Lindsey Bellman
Senior Software Engineer
My Story
In 2022, I had coffee with a friend who owned a climate tech startup. The company was in a growth stage, and they needed developers. I had just graduated with a BSc in Music and Computer Science, and was looking for my first job. I was hesitant, but after several discussions and meetings with the team, I agreed to come on board. I started as a Junior Animator, creating 3D graphics in Blender. Very quickly, though, they began assigning me programming tasks. I had never written a line of TypeScript or React before, and suddenly I was building production features in both.
I was thrown immediately in the deep end, I stayed late every day, determined to learn and accomplish as much as possible. I said yes to every task they gave me, even if I had no idea how to do it, and each time I came out with more skill, more tenacity, and more confidence. Eight months later, I was promoted to Lead Frontend Developer.
Since then, I’ve worked as a Senior Software Engineer across both professional teams and personal projects. Those first eight months were a visceral and challenging experience, but they permanently changed how I see myself. I no longer worry about not "knowing" a technology. I trust my ability to learn, adapt, and master any tool I'm given.
"I'll be the first to admit that when we first interviewed Lindsey, I was skeptical. However, over the several years she spent at our startup, she proved me completely wrong.
Lindsey didn't just grow into the job; she blew past every milestone we set for her. She started as a junior frontend dev and worked her way up to becoming a powerhouse senior full-stack engineer. In a startup, you need people who can handle chaos and learn on the fly, and Lindsey is exactly that.
She has a rare combination of being incredibly detailed with her code while remaining a fast, smart problem solver. Whenever something broke or we needed to pivot (which happened very often), she was frequently one of our team members to find and propose paths forward. Because of that, we were able to put an increasing amount of trust in her, eventually putting her in charge of a small team as their lead. She proved to be just as talented as a manager and leader as she is a coder.
Her work ethic is genuinely top-tier. She's one of those rare hires who makes you glad you were wrong. Any team would be lucky to have her, and I'd work with her again in a heartbeat."
My Values
It is deeply important to me to be a part of something that brings good into the world. As a software engineer, you can choose from every industry under the sun, but at the end of the day I want to know that I am building something with real-world impact. As a result of this, I am drawn to industries like healthcare, sustainability, education, and community development.
It is also important to me to be a part of a team that shares my values. When I think of my ideal team, I see a group of deep-thinkers. Calm, respectful, friendly, and imaginative. People who I can make real, intellectual connections with, and who create space in the room for everyone to share their ideas.
My Vision
I see myself wearing many hats in my career. I am a professional software engineer, but I am also an artist, a writer, a musician, and a visionary, and all of these qualities have something valuable to contribute. No matter the domain, creativity is the bottom-line, and I learn lessons in each of them that apply to all other aspects of my life.
I see myself thriving as the leader of a small, creative team building something meaningful and impactful. I also see myself succeeding as an independent engineer, owning the evolution of a large, intelligent system. The actual position does not matter to me as much as the opportunity to learn, to contribute, and to collaborate with like-minded people.
If these values resonate with you, please reach out. I am always open to new opportunities.
In My Free Time
Books
- Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
- Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hofstadter
- Educated - Tara Westover
- A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
- Piranesi - Susanna Clarke
- Coders - Clive Thompson
Hobbies
- Music production (songwriting, recording, producing)
- Hiking/camping
- Painting (acrylic, digital, watercolor)
- Jazz piano
- Gardening
Interests
- Theoretical physics
- Astronomy
- Music theory
- Philosophy
- Greek mythology
- Plant biology
