When it comes to disrupting entire industries and building transformative customer experiences, you have to have an exceptional team that can build these products at pace.

Our team at gravity9 is just that; highly skilled, driven, passionate, and fun to work with!

We continue our Meet the gravity9ers series with the introduction of Eric Allen.

What is your role at gravity9?

My role is Application Modernization Lead. Essentially, that means I work with our Tech Teams and Clients to shape solutions. I hold a technical sales role whereby I look at the problems we are trying to solve and how we can bring the best of gravity9 to that. A big part of my role is focused on gravity9’s partnership with MongoDB; helping to bring an end-to-end application modernization approach to companies that are looking to use MongoDB as their data platform. I spend a lot of time thinking about business problems, thinking about architecture, thinking about data and how we can help customers achieve their goals by bringing the best of these things together.

What do you enjoy most about working at gravity9?

I think it’s really the people. gravity9 is a small team of highly skilled people. We are a growing company but still small enough to all know each other. Even though we are working from different locations, different geographies, different time zones we can still have that family feeling. We also share the same attitude and focus. Ultimately, it’s about doing work and doing work well; we all have a common passion to use design and technology to make things better.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your line of work?

I’ve thought a bit about this one and I think I would have to say: be to be open to opportunities and change. At the start of my career, I had one idea about what I wanted to be and it’s turned out to be different than that but in a very positive way. I started my career in a very technical remit, I was a developer, but as I got into the real world, I discovered my passion was problem solving in a much more general way and I found that by following that idea I created a niche for myself at a much higher level. Be open to opportunities and change and even though things may turn out differently, that can be good.

What can’t you start your day without?

There are three things. The first thing I do is have a big glass of water, I want to do exercise of some kind, then shortly after that there is coffee. Basically, if I can keep hydrated, keep moving and keep caffeinated then there is hope! I am not a morning person so I need to build up to it with these three things.

What do you do in your spare time?

This has all changed recently as we all have a lot more spare time. I have jumped on some of the lock-down trends. I have become quite the baker of sourdough bread which is fun and it makes a good housewarming or party gift, when those are possible gain. Plus, I’ve taken up cycling in a big way. Living in London and wanting to get around while avoiding public transport as much as possible cycling has been my go-to.

What is the last movie you watched?

I don’t actually watch a lot of movies but I’m really into series. I’ve just started watching ‘His Dark Materials’ which is based on a series of books I read as a late teen and they were some of my favourites. There was a film a few years back based on the first book that was quite dismal so I was a little reluctant to get into the series but so far, it’s turning out quite well.

What special skill/talent do you have (other than what you do for a living)?

I’m a singer, so in addition to my more recent hobbies, something I’ve always enjoyed is music. I sing in a choir normally, when that is possible. For the last year, we have been doing virtual rehearsals. Making music, appreciating music has always been a big thing for me. In a normal year, I would be rehearsing several times a week and performing three or four times a year.

What would be your dream vacation?

I have often thought about taking a container ship cruise as I thought that would be an interesting way to have a proper disconnect and see parts of the world that are a little off the beaten tourist track. Sail on a working ship and see countries from a different perspective; that is my goal for the next five years or so.

What is the last song you had stuck in your head?

It’s probably ‘Do you Hear the People Sing’ from Les Misérables, the reason for that is as things are starting to unlock in London, I went to see a show recently and I’ve had this song rattling around my head ever since. It was so good to be back in a venue with live music.