Meet the Unsplash team: Malte

Who are you and what’s your role at Unsplash?

My name is Malte. I am part of the Web team, which is the team responsible for developing and running the site you see when you visit unsplash.com and my role is Senior Software Engineer.

When did you join the team?

I had my first day two years ago on June 1st, 2022.

Where do you live?

I live in Germany, Bremen. Most famously known for “The Bremen Town Musicians” and Beck’s beer.

Where do you work?

I have a small office in our basement which I use exclusively for work. My setup consists of a M1 MacBook Pro, a 40” curved widescreen monitor, an ergonomic keyboard with mouse and AirPod Max headphones.

What does a regular day at Unsplash look like for you?

I am part of the Site Reliability and Security Team, as well as a recently formed Software Architecture Team. Currently, I focus on a lot of backend development using Node.js and strive to optimize our Datadog Monitoring Infrastructure. Wherever there are technical challenges, I aim to help find the best solution, drawing on my 13 years of professional software engineering experience, during which I have learned a great deal about what doesn’t work.

Who do you primarily work with on the team?

Most of the time I work with our Lead Developer Olly who lives in the UK. I would like to work more with my teammates in Canada but it is sometimes hard to organize due to a six-hour timezone difference.

Why do you enjoy working at Unsplash?

Working on a product like Unsplash is a fantastic experience. The challenges associated with managing a website of this size are incredibly motivating. Additionally, my awesome colleagues, the remote-first culture, collaboration in an international team, and a low-pressure, high-trust environment all contribute to this. The flexibility to structure my day however I like is a lifesaver, especially as a father.

What is your favorite thing you worked on at Unsplash?

Starting on my first day I had the opportunity to work on the new Editorial and Topics Page Header which was a big visual change. It was a great experience and start for my new job at Unsplash.

What tools/programs do you use?

My M1 runs with macOS which is configured via Nix. My main editor is Visual Studio Code pimped with some extensions. I do full-time Functional Programming in TypeScript and write a lot of code for Node.js and the Browser.

What do you do when you aren’t working on Unsplash?

I have a two-year-old son, so my leisure time is primarily spent enjoying quality moments with my family.

Where can people find you?

Github: mlegenhausen, Twitter: @mlegenhausen, LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mlegenhausen