Hi, it’s me, Gema Megantara.
I live in Bandung, with my wife, and my macbook as my best friend. At first, I just a regular guy who only like playing video games and music. Yeah, I played music. You can listen to my band here. Now, everyday I involved in things related to technology & programming, that’s all because my college life in Telkom University.
From there, everyday, I always eager to learn anything new about technology & programming. I considered myself as a software developer on various implementation including web & mobile. Having experienced as a front-end, back-end, and iOS developer, also act as a sysadmin by managing multiple servers that handling hundred thousand of users.
Today, I’m serving as the CTO for a startup called Tado, a Q&A platfrom that connect you with fascinating people from Influencers, Experts, and Celebrities.
I will try to always post in English on this blog, to strengthen my English. So, of course there will be a grammar mistake.
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Early Career
Ok, so this is the story. Having graduated from a university and got a bachelor degree didn’t make me confidence to start a career in tech industry, I feel lack of knowledge and experience. Knowing that, I decided to apply to a software house company in Bandung, called Sangkuriang. In that place I focused on gaining new knowledge. Since I believe, by practicing I’ll gain more knowledge and experience. In Sangkuriang, I accepting all the new challenges from taking a role as a web developer and even as mobile developer. And that is the first time I’m learning about mobile development.
In Sangkuriang I develop EMASS (Encrypted Messaging and Secured Services) the first secure messaging system at that time that have integrated with third party services such as currency converter, weather information and electronic virtual account, it really similar with Line in today time, the difference is Sangkuriang create it on 2011.
Then two years later, I wanted to go to the next level of my career. I decided to go to Jakarta. Yes, Jakarta. The city that where all the people put their fate on it. My friend (Panji), told me there is a vacancy in a new small company. Since it’s a new company so there is no info about it that I can found anywhere. Despite that, I applied for it. And got interviewed by an amazing person, Toshi. At first, only 3 developers on that company, later it evolved into a big company which called Ebizu.
Development in Career
In Ebizu, I’m started as a web developer, creating a web application that served as a business center dashboard for SME (Small and Medium Enterprise), called EBC (Ebizu Business Center). On EBC, the SME can do various things to boost their businesses, such as creating the targeted offers and see their customers persona so the SME is really know who their customers is. EBC is one of the item in Ebizu ecosystems, Ebizu has EBC for SME customers, mobile app for end user, and POS app.
After several month, Rohit the Chief Product of Ebizu gave a challenge to the team. He want to rewrite the mobile app using native technology instead of using Phone Gap. With no hesitation, I’m up for the challenge, even though I don’t have much experience on creating a complex mobile app. I’m asking to Rohit, to give me one week to prove my skill for the challenge. Then yeah, I did it. I become the lead and only developer for the Manis app of Ebizu.
The journey is not easy, but it’s fun. Fun because I can do a lot of research. For example, I had to experience research about iBeacon in late 2013 not long after it was introduced for the first time on 2013 Apple WWDC. This is the example of my research (click here) and implementation (click here). Then create the Engager app, that will auto checked-in user if they are enter a restaurant using proximity from iBeacon. Having trusted by the company for leading the iOS mobile app development. I continue the development for Manis until version 2.x and was given the responsible for code the POS app also for a while.
My first company
I still hold my dream about creating my own company. At that time in the mid of 2014, someone contacted me about creating a startup company, he randomly choose me from a linkedIn! We setup a schedule for meeting, I showed him my capability and then we agreed for a terms. In short, we gonna launch the first mobile app for online dating in Indonesia!
The company name is Wavoo. You can’t access the app or web because I had brought it down, but you can find it on media such as this article on Tech In Asia. Wavoo got fund from Kejora.
I’m in charge as the CTO on the startup. I literally put all my effort to build the product. Day and night coding. Sleepless night is a usual. With only 3 programmer, me, Arif and Taufik, we finished the first version. My feeling when the product launch is so amazing. It’s not the best version, because if we wait it until to be the best, it’ll never launch. From that we always refining the product.
I learn to design and build the technology from the scratch including the architecture of the system so it can handle 200K user. I also develop the iOS mobile app that has 98% crash free user. And also develop the chat server that could send the message in just millisecond.
From only 4 people in the team. The company grow to 14 member in 2 years. We really had a good time. But, the good time won’t last forever. It was a bitter pill for me to swallow. You can read the press release here.
Moving along
After sometime, I met my bro, Arul from Ebizu. We talked about things. Then he offered me to help him settle things in Ebizu. He offered me, Head of Technology position. I accept it. Then I restructure the technology division to make it more efficient, I lead a 26 man team to produce the best quality of app and enhance every feature on it, making the app can handle 300K plus user with 800K plus transaction data generated monthly.
I also did the research and implement the OCR feature and combine ‘Auto Edge Detection’ with ‘Augmented Reality’ on the app. After 6 months, I finished my task. Then I move on by exiting Ebizu. Continuing my journey..