Carbon Five Roll Call: Dimas Guardado, Principal Developer
Carbon Five Roll Call is a blog series introducing you to your next team of product managers, designers and software engineers. Learn more about us and how we can help support your next project. First up in 2021, meet Dimas!
Name: Dimas Guardado
Title: Principal Software Engineer
Hometown: La Puente, CA
Carbon Five Office: Santa Monica
Emoji of choice: 
Tell us a little bit about your background and area of expertise.
I have been building software full-time for about 14 years now, the bulk of that time working in video security, financial services, and (my favorite) education. I like to take a holistic approach to the systems I work on, using technology to facilitate connections among the people making, running, and using a product. I really enjoy enabling other developers: designing and building the APIs, tools, and processes that make it easy to do their best work, or mentoring folks that are new to the systems that they’re working with so they can stay in their flow state of build -> learn feedback loop.
My perspective in technology is greatly influenced by where I come from. As a 2nd Generation Salvadoran-American, community, interdependence, education, and industriousness were part of the value system I grew up in. My life experience has taught me to care a lot about making sure the systems I work on, and the environments I work in, are as inclusive, just, and accessible as they can be.
A few clients you’ve worked with include:
I have only been at Carbon Five for a bit less than two years, but in that time I’ve had great experiences working with clients like:
- Fender
- Babylon Health
- Credijusto
- First National Bank of Omaha
What’s the coolest thing about Carbon Five?
Easily the people. I’m really sorry if that seems a little cliché, but I don’t know that any other answer would really be as truthful. People are important to me, and every conversation I had with C5ers showed me people were important to them too. It shows in the respect and empathy my colleagues try to bring to our customers, their users, and each other. It also shows in the healthy level of joy and mayhem that is cultivated in the culture: weird food experiments, spontaneous lunch-time table-top games, collaborative creation of just the right custom emoji, as only a tiny sample. I’m glad that much of this has spilled over into our new fully-remote lives, though I do miss sharing space with these folks and look forward to doing it again in the future.
Share one MUST DO recommendation.
One of the most restorative things I used to do pre-pandemic is wander cities — just give myself a few hours or a day to go nowhere in particular, walk around and explore what’s in the streets and alleys I don’t normally go to during my day-to-day. It grounds me in my body, clears my head, and occasionally I find some tasty new food as part of it. At the end of it, my feet are achy and my body is beat, but my head is thoroughly refreshed. Highly recommended once it’s safe out there to do so!
Until then, my indoor recommendation is the Nintendo Switch. I’ve been having a ton of fun with the variety of games and different ways to play. The first game I played on it was Gris, a beautiful video game about grief. I played it a couple of years ago, but it left a strong impression. It has very accessible gameplay without a huge time commitment. Its strongest features are its gorgeous artwork and music, and its heart-wrenching story. I highly recommend it.
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We’re hiring! Looking for software engineers, product managers, and designers to join our teams in SF, LA, NYC, CHA.
Learn more and apply at www.carbonfive.com/careers
