#WorkItWednesday featuring Dana Ross, Software Development Manager

Meet Dana Ross (she/her), our Software Development Manager

Dana’s been fascinated with technology’s ability to connect people, and she has spent over twenty years in the software industry. Prior to Grindr, Dana worked as a Software Development Manager at Chewy where she built a cross-functional team to improve the experience for subscribers. We got the chance to sit down with Dana to learn more about the web team’s work and how she sees her role in the bigger picture at Grindr.

Check out Dana’s Grindr story below, and take a look at our careers page to learn more about our open job opportunities.

Have you always worked in the software industry?

I’ve wanted to be a programmer since the second grade. It was the 1980s, and that was the first time I really got to see and touch a computer. The graphics weren’t great and the sound was barely better than the beeps from a microwave oven. But I was obsessed with the idea of a computer as a blank canvas and the possibilities it offered.

What drew you to the web specifically?

It was a natural evolution for me. Growing up, I didn’t have that many people in my life I could talk to about gender or sexuality. Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) and the early internet got me through my teenage years. Online, I found hundreds of people eager to connect and share their inner worlds.

I’ve been creating for the web since 1996. It’s still a wonderful canvas for self-expression. The web’s also evolved into a powerful engine of commerce, publishing, and application creation, transforming lives across the globe like for our users at Grindr!

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Tell us why you joined Grindr. What do you love most about our mission and our culture?

I’m thrilled to work at a company using technology to bring queer folks together safely. It seriously energizes me. Plus, I get to work with amazing people every day. I love the collaborative problem-solving and sense of ownership on our team. I love having colleagues with a wide variety of backgrounds where we can learn from each other in support of our mission to connect the global LGBTQIA+ community.

What interesting problems is your Grindr team solving for and what are you looking forward to for the future?

Being on the web team exposed me to projects like Grindr Bloop and Grindr 4 Equality (G4E). Some of these sites were set up when the company was very young and the underlying technologies haven’t kept up with people’s expectations. We’re looking at moving Grindr’s web properties to modern content management platforms that we’ll be able to use more effectively.

This will hopefully provide a better and safer experience for our users while allowing us to scale as we continue to build out Grindr’s web presence. It will also help us continue to share and represent the progressive and impactful work on Grindr initiatives like Bloop and G4E.

What are your goals for growing your team?

As the web team grows, I plan to focus on finding solid engineers that embrace the human side of the job. Our team has to work closely with our partners on the Product team to make sure we’re aligned with Grindr’s business goals. We collaborate with folks across the organization responsible for the privacy, security, and experience of our users.

We strive for engineering excellence. But to be truly successful, we need more than exceptional engineers. We need compassionate, action-oriented advocates who recognize our responsibility to Grindr’s user base, the people using and loving the things we create.

Dana is hiring! If you are interested in working on a talented team of engineers that are working to solve unique challenges in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, you should apply for a role on her team today!

For more information on opportunities to work at Grindr, please visit our career site.