Ever wondered where the ingenuity behind our no-code platform came from? It all started with one developer. Paul Engel is a senior software developer at Betty Blocks, but we like to call him the Platform-Godfather.
In 2004, Paul started his software development internship at Holder, a company that provided businesses with custom-built, stand-alone applications.
At the time, Paul was creating different Windows apps and realized that all the applications resembled each other. By the end of 2005, he wrote his thesis based on creating a Delphi IDE plug-in that lets you generate (and update) Holder framework-based ERP applications. In other words, he created one application that lets you build more applications from it. Paul's concept led to the foundation of our no-code platform and in 2011, Betty Blocks was created. You can see Paul’s thesis project in action below:
Motivated by community
Paul shows true signs of a godfather through his willingness to share knowledge. His desire is to build things that a lot of people can use, as he did with the Betty Blocks platform. Paul considers himself a perfectionist when it comes to coding, and he truly wants to help people build and share resources. This is shown by his perseverance to write software outside of work for the Open Source community, and his urge to master programming. Paul has dedicated many hours to writing libraries (mostly Ruby gems and Javascript libraries), and sharing them on Github.
He relates his work philosophy to the following video:
A real techie
Besides being an applications creator, Paul is also an avid technology consumer. He recently visited a Virtual Reality Arcade with his team of developers, each equipped with a backpack that had a computer, a VR headset, and a rifle (made of plastic). The beauty of the arcade is that the room is completely empty, because the environment is virtual! Paul sees VR as very practical technology for future purposes beyond gaming. Because it opens new dimensions, it can be very useful for education, such as driving lessons or creating a classroom setting.
Paul also likes to fly his drone, using it to capture unique footage of the environment. When asked about the controversy over using drones, Paul had this to say: “It’s too bad that people can misuse the technology. It ruins it for the other people that want to use it for recreation. I do understand and agree on preserving the safety of the environment.”
Of course, cryptocurrency is not excluded from his interests. Mention bitcoin and you’ll see Paul’s face light up. While he doesn’t mine bitcoin, he does find it a fascinating table discussion topic. In a practical sense, he’s not sure if bitcoin is a sustainable payment system, but he’s curious about the possibilities.
Among all his technological devices, Paul’s favorite is his laptop. As we say at Betty Blocks, you can take away the code from application development, but you can’t take away the laptop from the developer.
Sports, Sushi and…Caesar?
Paul enjoys various hobbies during the weekends that bring out his competitive spirit, like watching Formula 1 and playing various sports. From GoKarting, bowling, playing pool, football and any variation of tennis, to taking care of his brother’s dogs, Sushi and Caesar, Paul is always aiming to be his best self - trying to improve his skills while being helpful to others.
Want to know more about the platform? Watch Paul Engel and Jermel Ladd answer all kinds of questions about Betty Blocks in this AMA about the platform webinar. Or request a demo below:
Ready to challenge Paul for a game of table tennis? He is looking for new colleagues! If you're interested in working at a dynamic and fast-growing technology company, apply for a position at Betty Blocks here.
