My first encounter with Menlo was in 2023 when my school career advisor connected me with Kealy, a Principal Software Developer at Menlo. Soon after, I was fortunate enough to join a Thursday Menlo Factory Tour. After the tour, as I returned home from Menlo, I wrote in my journal, “Menlo is so unique.” Little did I know then that just a year later I would be working at that unique place for four months.
As I wrap up my spring position at Menlo, I find myself reflecting on this unique experience, unlike any other in my professional journey thus far. The Menlo Way® isn't just a set of practices or methodologies. It's a culture, a mindset, and a philosophy that permeates every aspect of work and life within this vibrant Ann Arbor-based software company. Join me as I take you through my personal journey, learnings, and takeaways after immersing myself in the unique world of Menlo.
Understanding The Menlo Way®
Before delving into my experiences as a Menlonian, I want to take a moment to introduce what sets Menlo apart and how Menlo appears to non-Menlonians... people like me back in 2023.
The first thing I noticed when entering Menlo’s front door for the first time was two developers sitting together at one desk. I thought to myself, “Hmmm, looks like Menlo embraces a collaborative culture.” However, as I walked past three desks and witnessed every desk occupied by two developers, I became confused. “Are they undergoing construction so they don’t have enough computers?” It was later that I learned Menlo does pair programming by default, a practice where two programmers work together at one workstation while sharing a single keyboard and mouse. Throughout my seasonal position, practicing this collaborative approach proved to me how well it fosters constant communication, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving. I would describe pair programming as a daily cooperative game between Menlonians; it takes two to move closer to the goal.
But Menlo's uniqueness extends far beyond just this cooperative pair programming. The weekly schedule, filled with rituals like the planning game and the daily standup, ensures alignment and transparency across teams. The work authorization board serves as a visual representation of progress and priorities, keeping everyone on track and accountable. There are three main roles at Menlo: Project Managers (PMs) who manage project progress, High-Tech Anthropologists® (HTAs) who focus on the end user's experience, and Software Developers (DEVs), each of which play a crucial part in the unique Menlo ecosystem.
Embracing The Menlo Way® and Growth
I walked into Menlo on my first day with the confidence of being an amazing pair partner. Having worked on a handful of group projects in school, I’d thought I was used to collaboration and communication. As it turned out, I’d completely underestimated the difficulty of pairing, or to be more specific, the difficulty of being a great pair partner. There were so many moments during my spring position where I grabbed the shared keyboard and coded out all the thoughts I had with zero communication with my pair partner. I thought coding straight through without explanation worked better because it was “faster”. But as soon as my pair partner and I were not on the same page, it took us hours to trace back into the document or even roll back committed code. It was not fast at all! The Menlo Way® is not only about how outstanding you are but how well you can help your pair partner succeed and grow.
The software industry usually prioritizes DEVs’ coding ability over all other factors when making a new hire. There are also a set of industry stereotypes towards Software Developers (DEV): DEVs are hard to talk to, DEVs can only communicate through coding, DEVs do not understand human interactions... Unlike other companies, one unique area of growth Menlo emphasizes for DEVs is consulting skills. It involves a deep understanding of the entire lifecycle of software development, from user needs to software architecture, coding, and client communication. Even as a junior DEV at Menlo, I had multiple opportunities to directly interact with clients and talk through the thinking process as a software developer.
In the end, I realized how much more I could achieve within the regular eight hours of working daily. With a focus on learning both communication and coding, I found my brain at full capacity during the first month of my spring position. It felt intense during the first four weeks, but it soon made me reflect on the question “Have I been wasting my daily eight hours in previous jobs?” I accomplished much more during my Menlo 8-hours than any other 8-hour periods I’ve had. On a Wednesday in late January, I was working solo on a project past 5 pm without realizing it until I became the last person in the office. It was then that I realized how far I had come, not just in terms of adapting to The Menlo Way®, but also in my own capabilities as a software developer.
Learning to Menlo
Yes, Menlo can be a verb! As a spring employee, I was thrown headfirst into the Menlo culture, with no traditional training sessions to ease me in. With a firm belief in learning by doing, Menlo got me onboarded with pair programming from the first day. It pushed me to learn actively, to seek out resources, and to embrace every opportunity for growth. In many ways, I felt like a spoiled child, showered with the resources and support needed to thrive in this unique environment. Aside from development projects, I participated in Menlo’s Lunch and Learn sessions, Intro to The Menlo Way® Workshop, and HTA Workshop as part of my spring position.
Interestingly, my experiences as a software developer at Menlo echoed the concepts I had been studying in my Agile Development capstone class. Every principle, every practice seemed to align seamlessly with what I had learned in theory. While “the gap between what is learned in class and what is applied in industry” has always been a dominant complaint among students, that gap did not exist at Menlo. It was impressive to see how agile development’s effectiveness was validated by Menlo's approach.
The Journey Continues
As I bid farewell to Menlo, I carry with me not just memories but a newfound appreciation for collaboration, intensity, and growth. The Menlo Way® isn't just about software development, it's about human connection, continuous learning, and making a meaningful impact with software in the world.
So, the next time someone asks me about my time at Menlo, I'll simply smile and say, "It was more than just a seasonal position – it was a journey of discovery and reflection, a journey into the heart of The Menlo Way®."