Launched in 2018, PayPay has grown into a mobile payment service with 58 million users, which is one in every two smartphone users in Japan. It is currently composed of diverse engineers gathered from more than 50 countries and regions around the world. In this Pay2 Dev Speaks series, we give you the latest on the Pay2 Development Center (or Pay2DC), PayPay’s first overseas development center launched in October 2022, through the unique voices of our team there.
This time, we interviewed Tarun, a backend engineer.
*Pay2 Development Center changed its name to PayPay India on May 30, 2024
Tarun
Pay2 Development Center
Backend Engineer
Hello, I am Tarun! I joined PayPay Japan in 2021 as an SRE engineer and I am currently taking on new challenges as a backend engineer at Pay2DC. Every day I am grateful to work in an environment where teammates treat each other like family.
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Why I Joined PayPay
I joined because I was attracted to an environment that demanded high quality, I found another family at PayPay!
Before joining PayPay, I worked as an SRE engineer for a leading online booking service in India. I was always interested in how to speed up systems and optimize them, and then gradually became interested in FinTech companies. At that time, I received an offer from PayPay. I wanted to work in a FinTech company, and I remember being very excited even before joining because the quality of Japanese products is well known across the world.
At PayPay, I was on the Developer Experience Team supporting CI/CD and platform-related queries, but after about a year of working there, I had to return to India due to family circumstances. I thought I would have to resign, but both my manager and HR said, “Please only consider resignation as a last resort. We want to work with you as long as possible, so let’s see if there is a way.” Then, they offered me the option of transferring to Pay2DC. It was a special moment for me, when I realized that the people I work with are like family.
Furthermore, when I saw an interesting project underway at Pay2DC, Mune, the site manager, told me that there was a way for me to be involved in the project as a backend engineer. Since I was given this opportunity, I decided to give myself a challenge and give it a try. I was worried at first, but so far things are going well.
What is the appeal of working at Pay2DC?
With open communication, we can fully challenge ourselves and explore new opportunities
The first is that Pay2DC has the qualities of a startup, while having the stability, processes, knowledge, and user base of PayPay. Pay2DC allows us to be flexible and try new things, and if we find something positive from it, we can pass it on to PayPay.
Secondly, we can discuss openly without limiting individuals by team, position, or experience. For example, there is transparency that allows me to speak directly with Mune, the base manager. He values and listens to my opinions.
The third is the combination of speed and quality. PayPay has approximately 58 million users, and in addition to the asset of massive user data, the asset of public confidence is equally important. Therefore, while PayPay focuses on speed, we nevertheless never compromise quality. I think there is a lot that Indian developers can learn from PayPay. For example, we ensure that our products and services are well-tested before launching.
Teamwork and Communication
Respective, supportive teammates who like to have fun
Since I work in an office, I can communicate quickly and have casual conversations, which I think contributes to the cohesiveness of the group. During our first project, we would do a demo every Friday, and if the demo went well, we would all buy snacks and have a tea break to pat ourselves on the back. We all face challenges at work together, support each other a lot, celebrate together, and take short breaks if we ever feel overwhelmed. These moments have helped us grow into a family.
We also hold many other events, such as birthday parties and farewell parties for members who come from Japan. The cultural exchange between India and Japan also makes Pay2DC special.
All members here are energetic and eager to contribute. Some of our members have experience with digital payments, so they can provide valuable insights. We all want to make PayPay’s products better and are trying to give our best performance to do so. The office is filled with very good energy.
Our Team and Our Future
The support from others was crucial when transitioning from SRE to backend
Pay2DC has just completed its first major project and is now preparing for its second. Personally, it has been challenging for me to join the project in a new role, learning programming languages. I managed to get the hang of it and explored best practices. I dedicated myself to taking online courses, searching the internet, asking questions to members during breaks, and referring to notes.
Not only within Pay2DC but also within PayPay’s developer community, there is truly an open, supportive culture. When I post a question on the open communication channel, everyone contributes, even if they are not working on the project themselves. There is a sense of unity because we are all working towards a common goal. This makes it a motivating and enjoyable workplace.
As for future prospects, if I had to say, I want to challenge myself to work in frontend development. By gaining a better understanding of all business domains, I believe I can propose improvements to PayPay’s features and services, and have a deeper understanding when discussing projects with PMs.
However, since I have just started as a backend engineer, my focus is on learning the existing architecture and implementation of PayPay, while independently trying things out to gain more knowledge and experience.
A Message to Developers Across India
Enjoy challenges in an environment where you can perform at your best!
There are no walls or barriers between PayPay and Pay2DC, allowing us to evolve Japanese products from India. There are no restrictions on opinions and suggestions either! This is an environment where people welcome challenges, so if you want to grow in a dynamic environment, are up for trying something new, want to deliver better service to users, and want to pursue quality, this is the perfect place for you.
That does not mean it’s all about hard work every day. The team is supportive, so you can feel at ease.
It’s a great place to work in. It gives you the feeling of being part of a family while you utilize your skills as a professional. Folks here listen to and respect each other’s opinions and try to work together to solve someone else’s problems.
I would highly encourage those seeking an environment where they can demonstrate their best performance to come and join us.
*Recruitment status and employee affiliations are correct at the time of the interview.