Go Inside Noyo with Amy Sowash, backend engineer and former Olympic-level athlete, on what she loves best about her role, her team, and the Noyo culture.
No one likes reaching a skill ceiling that stunts their professional talents. Learning new concepts and solving new problems allows an individual to not only refine their craft, but also become a better person. Without progress, there is only stagnation. At Noyo, we operate under the belief that every team member is a work-in-progress who improves day by day. An ever-evolving industry such as benefits is bound to spawn surprises that throw off even the most seasoned veterans. Noyo’s environment of learning allows us to celebrate these challenges and the variety of ways to tackle them while simultaneously promoting the pursuit of mastery as we all learn from new experiences. We are all teachers and students to one another, and we all benefit from creating cutting-edge solutions.
Noyo engineer Amy Sowash (she/her) experiences opportunities for growth every day since she joined the team in February 2022. As part of the muscle behind Noyo’s carrier integrations, Amy flourishes in the programming discussions she and her colleagues share that push the entire team to greater heights.
What is your role at Noyo and what's an exciting, challenging problem you're solving?
I’m a backend engineer on the core enrollments team. We work to integrate new carriers with the Noyo API, so every new carrier brings a different kind of challenge. I’d say the most challenging part of my role is accommodating the nuances of the insurance industry in an elegant way.
What did your path to Noyo look like?
I worked in a couple of industries before Noyo: shopper metrics, oil and gas, and banking. Each one helped me better understand what I wanted to focus on as a software engineer. I was previously an Olympic-level athlete and knew I enjoyed solving hard problems with lots of details. I’ve worked at small and large companies as well, but I find that the culture of the team I'm on makes the biggest difference. I love working with my current team.
What excites you most about our industry, our product, or your role in general?
I love that we are trying to solve an incredibly complex problem. In many ways, the insurance industry hasn’t updated how it moves and manages data in a long time. We’re bringing fresh eyes and great technology to simplify the lives of everyday people. That’s a really big deal.
How would you describe the culture at Noyo?
Our culture is calm and curious. I see people at all levels in the company asking questions, because there is no such thing as a dumb question here. It’s very encouraging when you’re learning a new industry! I think we do an amazing job taking on problems one step at a time.
What have you felt good about accomplishing in your job and in your time here?
I came onto the team in the middle of a new carrier integration and was able to help get it across the finish line. It felt great to know we completed the project and it will go live soon. At a small company, you can clearly see your work’s impact.
What do you look forward to most when you come to work every day?
I look forward to learning more about our code base and how we can better serve our customers. There are a lot of moving pieces to figure out and I enjoy how open everyone is to teaching and learning from each other. I like knowing that with every code discussion, I become a better engineer.
#suburbia or #urbia?
#urbia! I love living in Houston. We have everything: amazing food, great art, tons of green space, live music, etc. There’s always something going on, and the people are friendly. Noyo is definitely a place that embraces WFH as a strength, so I’m lucky to have coworkers all across the country.
Are you an inquisitive person who enjoys building a growing skillset in a team environment? Do you love to continually overcome new challenges and learn from them? Noyo is just for you! See our openings here.