Frontend + Feature Development
As the lead frontend engineer, I oversaw all frontend initiatives and worked closely with the product design team to deliver innovative risk management software.
Features
I developed full-stack features, including a drag-and-drop insurance template builder, OCR capabilities, and vendor management tools. These core features required sophisticated frontend functionality alongside intricate business logic and database operations.
Component Library
In addition, I collaborated with product design to establish a design system and component library, which enhanced scalability and streamlined frontend development. This initiative reduced UI bugs and resulted in a more cohesive, polished product.
Performance
Given the data-heavy nature of the application, performance optimization was critical. Initially, we relied exclusively on Redux for state management, but as the application scaled, it became clear that we needed a better solution for handling server state and caching. I led the transition to React Query for server state management, while maintaining Redux for client-side state. This decoupling not only improved performance significantly but also made the codebase more maintainable.
Public API, Integrations + Laravel Backend
As PINS scaled and onboarded larger clients, the demand for integrations grew. Our team developed solutions with key software platforms like Procore, Sage, and Vista, but a more scalable approach was needed to handle future integrations.
This led to the creation of a public REST API and an integration application, allowing clients to set up their own integrations. For the integrations portal, I built the UI, designed webhooks, and implemented the necessary endpoints.
Both the public and internal APIs were built using PHP with Laravel, running on a MySQL database hosted on AWS. Initially, I had some reservations about working with PHP, but I quickly grew to appreciate Laravel and its developer-friendly framework.
My favorite part about Alexa is that she is not afraid of hard work. Working at a startup inevitably has frustrating days, but Alexa always took it in stride. Her relentless pursuit of her goals and eagerness to take on the toughest challenges will continue to bring Alexa tremendous success. Her work ethic brought my firm an incredible amount of success, and because of that I will always remain grateful for Alexa’s contribution. - Katy, CEO
