Welcome back to “News from the Tech Desk”, our blog column where Sherpa users can find all the latest product enhancements, updates, and features. To catch up on more news about product development, read last month’s News from the Tech Desk. Now, we’re going with something a bit different in this series this month. Instead of introducing you to all of the tech updates, we’re introducing you to one of the primary development team members (one of the geniuses that work on those updates)! While we at Sherpa strive every day to create a product that helps sales counselors connect and learn the life stories of their prospects, we feel it’s only fair (and pretty fun) to dive a bit deeper into the lives of one of our own. We hope you enjoy this fun deviation.
We’d like to introduce you to our Architect/Dev Ops guru, Terry Blackmill, through a casual Q&A. Let’s go:
So, Terry, what do you love about your job at SherpaCRM?
I love that, every day, the end goal is to help people live happier and fuller lives. And it’s not an abstract thing, we’re always hearing from our users about how our software helps them focus on the things that matter most, which is the people they are getting to know!
Why did you get into coding?
Honestly, I got into coding because I wanted to play games on my TI-86 calculator. I still have it, and it still has the games I coded years ago.
How is Sherpa different from any other development job you’ve had?
Sherpa has a product that it both cares about and owns. That is the biggest difference by far. Sherpa has a vested interest in the product it nurtures and creates, day in and day out.
What are some technical terms that actually mean something really simple in SherpaCRM?
“CFU,” hands down. “Creative Follow-Up” sounds much more manageable when you think of it like this: Remember when you had a favorite teacher in school? Now, imagine getting or making something just for them to put on their desk to show them you appreciate all the things they do. That’s a CFU, and it’s as easy as it sounds if you’re willing to get to know them first.
What’s your biggest challenge right now, in Sherpa or in life?
Who knew that selling a house at the same time you are trying to buy a house could be so much work!?
What is one thing you want Sherpa CRM users to know?
Upgrades are coming! We’re constantly striving to make the “User Experience” smoother, the “User Interface” will be more consistent and the loading times faster. We’re constantly striving for this because we know the sales counselors using our product deserve it.
How hard have you fallen off the rock wall?
I have 100% never fallen off the rock wall. I have also 100% never climbed it.
How do you decompress?
Painting and sewing are my favorite ways to decompress. Creating Halloween costumes, and messing with acrylics and watercolors make me pretty happy.
What did we not ask you that you wish we had?
What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid?! I know it sounds simple, but, I always wanted to be an architect. Then as I got older I realized I wasn’t very good at visualizing structural integrity. But now, here I am, a few decades later, and I’m a Software Architect. Funny how things work out sometimes, huh?
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading “The Lives of Toa” right now and I’m super excited to get into the rest of the trilogy.
To find out more about Terry, check out his bio. To learn about Sherpa CRM, the product that Terry and the rest of our dev team passionately work on, visit our demo. Have some questions for us? Contact our team!
