Makeila Lundy
How did your tech journey lead you all the way to Checkmk and what was your first impression when you joined the team?
I’ve always loved frontend development and creative coding, taking complex ideas and turning them into something visually engaging and easy to use. When I came across Checkmk, I was really impressed by their focus on clean UX and design, especially for such a data-heavy product. It excited me because I saw a real opportunity to bring that creative, user-focused mindset to the developer side of the team.
My first impression when I started was amazing. The onboarding in Munich was super well-structured, and everyone I met was so open-minded, friendly, and genuinely excited to welcome me.
Monitoring complex IT infrastructures means handling massive amounts of data. How do you and your team use your tech stack to translate heavy backend logic into smooth, intuitive user experiences?
My day-to-day focus is mostly on the frontend with Vue.js and TypeScript, along with a bit of Python on the backend to wire up the data. The goal is always to take all that heavy monitoring data and make it feel effortless for the end user.
When we tackle a new feature, it’s a super collaborative effort. We start by brainstorming early on with our designers to map out the user experience. From there, we build it out step-by-step bringing it to life on screen with smooth, responsive UI components. It’s all about teamwork and making sure complex technical data turns into something that actually feels great to use.
What is a recent project or problem at Checkmk that got you particularly excited to dive into the code?
Focusing on our UI component library was super fun. The big goal was improving accessibility and usability, making sure our interface feels welcoming and easy to navigate for everyone. It was the perfect mix of creative coding and UX collaboration.
Outside of writing code, you’ve previously been involved in tech education and community initiatives like ChickTech. How would you describe the culture of knowledge-sharing, teamwork, and continuous learning within engineering at Checkmk?
The culture here is super open and supportive! We have these regular knowledge-sharing sessions called Spotlights, where anyone can present new tools they’re using or neat ways they solved a tricky problem. It’s a great way to stay up to date on new tech and see how teammates think.
Externally, getting involved in the Checkmk Conference was an incredible experience. Seeing how users interact with our product in the real world and helping them solve actual setup challenges was super rewarding. Having that strong community spirit, both inside the company and with our users, makes working here really special.
If you had to replace your actual boss with a famous AI or robot from pop culture, who is running the team?
I think I'd have to go with either J.A.R.V.I.S. or C-3PO.
J.A.R.V.I.S. would be amazing for his dry, sarcastic commentary while quietly squashing bugs behind the scenes. His ultra-automated style would be a total shift from how hands-on and collaborative we usually are. He'd just seamlessly keep us running while tossing out a witty burn whenever our plans get too ambitious (and possibly stealing our jobs along the way).
On the flip side, C-3PO brings that funny, innocent charm. Switching to his anxious style would be a wild change of pace from our current relaxed, non-micromanaged environment. But... at least he's adorable and still keeps everyone smiling with his total, polite earnestness.
That said, as cool as having a holographic butler or a protocol droid sounds, real leadership here at Checkmk still has them beat. Mostly because human bosses don't require system reboots mid-sprint, and they actually appreciate a good coffee break!