Tag: Software

VP of Technology and Platforms Tyson Singer Shares How Developers Can Solve Complexity With Backstage

February 16, 2023

As Spotify’s VP of Technology and Platforms, Tyson Singer keeps a watchful and anticipatory eye on the company’s tech infrastructure. He focuses most on ensuring that our platform is always evolving behind the scenes—while still working for our users. He also makes sure that we’re at the forefront of tech innovation through effective long-term investments in areas like open source and sustainability. No small feats. 

His team’s most recent success is commercializing Backstage, a developer portal that Spotify created internally and then open-sourced in 2020. “Open-source software is code that is designed to be publicly accessible—anyone can see, modify, and distribute it as they see fit,” Tyson explained to For the Record. “Opening up Backstage to the open-source community enabled external contributions that kept improving the tool, and the wide array of viewpoints made it an even more diverse platform for us and everyone using it.”

What does Backstage actually do? What is the problem it solves for enterprises? 

Backstage solves complexity—the kind of everyday complexity that can really bog engineers and their teams down, which then slows your whole organization down. Developers have access to more technologies than ever before, which comes with more responsibilities than ever before. Whether working at small or large companies, engineers use countless systems that all come with their own interfaces and ways of doing things. 

A Backstage developer portal puts everything in one place and is customized to whatever tools a company and individual developer team are using. So instead of switching between all these different tools and dashboards and systems, there’s just one front end for all of it — a single pane of glass. This unlocks speed, improved collaboration, or even just a smoother day. 

How did a company like Spotify come to create a tool for developers, and how has it evolved over time?

Years ago when Spotify was just starting to grow into the platform it is today, the software on the back end was becoming increasingly fragmented and complex. We needed to find a way to simplify the messy ecosystem and make it easier for developers to focus on what they do best: creating. It is central to our philosophy that happy developers make happy code.  

As I mentioned, we went on to open source it because it is fundamental to our entire platform, so we were incentivized to make the best product possible and make it the industry standard. It took off as an open-source tool and currently has over 700 adopters from companies like Netflix, Peloton, American Airlines, and more. 

In December, we took our first step into commercial software by selling a bundle of plugins to enhance the open-source version of Backstage. If you think of Backstage like your phone, then the plugins are like the apps—they are what make your phone more valuable and useful. We’re really excited about generating revenue that allows us to continue to invest in and support our open-source work. 

What are some innovative strides Spotify is making in technology and how does that align with our overall mission?

Spotify is obviously best known as the world’s largest audio-streaming platform, but that last part is often overlooked: platform. Our tech platform powers over 500 million creators with cutting-edge technology at a scale that is constantly growing. That means our engineers are building more, faster, while also making sure our platform continues to run smoothly. A core part of our company mission is to unlock human potential and creativity. Developers are creators—some of the most prolific creators, given that every company is now a technology company, and we’re really excited about the technologies we are building that empower them to do their best work. We plan to share more of those technologies so developers outside of Spotify can achieve the same experience. 

And finally, what’s on your “recently played”?

Mostly I listen to podcasts. One of my long-time favorites is Invest Like the Best with Patrick O’Shaughnessy. I’m not a professional investor, but his guests often have very forward-looking and insightful views on technology and business. And I love his closing question, “What’s the kindest thing anyone has done for you?” as it reminds us and these successful folks that kindness and luck are a big part of success.  

Music-wise, my “recently played” is completely unpredictable, even to me. I thought when I checked I’d see Soundgarden, The Beatles, or Queen show up, but it was actually Norah Jones, Buena Vista Social Club, and Gipsy Kings. That’s the beauty of Spotify for me, there’s always great recommendations for every mood.  

Build the best developer portal possible with Backstage.

Nontraditional Hack Week Projects Pave Way for Innovation and Accessibility at Spotify

March 22, 2021

For many, Hack Week brings to mind images of strings of code and furious typing across multiple monitors. And while March 8-12 may have felt like that for some of the thousands of Spotify employees who participated in our annual Hack Week, for others, a successful event looked very different. 

For the five days, employees across many teams within and outside of R&D dedicated their time to projects that explored new ways of making Spotify better for creators, consumers, and employees. The week, themed around “Making Space,” especially gave time to employees who wanted to find better ways of working, for themselves and their colleagues—together and apart.

Kathleen Bright, an Agile Coach based in London, had been thinking about building trust and relationships asynchronously since December. “Part of what I do—my professional mission—is understanding that asynchronous collaboration, or working on the same thing but not necessarily at the same time, is something we’re not practiced at,” they explained. “We’re asynchronous by default now working remotely, and people are really unfamiliar with that way of working.”

