ShipEngineer Spotlight: CJ Ortega

What is your role at ShipEngine?

I am a software engineer on the ShipEngine API team.  I add new features to our API, fix bugs, and research into new ways to solve challenges we may face.

What does your typical work day look like? 

“Well, I generally come in at least 15 minutes late.  I use the side door, that way Lumberg can’t see me, and after that I sorta space out for about an hour.  I just stare at my desk, but it looks like I’m working. I do that for about an hour after lunch too. I’d say in a given week I probably only do about 15 minutes of real, actual, work.” – Peter Gibbons

No, but really… when I get to work I first check my emails and Slack for important updates, and then pick up working on whatever I was working on the day before.  This typically consists of writing code, testing code, or reviewing how the current code works. Then, I’ll take a quick break for lunch, and finish off the afternoon with more coding. After work, I typically go lift or roll at the gym.

What tech do you get to work with?

Visual Studio and Postman are where I spend most of my time, with some DataGrip and WebStorm by JetBrains mixed in. We also use several software solutions in our code base… too many to list here.

How long have you been working on ShipEngine?

I just celebrated my 1 year anniversary last month!

How did you get into this type of work?

I graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in computer science, so I’ve been writing software since I graduated in late 2007.  I was turned on to ShipEngine by a friend I used to work with at a different startup here in Austin. He eventually moved to ShipEngine, and a little over a year later I followed.

What is one of your proudest achievements? 

I can deadlift over 500 lbs.

What’s one feature of ShipEngine you want more users to discover?

Our rating system is a game changer!  You can use it to get rates for different package types, with different services and across different carriers all in one call. It also allows you to populate estimated shipping rates between zip (or service) codes.

How do you spend your free time?

During the week, I fill most of my free time by lifting weights, wrestling, and doing Jiu Jitsu.  On the weekends you can usually find me walking my giant South African Mastiff, Buttkiss, around Zilker Park, or hanging out wherever the beer is flowing.

And, yes, that is his real name!

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why? 

I feel like the Superman suite of powers would be a pretty good start.  Dr. Manhattan has a pretty good thing going, too.

What do you love most about Austin?

I love how much there is to do in Austin.  The parks are beautiful, and there are so many bars and restaurants to check out that you’ll never run out!