My name is Ben Coulston, and I’m the Lead Architect here at Metova. I’ve always wanted to be a developer and part of software because of my love for video games. Ever since I started playing a classic Nintendo console in 1992, I was very interested in the inner-workings of a gaming system. This led to building terribly slow computers from spare parts when I was 10 years old and spending countless hours playing Mario is Missing and The Oregon Trail. I wasn’t satisfied with that, and new games with awesome graphics were coming out, so I saved up all of my birthday and Christmas money for a year, and with some help from my parents, built a computer on which I could actually play games with “good” graphics. At the time, my favorite game was Red Alert, a real-time strategy game that allowed you to build up an army base with troops and eventually take over your opponent’s base. It’s the first game where I started thinking about the metrics that exist within software (money, resource management, cost efficiency, etc.). I started realizing that games (and programs) are all built on pretty basic principles, and software became less magical and more tangible. I realized that I could actually make things like the games I loved someday, so I went for it.
Working at Metova over the last four years has been a great experience. I get to transform the smallest ideas into something tangible and useful! I’ve seen and been part of a variety of projects including health and fitness apps, social networking apps, security apps, as well as research and development efforts. Intellectually, the assortment of projects has allowed me to learn about a range of topics. I don’t really think this tier of knowledge is commonly gained from other jobs.
My favorite thing about working at Metova is the culture. When I started four years ago, it was because I had a friend who worked here. I then invited more friends and more friends, and now I work with all of my friends. I’ve never had another job where I feel like I can joke around and be myself more than here. We’re all generally interested in new technologies and discuss them frequently — whether it be Google Hangout discussions on a new framework or debates in our Android chat room. We have 5 gaming consoles in the break room, a megacade on the way, and a game night monthly. Altogether, it’s a great place to learn, grow, and develop your software career into whatever direction you want.
I spend the majority of my spare time with my wife and pets. We get lost frequently in new television series on Netflix, try out the myriad of restaurants in the Nashville area, and go to shows when a good band is in town, which is quite often. Other than that, I play guitar on occasion and spend a lot of nights playing computer games with my fellow Metovians. I’ve found that, generally, the best way to unwind from being on the computer all day is being on the computer more. Software and computing is my passion, so it’s a big part of my personal life as well.
Read more about how Ben can help your app here.
