The Minterview

Mint Team Spotlight – Poornima Vijayashanker

Written by Mint
Published Jun 28, 2007
2 min read
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Name:: Poornima Vijayashanker
Title:: Software Engineer
Education:: Duke University – Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science. Stanford – Master in CS – Quit to work at Mint.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I actually never wanted to be an engineer, as all the men in my family are engineers. I always wanted to be a corporate lawyer, but things changed when I got to college — I decided to be an engineer, as I thought it was a cool and intense field.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I’m very flexible. Like, super-bendy.

Best financial tip?

Don’t spend more than you make.

Worst financial move?

Paying too much tax on short-term capital gain by selling stocks too quickly.

How do you handle your finances?

Before Mint, I used spreadsheets. I basically figured out what my spending on non-discretionary items were (food, shelter, etc.), and the money I have left over gets put into savings, retirement account, 401k, and ESPP.

What’s the funniest/craziest thing you’ve seen while working at Mint?

Noah Kagan.

Why are you working at Mint?

I always wanted to work at Mint; it was just a matter of right timing. In fact, I actually came up with the name for Mint. I was in the early stages when the ideas came about, and once the company began to solidify, I decided it was the right time to join up with Mint. I definitely contributed to the ideas behind Mint, and I always wanted to work for a startup.

What do you do at Mint?

When I started, I was almost doing everything (back-end and front-end). Now I’m just the code monkey, and I do pretty much what anyone wants.

Favorite part about working here?

Being able to joke around, do some work, play ping pong, head home, and do some more work (I also get to curse while coding).

What don’t you like about working here?

Being the only girl. I get picked on a lot. 🙁

What sound do you love?

Laughter.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Dagny Taggart.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Being a writer.

What do you do after work?

Work out, bikram, tennis, and code some more.

Do you have a website or a blog?

Femgineer.com

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