Hey, Kiki

Hi!

My name is Kiki Ren 任蓓瑛, and I am very happy to currently find myself as part of the Wiredcraft team.

I’m Shanghainese.

Before joining Wiredcraft as a front-end developer, I worked for an events company, as a freelance front-end developer. I built WeChat web apps for international clients.

Before that, I work as a part-time EN/CN translator while learning to code.

I love to build things and it’s a lot of fun to build code blocks. It’s similar to converting a van into a home, which was also a lot of fun to do. Being a front-end developer, I am able to see my work transferring to dedicated views.

I am really proud of Cika Exchange, a WeChat Mini Program that I built for the rock climbing community in China to share and exchange their climbing gym punch cards. I utilized the simplest approach, staying focused on the current pain points within the climbing community, and listened to user feedback to grow this Mini Program into a successful app that is used by dozens of climbers daily.

1. What are the three things you like about Wiredcraft? Or what attracted you to apply here?

a. I like the ‘Keep it simple’ value written on the company website, as it meets my personal value as a minimalist.

b. The fact that WCL builds digital products for the world’s best brands.

c. The opportunity to work with other professional and experienced developers.

2. What’s the most adventurous experience you have had?

I took a 3 month road trip in the United States during the summer of 2019 in a mini van designed and converted into a mobile home by my partner and myself.

During this trip, I climbed one of the 50 classic climbs in North America, the Durrance Route, a 7-pitch traditional climbing route up Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.

Later in the trip, I hiked 6km, with 1300 meters of elevation gain, to Iceberg Lake on Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, carrying 3-day’s worth of food and equipment.

3. What hobbies do you have?

In addition to building apps, I like to rock climb and go to music festivals.

4. If there’s one thing you recommend everyone in the world to do, what would it be?

I recommend everyone to experience living in a van for at least a few months. I was really surprised at how few material possessions I actually needed to be happy. It’s such a great way to travel and fully immerse yourself in every destination that you visit.

5. What is the one thing you’ll hope you’ll do in your lifetime?

I hope to travel to many more countries and establish a work/life balance where I am able to live in a different area for as long as I want, and then move onto somewhere else.

The world is so big and I hope that my career allows me to explore it while I support myself financially.

6. What’s the most underestimated talent you have?

I think that the most underestimated talent that I have is my ability to sit in front of a computer for hours on end and absorb new knowledge.

When I am interested in something, it is hard for me not to keep diving and diving into the subject. Sometimes I forget to eat :P.