Cactivate - Working at My First Startup
Collaborated with a team of 3 engineers to enhance the online ad tech platform, specializing in React frontend development, backend logic, and seamless integration of Facebook and Shopify APIs.
Timeline
Jan - Jul 2022
Tools
Python, React, Facebook API, AWS, SQL
Role
Full Stack Engineer
Link
Introduction
Cactivate was a startup venture where I had the opportunity to contribute during a six-month co-op. As part of a team of three developers and five individuals in total, we were trying to create an online tool that would help businesses manage their online advertising efforts. Our primary focus was on enhancing return on investment (ROI) by optimizing ad content and making it simpler for businesses to operate in the online ad space with a simple set and forget. Looking ahead, we aimed to incorporate artificial intelligence to generate ad creatives to make it even simpler for the user. The company was only working with Facebook ads when we started there.
What did I do?
Since it was a startup we were given many responsibilities almost from day one. We went through a short training period where we learned the ropes and then went from there.
Key Achievements
- I optimized our use of the Facebook API to dramatically increase the speed of collecting data by using various techniques including batching.
- I integrated Shopify into the website and allowed users to connect a Shopify account. This involved an extensive review process from Shopify and building out the entire use case.
- Increased loading time of dashboard by caching data on S3. We did this by using EventBridge to schedule a lambda function to run every hour. This lambda function would get the users Facebook data and then upload it to a S3 bucket which the dashboard would then fetch the data using API Gateway and calling the appropriate Lambda function.
A diagram of the above project I finished with each AWS product used shown.
- Worked on the React frontend and Redux and helped populate our data with React code. I also helped to quash various bugs.
- Built an ad translator that would take all Facebook ads and convert them to our system. This involved extensive database management and getting images and videos uploaded to Facebook onto our platform.
An example of the ad import page, where we would import all ads from Facebook to our platform.
- We helped with interviewing potential new full time developers by asking algorithm questions and eventually ended up hiring one.
Conclusion
Me (left), Srikar, Z, Peng and Wentao (right) at the Cactivate office posing for an article about local startups in Boston!
Cactivate was a very exciting co-op and taught me a lot about the entrepreneurship world. I learned how to work in a development setting and be a dependable member of a team. This experience also provided me with the opportunity to actively participate in team growth and contribute to shaping the company's trajectory. The environment was super friendly and I loved getting to enjoy Pizza Friday with the co-founders. I am forever grateful for the opportunity and it will always hold a special place in my heart.