Grateful for the people and lessons from my first engineering job
Remembering the impact of my first job on my personal and professional development
I am grateful for the past and the people who have helped me grow professionally and personally. I am extremely grateful to Raffaele Annunziata (aka Lello) and Luigi Luciano (aka Gigi) for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to start my engineering career at Software Design Srl, now a SITA company. They have not only helped me grow personally and professionally. Through their boundary-pushing and constant encouragement, they have given me the confidence and ability to take on any challenge. This has been invaluable to me throughout my career.
Lello and Gigi are the co-founders of Software Design Srl, which hired me as a software engineer in 1989. We worked on artificial intelligence and telecommunication projects for international companies such as Siemens, Telecom Italia, and the European Space Agency. They built a company ahead of its time in terms of innovation, technology, and culture. A collaborative team with full transparency, learning, and growth opportunities, including offering shares of the company to employees opportunities. It was such a unique company in Southern Italy and an amazing start to my career at that time.
This summer, I was fortunate to meet Lello in Naples, Italy (where I grew up) and Gigi in California (my new home, where I moved 14 years ago). While I do wonder at times how different things would have been if they had founded their company in Silicon Valley instead, I was glad to reconnect with them after so many years and learn about their continued successes. They are still curious people interested in growing and bringing innovation to the world, just like I met them 30 years ago!
After working at Software Design Srl, there are three things that stand out in my mind:
There is nothing we cannot solve or tackle. Even if a new technology or project feels overwhelming, we can handle it with time, listening, learning, and adapting. Before we know it, we will become experts in it.
We never finish learning. In our profession, technology is constantly evolving, and what we adopt today will likely change. To stay current and relevant, it is important to stay open-minded and open to learning new technologies. We should also remember to learn from our mistakes and apply those lessons to our future work.
Collaborate and support your team. Success often relies on working together as a team, and collaborating and helping others not only leads to better outcomes but also provides an opportunity to learn from each other and grow.
Overall, my time at Software Design Srl taught me the importance of perseverance, continuous learning, and teamwork in my career and personal life.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to all of my colleagues at Software Design, Stefania Cardone, Alessandro Pererano, Raffaele Arpaia, Mariarosaria Farina, Massimiliano Gentile, Lucio Rositani, Giuliana Vitale, Fara Di Maio, Carlo Iodice, Claudio de Martino, among many others, who have shaped me as a leader in my career and life. A special thank you goes to Michelle Richards (in the photo with me and Gigi), who has been such a great host and mostly an amazing friend. When I moved to San Francisco from Germany for a new chapter of my life, Michelle and her family, Sharon, Scott, and Vera, made the transition so smooth and easy. Your friendship has been invaluable to me, and you continue to be a great host and friend.
Lello and Gigi, see you soon again, and thank you! Arrivederci e Grazie!
~ Bruno