According to Kathleen, email, instant messaging, sending documents and slide decks, and relying on video calls are the top ways Spotifiers are connecting with each other in the remote world. But there’s also an opportunity to show what asynchronous communication can look like. 

“One of the things that I’ve found to be really interesting is that often, when people are talking about asynchronous collaboration or communication, they talk a lot about text and the like—saying ‘we need to get better at writing.’ And I think we do need to get better at writing. But there’s a risk of us just having massive documents and slide decks flying around even more than we already do, and that’s not inclusive or accessible. And so I really wanted to focus on other ways of communicating and bring those in,” they said. 

Kathleen spent their Hack Week alongside 12 other band members from across the company working on ways to make employees more familiar with different mediums of communication—such as drawing or recording a voice memo—as well as helping teammates build up some confidence with using these tools alongside the ones they’re already using. “The point isn’t, ‘OK, well, instead of text, I’m going to use audio,’ but to combine stuff like, ‘OK, so I’ve got audio and a transcript or subtitles. I’ve got a doc that includes images and text,’” said Kathleen.

In true asynchronous fashion, Kathleen even shared some drawings they had made throughout Hack Week following meetings with their cross-functional team and topic experts at Spotify, including Casey Acierno, Media Responsibility Lead, Social Impact, and Babar Zafar, Vice President of Product Development.

“That’s something I really appreciate about Hack Week,” Kathleen said. “How we have a block of time when everyone in R&D (and beyond) is working on this. People you wouldn’t normally get to talk to are more available. So I had a meeting with Babar, who is the head of Freemium, my mission. It was really helpful to see where he’s at with asynchronous communication.” 

Meet the Talented Tech Minds Building Spotify in London

April 17, 2019

It’s no secret that London is one of the most vibrant cities in the world, but with Spotify UK’s move to a new office building this month, the conversation around London as an innovative tech epicenter has been growing. “Spotify in London has to be part of Spotify globally, but also must embrace the individuality and uniqueness of London,” says John Hayes, Director of Engineering. “No matter where you are from, you’ll find something going on in London that interests you and that you can learn from. There is a culture of top talent seeking the most interesting opportunities here.”

Late last year, Spotify announced that London would become the location for the Swedish company’s new tech hub. In the months since, Spotify has been busy building up a diverse and talented team of developers, data scientists, product managers and designers from around the world, people eager to add their stories to the company’s ever-evolving narrative. “We did a ‘getting to know each other’ exercise with the team,” John says. “To show where we were from, we all placed a pin on a map of the world. We had such a large mix of backgrounds that we ran out of pins and had to improvise with paperclips.”

And that’s just the beginning. “We spend time bringing the right people into the company who want to change the industry from a personal perspective,” John says. “It’s humbling to work with people who bring so many ideas from so many backgrounds.”

Like London itself, our newest office reflects many different cultures and experiences, but is equally connected to Spotify tradition. We’ve even put our own spin on the fika break: Sweden’s take on afternoon tea.

But who better to tell our story than London Spotifiers themselves? Below, meet a few of the many talented tech minds building out Spotify’s engineering team in London.

 

Name: Madalina Sicoi
From: Romania
Title: Software Development Engineer

Madalina Sicoi

I work on awareness and conversion for Spotify Premium. My day-to-day work is an exciting blend of coding, testing, liaising with stakeholders and supporting the rollout of various initiatives.

I had been keeping a close eye on Spotify long before the company established a tech presence in London due to my love of its product and the stories around its tech and culture. Spotify is a fun place to work, and I’m always surrounded by talented people that get the best out of me. Spotify brings a transparency that’s rare among large tech companies.

 

Name: Daniela Estevez Fernandez
From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Title: Senior Product Designer

Daniela Estevez Fernandez

I love the idea of working with a product that is used by millions of people every day. Every single person that you encounter here at Spotify is insanely smart, and most of us come from completely different backgrounds. I think that’s a perfect fit for the London talent pool.

From a user experience perspective, it’s interesting to think about how we prepare ourselves for the future of audio streaming in a truly connected world with hundreds of different types of devices (mobile, web, smart speakers, consoles, smart watches, etc.). How can I deliver a consistent and seamless experience to all users? I’d love to think that everyone listens to audio in the same way that I do, but the reality is very different, so that’s why I need to pay extra attention to what are our users are telling me. I focus on trying to deliver the best experience to all users, regardless of their device and where they are in the world.

