The Minterview

Mint Team Spotlight – Tuan Le

Written by Mint
Published Aug 13, 2007
2 min read
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Name:: Tuan Le
Title:: Software Architect
Education:: B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Berkeley.

Why are you working at Mint?

We have a genuine challenge to solve here, and I love software start-ups with that kind of impetus behind them. Plus, I love developing software that I would use myself.

What do you do at Mint?

I’m responsible for making sure that the overall application can scale to meet the needs of our Mint users. I make sure that the software and the hardware can communicate with each other in an efficient way, so that all of our users get the right information and have a great user experience.

How do you think Mint will help the average consumer?

Mint helps people keep on top of their money, so they can dial back on all of the little things they spend money on that add up to really big chunks of change. I know from experience that having that kind of control, no matter where you are, can really boost your financial confidence.

What features are you currently working on?

I’m currently buckling down on performance, email and text alerts.

What features do you like best about Mint?

I like the fact that Mint gives me a bird’s eye view of my personal finance, and I can drill it down to any level of detail I want.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I’ve had four near-death experiences. Three of them involved being at sea, and one of them involved being on a mountain. So if I were a cat, I’d have five lives left.

Best financial tip?

Pay yourself first; and always make sure you have emergency funds for those true emergencies.

Worst financial move?

I wasn’t exactly disciplined with my investments during the market’s peak around the year 2000.

How did you handle your personal finance before Mint?

I used to use Quicken, but I quit because it was too convoluted and just plain labor-intensive. Now I follow a basic 60% rule. I try to live off of 60% of my take-home pay, and save 40% of the rest.

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

A personal trainer for celebrities. I would get to keep in shape, get others in shape, and hey, receive a nice paycheck as a bonus.

What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?

I was a dishwasher at a restaurant once, and I would never want to be one again. Deliver me from sudsy wash basins.

What do you do after work?

I’m pretty domesticated now, so I just go home and spend quality time with my wife.

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