Impact & Career Development: Alex Bake
Introduce yourself. How long have you been working at Prepared? What team are you currently part of?
My name is Alexander Bake, and I’ve been working at Prepared for nearly a year. I’m on the engineering team, focused primarily on frontend development.
Tell us a bit about why you decided to join Prepared.
When I talked to the team for the first time, I was impressed by the team’s intelligence and the thoughtfulness they demonstrated when it came to the problem of public safety. I felt like they weren’t just “winging-it,” but instead were taking the right steps and talking to the right people to accomplish their goals.
Moreover, I’ve worked at and contracted for a few different start-ups throughout my career, and a common refrain among founders is that employees should be passionate about what they’re working on. This can often feel forced and be a difficult thing to muster... but that was not the case when I joined Prepared. Our software saves lives and that’s something that is very easy to be passionate about.
What does your life at Prepared look like?
Life at Prepared moves fast. In my first three months we built two mobile apps, three web apps, and a host of API services and infrastructure. Just as you’d expect at any startup, I’ve stepped outside of my area of expertise at times to get things done, and that’s one of the most exciting parts of the job.
This is a consequence of the collaborative environment — whenever we’re thinking about new features, prioritizing development, or setting up processes, everyone gets involved. I’ve worked to support the sales and customer success teams, listened in on interviews with customers, and helped out with UI/UX for our products. Team work makes the dream work.
What are the most impressive parts of Prepared so far?
The most impressive part of Prepared so far has been the team. For such a small, young team, it feels like we’ve got some heavy hitters who grind everyday to get things done. We’ve been moving super quickly and the team is very adaptable.
That adaptability is reflected in our product, which has amazing reception among our customers. When we show our product to potential customers, they say “I needed this yesterday!” which is a great feeling!
What kind of impact do you want to have, not just for Prepared, but for people outside of Prepared too?
I want to bring people together. The world is full of conflict and turmoil, and these days it seems harder and harder for people to get along. At the end of the day, we’re all human. We make mistakes, we encounter hardship, but we’re all in this together. My hope is that I can make an impact with the work that I do, and the relationships that I make. Sometimes all it takes is saying “hi” to people and showing them some humanity.
Do you believe that the culture at Prepared helps people to be their authentic selves? Why?
There is no room for inauthenticity at Prepared. Our products are used by people in very stressful, and often dire situations, which leaves no room for our egos.
At Prepared we’re encouraged to be our authentic selves. Authenticity comes from a place of comfort, and even if everyone has different interests, we all have a unique perspective. Being open and honest about who you are and what is important to you is valued through our culture and mission.