 

Name: Jon Hare-Winton
From: Berkshire, UK
Title: Quality Engineer

Jon Hare-Winton

I work as an engineer in a small team, helping my team to ensure quality in everything we build. I’ve played drums in bands since I was 12, and have always wanted an opportunity to combine my professional life with my biggest passion.

The ever-changing nature of software development is kind of mirrored in the evolution of music streaming. It follows the patterns of early adoption, through to becoming mass market, followed by disruption. It’s a fascinating time to be involved in both fields, as nothing is going to stand still for long.

 

Name: Dimitrios Klimis
From: Greece
Title: Software Engineer

Dimitrios Klimis

I listen to lots (and I mean lots) of music. Spotify has been a big part of my life for a few years now after a former colleague suggested I give it a go about six years ago. The ability to instantly have access to almost every album ever produced and discover new music was, and still is, mind-blowing. So naturally, when given the opportunity to become a Spotify team member, I couldn’t resist. Spotify is like a dream job to me.

It’s evident that technology has conquered most aspects of our lives today and, as we evolve, we ask more from it. We as users need ubiquitous, less-intrusive technology which assists us to achieve our goals. For example, to discover music without actually looking for it. I believe Spotify has made considerable steps in this direction and we’ll see more and more in the future. I’m excited to be part of that journey.

 

Name: Riccardo Buzzotta
From: Padua, Italy
Title: Senior Product Designer

Riccardo Buzzotta

My role entails delivering elegant design solutions for Spotify Premium’s conversion funnel, with the help of my design team, now spanning across several time zones. Furthermore, I support my teammates in shipping quality work that contributes to a long-term vision.

London was already on my radar as a city to work and live in. Spotify coincidentally came along and when it was clear we both liked each other, I simply could not say no. I strongly feel that Spotify will make for a killer presence in London. Not just as a renowned consumer brand, but also as an incredible powerhouse of ideas and excellence on many fronts, as it’s been known to do worldwide.

 

Name: Ambreen Subzwari
From: Welsh-Pakistani origin
Title: PI Manager for the Conversion Product Area in Ironbank

Ambreen Subzwari

As a female of South Asian origin working in the tech industry, I can say firsthand that the landscape of gender equality has really shifted for the better over the last few years. Spotify, for me, epitomises the equilibrium of opportunities for men and women within the organisation. Not just because of the number of talented women we have in leadership roles, but also in the general company culture. For instance, as a working mother, I have been given full support by my manager and peers to work specific office hours to minimise disruption to my personal life— something that has not always been the case in previous companies. In addition to this, I also feel I have the same set of opportunities and support available to me as my male counterparts in order to climb my way up the Spotify career path. I have seen no distinction between the genders in what is required to achieve the next steps other than skills and performance.

 

Name: Yusik Kim
From: Daejeon, South Korea
Title: Machine Learning Engineer

Yusik Kim

I use machine learning to detect payment fraud. I spend a lot of time looking at payment data from different angles and select appropriate features to feed into the models. It mostly involves statistical modeling, implementing data pipelines, and ML algorithms.

When I was a student, I spent a lot of time discovering new music through buying albums and from what friends recommended. Once I had a job, I no longer had the time to invest in music discovery and I stopped listening to music for a while. Then Spotify came along and solved those problems for me. So I am passionate about making it even better.

 

Name: Muge Ersoy
From: Istanbul, Turkey
Title: Engineering Manager

Muge Ersoy

I was inspired to work at Spotify when I gave a talk at a Women in Tech conference in Amsterdam. Spotify was across from our booth and I had the chance to meet many women in STEM and get to know their policies regarding diversity and inclusion. It amazed me and I immediately wanted to be part of it. Not to mention that I am a big fan of the product itself and its discovery playlists.

I’ve played in amateur bands as a drummer. I have always had a special connection to music creation and am a true believer of the power of music. It makes the world a better place.

 

Name: Nicole Shephard
From: Denver, Colorado
Title: Design Manager

Nicole Shephard

I’m responsible for building and supporting a design team to explore what’s next for Spotify Premium. This means recruiting great design talent, working closely with our Product Insights team to deeply understand our customers, supporting designers in their exploration and testing of new concepts, and telling a great story around our hunches, experiments, learnings, and decisions.

My husband is a full-time musician, so the opportunity to contribute to Spotify’s goal of connecting artists with fans is quite personal. Music is one of the most powerful forces in the world—it has the ability to connect us, move us, and awake parts of us in a way only music can.