A Day in the Life of a Backend Foundation Engineer at Slack

6:00 am While it’s not always easy to get up before seven, particularly when the sun hasn’t risen yet, being able to get a head start on the day before most of the city begins their commute makes it worthwhile. I sneak out of bed and get ready for work. I’m typically out the door,…

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Maude Lemaire
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Overview

This article provides an in-depth look at a typical day for a Backend Foundation Engineer at Slack, highlighting the engineer's daily routines, responsibilities, and the tools used in their work. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, continuous learning, and the technical challenges faced in maintaining and upgrading Slack's backend infrastructure.

What You'll Learn

1

How to effectively manage code reviews in a collaborative environment

2

Why performance monitoring is crucial for backend systems

3

How to onboard new engineers effectively within a tech team

Key Questions Answered

What does a typical day look like for a Backend Foundation Engineer at Slack?
A typical day includes early morning routines, engaging in code reviews, managing performance monitoring tools like Slerf, and participating in team meetings. The engineer balances technical tasks with collaboration and onboarding new team members, highlighting the dynamic nature of the role.
What tools are used for performance monitoring at Slack?
The primary tool mentioned for performance monitoring is Slerf, which identifies potential performance regressions by running benchmarks against database and memcached usage for every commit pushed to GitHub. This proactive approach helps maintain system performance before code is deployed to production.
How does Slack support its engineers in personal development?
Slack provides employees with $500 in personal development funds each year, which can be used for various educational resources, such as purchasing recipe books or subscribing to cooking apps. This initiative encourages continuous learning and personal growth outside of work responsibilities.

Key Statistics & Figures

Daily active users capacity
One million
The team discusses scaling problems related to accommodating an additional million daily active users.
Number of new engineers onboarded weekly
Nearly weekly
The team is consistently onboarding new engineers to keep up with growth.

Technologies & Tools

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Backend
Hacklang
Used as part of Slack's language stack for backend development.
Backend
Hhvm
Runs Hacklang and is integral to Slack's backend performance.
Tools
Github Enterprise
Used for version control and managing code reviews.
Backend
Memcached
Utilized for caching to enhance performance.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Engage in early morning routines to enhance productivity.
Starting the day early allows for quiet time to catch up on tasks and plan the day ahead, which can lead to improved focus and efficiency.
2
Utilize performance monitoring tools like Slerf to catch regressions early.
Implementing tools that alert developers to performance issues before code is merged can significantly reduce the risk of deploying problematic changes.
3
Foster a culture of collaboration through regular team syncs.
Weekly meetings can help teams stay aligned on goals and share knowledge, which is essential in a rapidly growing engineering environment.

Common Pitfalls

1
Failing to keep the codebase updated with the latest language features and security patches.
Neglecting updates can lead to performance issues and security vulnerabilities, making it essential to stay current with language developments.