We can’t brag enough about our biggest competitive advantage: our people. They’re some of the smartest, most talented, most interesting people on the planet – and we’re not exaggerating. In fact, if you knew even half the things our employees are up to in their spare time, it would blow your mind.
The Secret Life of RV reveals some of the coolest things our employees are doing outside of work. (Read: THIS is where we blow your mind.)
Secret Life: Armando Jiménez
(and his muse)
By day, Armando works in Puerto Rico as a mobile engineer — at the heart of developing their main product. From creating code solutions, managing source code control, to testing, he stays pretty busy. When he’s not cracking codes at work, you can find him hanging with his daughter (who he’s a little obsessed with … and we are too).
But aside from being a rockstar RV engineer and a dedicated dad, there’s more to Armando than meets the eye. A couple of weeks ago, some of RV’s Slack communities received the following message:
In addition to his RV engineering work, Armando has pursued his own technical project – building an application that spreads joy and good vibes. So naturally, we had to learn more – join our conversation and dive into Armando’s Secret Life below!
Q: Hey Armando! What inspired you to create an app like this?
A: I wanted to create something that helps people build or keep a positive mindset. With everything that is going on right now in the world, we need every ounce of positive energy we can find and hold on to it with everything we have. I believe that we attract what we focus on, so building something that helps people attract self-love, self-care, confidence, wellness, and a positive attitude seemed like a no-brainer.
Q: Wow, way to tap in to your creative juices! (Get it, because tapping, like on a phone screen?)
A: Well, you’re not wrong…
Q: The only thing we know about apps is how to use them – we can’t imagine all the work that goes into creating one. What was the process like?
A: The first thing I did was select a name and create the application icon. This action helped me find the motivation to start working on this project and set a commitment to not stop until it was published.
The second thing I did was to read a lot! I researched how to create an app architecture that would help me scale the app to more users. For me, this application needed to have a beautiful UI, fast performance, smooth animations, and accessibility for anyone. I worked on this project every night for seven months non-stop. I am proud to deliver something beautiful and made with love and good intentions.
Q: That’s a lot of dedication. What have you found to be most rewarding about this project?
A: The most rewarding thing for me is the feedback I’ve received. Thousands of people have downloaded the app, and people continue to leave positive feedback, letting me know how Believe is changing their lives.
The most rewarding feeling is when a user tells me how they received an affirmation when they needed it most and how it changed their day with those simple words. I was born to share positive energy in this world, and the best way I know how to do that is by programming something that helps other people, and that helps me.
Q: Are you working on any projects now where you’re able to channel your passion for helping people as part of your day job?
A: I recently joined the Fintech team [Editors note: Fintech = RV’s financial technology group] currently working in Puerto Rico on a super top-secret project. My team is full of intelligent and talented people who genuinely care. Being on this team is a blessing – I am able to channel my passion for helping people by helping our future customers.
Q: We love to hear it! Are there any other passion projects from you that we should be on the lookout for?
A: I want Believe to be a recognized wellness and mental health brand. I keep adding new features to it – including new categories, themes, music, and tools. I’ll keep maintaining it even if only one user is using it. Believe supports English and Spanish and is available for Android and iOS, including tablets, and in the future, I plan to make it available for Web, PC, and Mac.
Currently, I am working on an application called Motiv, with a similar design as Believe but for positive quotes from inspiring people. This new app will help our users find the inspiration and motivation to be whomever they want to be.
Q: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Armando!
A: Always a pleasure!
Feeling Inspired? Don’t stop your roll here – we’ve got plenty of other RVers with amazing secrets up their sleeves. Dive into another Secret Life right here.
