Say Hi to Radu, the Restless React Native Dev That Never Gets Bored!

Radu Iamandi is definitely an interesting character. Besides his obvious talent and passion for development, he is multi-skilled and quite handy. He never says no to a new challenge, and he has no problem getting his hands a bit dirty. No matter the issue, whether it’s code-related or we simply need a hand, we can always count on Radu to be there. He’s also a big motorcycle enthusiast, a true rider, and his everyday inspiration is simply getting things done. Let’s have a chat with him and see what else we find out.

Why did you join Salt & Pepper?

I simply decided to open up my perspective. I’ve interviewed here and there, but when Anda (the HR Manager of S&P) called me, I could feel her energy through the phone, and I simply liked the interaction.

I loved that I could be myself during both the HR and the technical interview. I actually had a great time talking and sharing my knowledge with them. I felt like their energy was the same as mine. We laughed for a bit and even joked around. That was the selling point for me because I thought to myself, ‘If they are so relaxed, they must really enjoy what they do at S&P.’

So far, it’s been a great experience.

Tell me about your work. What do you do?

I will start with a joke. Right now, I am... (points to the background in his room that says ‘get sh*t done’).

I have been a mobile dev for around four years now. I do a bit of backend, too, kind of a FullStack developer, or at least 10% of the time, and for the rest of the time, it’s simply mobile dev. I work with React Native, which is a JavaScript-based framework that lets you use the same code for both iOS and Android devices. When I started my career, I started off with C/C++, then went on with robotics, but when I first applied for an internship, I started loving JavaScript, and I’ve been using it ever since.

At the moment, I’m part of a big project at S&P, which has been my main focus so far, and right now, I am the sole mobile developer in their team.

Radu getting inspiration from his peers

How does a normal day look like for you?

I wake up around 8 am, and I make myself a cup of coffee. Sometimes I do my chores and errands, like going to the post office if needed. I start by checking my calendar, then I have my daily meeting, and after that, I just… work.

After work, at around 5 or 6 pm, I usually go out in order to stay in touch with people and grab a late lunch. Sometimes, I just enjoy staying in and spending quality time with my dear ones, my girlfriend, my friends, or my parents. And other times, I just feel like going for a ride with my motorcycle, relaxing or watching movies, and playing with my friends.

When I’m not doing any of these things, I work on my side projects.

Radu enjoying one of his many adventures

If you weren’t a developer, what would your backup plan be?

An engineer in the department of electronics. This is kind of how everything started. My career in the tech industry started out with my passion for Robotics. That is also what my Bachelor’s Degree says—electronics engineer.

How did your passion for robotics start out?

It was robots and PC-related things. The first thing that I remember is that when I was around 11 years old (basically the 5th grade), I made my own PC out of spare parts that I got from other people. It looked like a monstrosity (laughs) was living on my desk, but they were still great.

After that, I joined the Mathematics & Informatics program in high school, but after one and a half years, I dropped out and transferred to Natural Sciences because I felt like I didn’t get Informatics. Fast forward another half a year, I started working on Robotics, and I discovered what real Informatics actually meant, and it was quite different from the one taught in high school.

What do you work toward in your free time?

The first side project and the most important to me is my motorcycle because I spend a lot of nights on those pieces of metal.

Other than that, I am working on an app in the medical domain in collaboration with a University and some professors. I also have a startup with some friends, and we are working on it.

Also, I do renovation because I like getting my hands dirty and doing things my way. Right now, I am redoing my bathroom.

That’s almost everything, I guess. But honestly, I don’t like to get bored, so I always work on something. For example, last summer, I remembered that I had a Pegas bike in my parent’s attic. I went to their house, knocked on the door, and said ‘You have something that I want to fix’ and I restored it and painted it.

If you could trade places with a celebrity right now, who would it be?

Elon Musk! (answers in a nanosecond) I love that man. I admire his vision, and I believe that his motivations are amazing, and he has been inspiring me for a long time, since high school.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

This is a tough one. Flying would be nice because I could skip traffic or stairs. I would never have to walk up a flight of stairs again. I’d also just leave all of the windows open and just be done with keys too.

Or the ability to stop time. Sometimes, I feel like I just need more time to do everything that I want to do and, other times, I feel bad for wasting it.

What two items would you take with you if you were shipwrecked on a deserted island?

Being alone wouldn’t feel great, and I wouldn’t have a volleyball called Wilson. I would love to have a person there with me. Or a dog. I couldn't stand the isolation. In case we were not allowed to have people there, I would choose a smart AI that doesn’t require an internet connection. And for the second thing, I’d choose a boat.

Reason one: If I have a boat, I can float around the island. And reason two: when I get bored of the island and want to go back to my life and society, I could.

What inspires you?

Oh, that’s a good question. I don’t know what inspires me. I know what drives me, but I am not sure about the inspiration side. I would say progress as humanity or people that help us evolve as a society, like Elon Musk, Tesla, Stephen Hawking, Walter Lewin.

I think I am inspired by people who try to make their community or their surroundings better. Most of the things that I am also doing and all of my prototypes are based on my desire to help others. So, what inspires me? I don’t know, but I think it’s... (points at his background again)

Radu always gets it done!

Meet Radu and the Salt & Pepper team!

If you enjoyed picking the mind of Radu, don’t hesitate, and let’s connect so you can meet more of our team members.