Hristo Stefanov

"The company has always invested in its people and their personal and professional development."

How did you decide to apply at Melon?    

I had been working for 2 years at my previous company and I couldn’t see much of an opportunity for development anymore. I was still a junior and was looking for a new challenge, a bigger company, a place to grow both as a software developer and a person. Two managing partners interviewed me, then I had a technical task, and eventually I got a job offer. That was 10 years ago.    

What have you kept you in the company for that long?    

The work-life balance, and the management.

Does the management hear you?    

Yes, absolutely. I have had situations - both simple and complex - reaching out to them and they would always react so that we would have a resolution. Sometimes it was fast, sometimes it took time. But they always tried to maintain a problem-solving orientated and healthy working environment.    

Is there something that new people joining Melon don’t know but might be helpful?    

Our hierarchy is flat, and anyone can always approach and talk to anyone from the management. The close relationships with the team leads and the management have proved to be extra helpful.    

What 3 words would you use to describe Melon?

Nice - the people working here, we really do value being nice and we are nice. Development - as I hit the 10-year mark working at Melon, the company has evolved so much in such a positive way - its structure, benefits, colleagues, management and the available opportunities for growth. Smart – I’m really lucky to be working with such individuals. Being surrounded by people who can inspire, and know what they do has been a privilege. It turns out I used 2 out of the 3 words tailored in our slogan “Be smart, be nice, make things happen”. But being in the company for such a long period of time, I have personally seen how everyone here is a true ambassador of these 3 simples tied in our slogan.      

What is the biggest difference you see in the company in the past 10 years?    

First, the offices – we opened new office locations and changed the way the office space looks and feels. The company has always invested in its people and their personal and professional development via our career development program.  As far as the structure, we have changed a lot. When I first started at Melon, I worked in a close collaboration with our CTOs Antony Ivanov and Vasil Dimov. But as the company grew, the teams grew with it and the structure got more and more efficient.    

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned at Melon?    

A colleague of mine told me once at a team building: “If you promise anything to anyone – a client, a friend, a partner, etc. – you most definitely must keep it. And you must tell them when it’s going to happen.”