People @ Proxiad – Todor Chomakov
Meet Todor Chomakov, Technical Team Leader. He shares with us his passion for math and programming. Todor also tells us more about his role, what kept him in the company for so many years, and the motivation behind it. In the most recent People@Proxiad article, he reveals his unusual hobby of gift-wrapping.
Tell us a bit more about your professional background. What sparked your passion for programming?
From an early age, I have always been passionate about mathematics. Ever since elementary school and later in high school, I have been enjoying studying math. Naturally, it developed into a love for computers and Information Technologies. In the university, I was surrounded by people who shared my interests. I believe this is essential when you are taking your first steps in any new area. We got the opportunity to collaborate on a number of course projects, and this helped me realize how much I enjoy working with others to pursue and accomplish a common objective.
You have been part of Proxiad for the last 9 years, and most of your work experience is here. You began as an intern and have progressed to the position of Tech Team Lead. What motivates you to stay with Proxiad SEE, and what factors have contributed to your continued commitment to the company over these years?
Without a doubt, one of the biggest reasons why I have been part of the company for such a long period of time is the opportunity to work on different projects and constantly challenge myself. Another important aspect is the fact that there have always been great people who can support and guide you. Nowadays, I realize that I am part of that group of people who are there to support and advise our young colleagues who are taking their first steps in the IT world. And the feeling is great indeed.
Could you tell me more about your project and what you do as a Technical Team Lead?
The product we are developing could easily be classified as a Payment Orchestration Platform. It is a set of eCommerce solutions that enable customer journeys, accept a variety of payments, prevent fraud, and optimize the payment strategies used for maximum conversion with a minimal cost of ownership. The solutions we are offering follow the latest PCI DSS standards.
My responsibilities as a Technical Team Lead are primarily related to providing technical guidance in the eCommerce domain. I am also responsible for the quality of the deliverables from our team. We are working on NFR (non-functional requirement) topics. Due to the nature of these topics, we are constantly communicating them with different stakeholders. The team relies on me to provide them with clear requirements and ensure proper guidance throughout the development phase.
One aspect of the product that truly fascinates me is its potential for immediate impact on our daily lives. In today’s world, eCommerce is all around us — it is in our browsers, smartphones, and even our smartwatches. Having the opportunity to develop solutions that are actively used by millions of people every day is really thrilling and makes our job so challenging and interesting.
Let’s move outside of work – how do you spend your free time?
The ‘quality time’ I need after a long workday are the moments spent with my friends. I’m not the kind of person that is caught up in video games, TV shows, or movies. I truly enjoy talking with friends while we are outdoors about everything. I have come to the opinion throughout the years that any subject could be interesting if you were talking about it with someone who is “crazy” about it!
Of course, there are moments when I need some time to myself. This is when I prefer to take a walk, as it is a healthy activity that allows me to relax and unwind after a long day.
We have heard you have been playing football twice a week, every week, for the last 10 years. Which lessons from football do you apply in your daily life?
Without a doubt, the most important lesson I’ve learned is that you need to gain trust and believe in your teammates. They are the ones who walk alongside you, and they are the ones who are going ‘all-in’ with you. You are winning and losing together, but the feeling of being part of a team is unmatched. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons I find football so fascinating: it involves a group of individuals pursuing the same goal. The amazing thing about sports in general is that everyone gets to trust each other and put in an effort together to achieve the goal they share. The resemblances between the software teams are obvious, aren’t they?
Now let us discuss the hobby we have heard you love – gift wrapping. Could you tell us more about how it started and what you love about it?
Believe it or not, it all started with a video on social media of a lady who was gift-wrapping. The most amazing part was how simple everything appeared to be! After a couple of more videos, I was already wrapping my first presents. Of course, people were a little bit surprised by my hobby, but they really enjoyed the outcomes. The best part of this interest of mine is the fact that I can make someone smile. At the end of the day, there isn’t a bigger motivation than this.
You told us that you love to be moving regardless of how – taking a walk, bicycling, playing football or something else. How do you find the time to combine both work with an intense schedule like yours as a Team Lead and to take time for yourself?
In my experience, effective time management is the key. There are often people around us who constantly complain about not having enough time, and I used to be one of them. However, over the past few years, I’ve shifted my perspective and started to evaluate how I was utilizing my time. Although it might sound simple, doing this requires you to confess to yourself that you are not perfect or the best. Once you achieve that, then everything becomes much easier.
Lastly, what is the thing that people don’t know about Proxiad but think they should?
Have you ever heard about Proxiad`s great team events? These are where the great company culture is born.
