Tech-022: The First Six Months

Probation periods are always uncertain, but my first six months at Infonetica turned out to be some of the most rewarding — full of collaboration, new challenges, and even a few unexpected bumps along the way.

Being in the office two days a week made a massive difference. The commutes were long, but the collaboration and energy I got from being face-to-face with the team was worth it.

At first, I was leaving home at 4am on Monday mornings, often not arriving until around 10am thanks to traffic — a schedule that quickly became unproductive for both me and the business. I switched things up, travelling down on Sunday nights instead. That way, I avoided the traffic, got a good night’s sleep, and could start fresh in the office at 9am sharp on Monday.

Infonetica, like ParentPay, is multicultural. Early on I was introduced to Emin, who leads a team in Bulgaria. A highly experienced and friendly guy, he embodied the same collaborative spirit I was already seeing across the company.

I also began working closely with colleagues in Australia, including Belinda and Hooi. Despite the timezone difference, they were integral to our work and quickly showed me the value of a truly global team. Whether it was early morning calls or late-night catch-ups, their professionalism and positivity made collaboration seamless.

Beyond geography, probation was also about building connections across different functions. I formed strong working relationships with the Product team — Lokh, Steve D (better known as “Real Steve”), Vy, Xav, and Barbara — who kept the roadmap alive and grounded in customer needs. I collaborated with the Customer Success team, including Eliot, Kendall, and Tristan, whose insights gave me a direct line into how our work impacted end users.

And of course, I worked shoulder-to-shoulder with engineers like Chandan, Mete, Gurpreet, and the Bulgarian team. Each brought their own strengths, perspectives, and approaches, making the collective stronger than the sum of its parts.

Much of my time was spent working closely with Steve on ISO27001 certification, something I’d had experience with at DMS Navigator. I produced robust documentation and policies to support the certification process, ensuring we had a strong compliance foundation in place.

Of course, not everything went smoothly. Midway through my probation, a company laptop was stolen from my vehicle at a motorway service station. I panicked, thinking this is it — I’m never going to pass probation now.

Reflection

But as the six months drew to a close, my fears proved unfounded. I was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback, and more importantly, the confirmation I’d been waiting for: I was officially part of the Infonetica family.

That moment marked the start of something special. Probation was over, the foundation had been set, and now it was time to really make an impact.